Deceased Orcas

Dedicated to those who did not survive the show

Number of orcas who have died in captivity: 173

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This page details every killer whale that has died in captivity since 1961. Two formerly captive killer whales (Ishmael and Keiko – found in bold) are not included in the total number given at the top of the page as neither died in captivity. Ishmael, a U.S Navy Orca involved in Project Deep Ops, escaped off the north coast of Oahu, Hawaii, in February 1971. It’s unknown if he’s dead or alive. Keiko, star of Free Willy, was famously rehabilitated and released into the wild where he interacted with wild orcas and travelled 870 miles across the Atlantic from Iceland to Norway. In December 2003 Keiko passed away at 26 years old from what was believed to be Acute Pneumonia – a common disease both in captivity and in the wild.

Also not included in the total at the top of the page are 32 unsuccessful pregnancies (found here) and 15 mortalities during capture operations which are as follows:

– Between September 1962 and August 1970 at least 10 whales died during capture operations in Washington State, USA. During this time, at least 1 orca died in British Columbia, Canada.
– Another orca died during the 1992 capture in Argentina
– Between September 2003 and August 2018, at least three orcas died during three capture operations in Russia.

All these included would bring the total death count up to 215 orcas.

Note: According to data released by the Japanese Fisheries Agency, a total of 63 orcas have been taken in Japanese waters since 1972. 20 were taken into captivity and are listed as deceased in the above count. That means in addition to the ones listed below another 43 orcas have been taken, possibly killed during capture operations or more probably killed for meat or pet food.

To view photos of a certain orca simply click on the orca’s name!

Name	Wild Population & Ecotype OR Captive Mother / Father	Sex	Origin	Capture / Birth Date	Est. Age at Capture	Length at Capture (cm)	Place of Death	Date of Death	Age at Death	Time in Captivity	Cause of Death
Wanda	North Eastern Pacific Offshore Orca	F	Newport Harbor, California, USA	1961/11/18	10(+) years old	521	Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1961/11/20	10(+) years old	2 days	Pneumonia, Gastroenteritis
Moby Doll	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(J pod)	M	Saturna Island, British Columbia, Canada	1964/7/16	5 years old	467	Vancouver Aquarium, Canada	1964/10/9	5 years old	85 days (2 months, 23 days)	Drowning. Skin Disease.
Namu / C11	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents (Mother believed to be C5 Kwattna)	M	Warrior Cove, Namu, British Columbia, Canada	1965/6/23	9(+) years old	655	Seattle Marine Aquarium, Washington State, USA	1966/7/9	10(+) years old	381 days (1 year, 16 days)	Drowning - infected with clostridium perfringens (an anaerobic bacteria) which caused severe colic.
Shamu	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	F	Carr Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington State, USA	1965/10/31	4 years old	410	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1971/8/23	9 years old	2122 days (5 years, 9 months, 23 days)	Pyometra (a uterine infection) and Septicemia (blood poisoning)
Kandu	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(K pod)	F	Yukon Harbor, Washington State, USA	1967/2/15	1 year old	312	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1971/6/16	5 years old	1582 days (4 years, 4 months, 1 day)	Pneumonia and Liver Necrosis
Katy	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(K pod)	F	Yukon Harbor, Washington State, USA	1967/2/15	Less than 1 year old	249	Seattle Marine Aquarium, Washington State, USA	1967/5/16	Less than 1 year old	90 days (3 months, 1 day)	Obstructed Esophagus / Intentional Drowning.
Kilroy	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(K pod)	M	Yukon Harbor, Washington State, USA	1967/2/15	1 year old (or less)	290	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1978/9/23	12 years old	4238 days (11 years, 7 months, 8 days)	Gangrenous Pneumonia
Ramu	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(K pod)	M	Yukon Harbor, Washington State, USA	1967/2/15	4 years old	406	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1982/1/12	18 years old	5445 days (14 years, 10 months, 28 days)	SeaWorld deceptively listed his cause of death as ""Old age"". For 18 months prior to his death, Ramu was treated for ""chronic, partially unresponsive, hypochromic microcytic anemia, nephritis and congestive heart failure"". His necroposy detailed ""cardiopulmonary decomposition, infectious pleuritis and numerous senile changes"". He did not die from old age.
Skana / Walter	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(K pod)	F	Yukon Harbor, Washington State, USA	1967/2/15	4 years old	427	Vancouver Aquarium, Canada	1980/10/5	17 years old	4981 days (13 years, 7 months, 20 days)	General Mycotic (fungal) Infection
Orky	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​(I11 pod)	M	Shushartie Bay, Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada	1967/7/25	4 years old	427	Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1969/7/22	5 years old	728 days (1 year, 11 months, 27 days)	Pneumonia, Influenza
Lupa	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	F	Vaughn Bay, Washington State, USA	1968/2/20	12(+) years old*	549	New York Aquarium, New York State, USA	1968/9/6	12(+) years old	218 days (7 months, 5 days)	Pneumonia
Hugo	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Vaughn Bay, Washington State, USA	1968/2/20	3 years old	399	Miami Seaquarium, Florida, USA	1980/3/4	15 years old	4396 days (12 years, 13 days)	Aneurysm Cerebral Artery
Bonnie	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​(A5 pod)	F	Garden Bay, Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1968/4/26	15(+) years old	610	Marine World Africa, California, USA	1968/7/29	15(+) years old	94 days (3 months, 3 days)	Heart Failure, Stillbirth Complications
Corky	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​(A5 pod)	F	Garden Bay, Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1968/4/26	3 years old	401	Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1970/12/5	5 years old	953 days (2 years, 7 months, 9 days)	Mediastinal Abscess
Hyak 2 / Tung-Jen	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​(A5 pod - Mother believed to be Natsidalia)	M	Garden Bay, Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1968/4/26	1 year old (or less)	290	Vancouver Aquarium, Canada	1991/2/16	23 years old	8331 days (22 years, 9 months, 21 days)	Pneumonia
Kianu / Clyde	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​(A5 pod)	F	Garden Bay, Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1968/4/26	8 years old	579	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	1980/6	20 years old	4419 days (12 years, 1 month, 6 days)	Gastrointestinal Disease
Natsidalia	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​(A5 pod)	F	Garden Bay, Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1968/4/26	15(+) years old	579	Vancouver Aquarium, Canada	1968/11/8	15(+) years old	196 days (6 months, 13 days)	Heart Failure
Orky 2 / Snorky	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​(A5 pod)	M	Garden Bay, Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1968/4/26	6 years old	511	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1988/9/26	26 years old	7458 days (20 years, 5 months)	Acute Bronchopneumonia, Nephropathy
Tula	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents	M	Queen Charlotte Strait, Malcolm Island, British Columbia, Canada	1968/7/18	3 years old	399	Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Netherlands	1968/10/23	3 years old	97 days (3 months, 5 days)	Brain Haemorrhage, Fungal Infection of Kidneys
Ahab	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Yukon Harbor, Bainbridge Island, Washington State, USA	1968/10/5	8 years old	579	US Navy, Hawaii	1972/9/27	11 years old	1453 days (3 years, 11 months, 22 days)	Unknown
Cuddles	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(J or L pod)	M	Yukon Harbor, Bainbridge Island, Washington State, USA	1968/10/5	2 years old	351	Dudley Zoo, England, United Kingdom	1974/2/6	7 years old	1950 days (5 years, 4 months, 1 day)	Streptococcal mediastinal abscess, Osteomyelitis of rib
Haida	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(J or L pod)	M	Yukon Harbor, Bainbridge Island, Washington State, USA	1968/10/5	4 years old	427	Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada	1982/10/3	17 years old	5111 days (13 years, 11 months, 28 days)	Lung Infection (Airborne Staphylococcus)
Ishmael	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Yukon Harbor, Bainbridge Island, Washington State, USA	1968/10/5	6 years old	518	Place of escape: US Navy, Hawaii	1971/2/19 (date of escape)	8 years old at time of escape	867 days (2 years, 4 months, 14 days)	Unknown - Ishmael escaped in February 1971. While it's likely he passed away shortly after his escape there is a possibility that he's still alive, roaming the seas.
Mamuk	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(J or L pod)	M	Yukon Harbor, Bainbridge Island, Washington State, USA	1968/10/5	3 years old	396	Sea-Arama Marineworld, Texas, USA	1974/6/14	8 years old	2078 days (5 years, 8 months, 9 days)	Acute Streptococcal Septicemia / Severe Pulmonary Edema
No name	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	F	Carr Inlet, Washington State, USA	1969/4	5 years old	457	Seattle Marine Aquarium, Washington State, USA	Date unknown	Unknown	N/A	Unknown
Ramu 2	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Carr Inlet, Washington State, USA	1969/4	9 years old	604	Marineland, Queensland, Australia	1970/5/21	10 years old	415 days (1 year, 1 month, 20 days)	Gastric Ulcer
Calypso	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​	F	Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1969/12/11	6 years old	518	Marineland Antibes, France	1970/12	6 years old	355 days (11 months, 20 days)	Unknown
Kenny	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​	M	Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1969/12/11	4 years old	411	Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1972/5/20	6 years old	891 days (2 years, 5 months, 9 days)	Pneumonia
Nepo	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​	M	Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1969/12/11	2 years old	366	Marine World Africa, California, USA	1980/7/10	12 years old	3864 days (10 years, 6 months, 29 days)	Acute Bronchopneumonia, Nephropathy
Patches	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​(A5 pod)	F	Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1969/12/11	Less than 1 year old	287	Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1971/8/4	2 years old	601 days (1 year, 7 months, 24 days)	Mediastinal Abscess and Salmonellosis, an infection caused by Salmonella bacteria
Yaka	North Eastern Pacific Northern Residents ​	F	Pender Harbor, British Columbia, Canada	1969/12/11	1 year old	320	Marine World Africa, California, USA	1997/10/29	28 years old	10,184 days (27 years, 10 months, 18 days)	Pleuritis/Pneumonia From Upper Respiratory Infection
No Name	Unknown	M?	Carr Inlet, Washington State, USA	1970/2/14	5 years old	457?	Seattle Marine Aquarium, Washington State, USA	on or after 1970/2/20	Unknown	at least 6 days	Unknown
Chimo / T4	North Eastern Pacific Bigg's Transients	F	Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1970/3/1	2 years old	351	Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada	1972/11/2	4 years old	977 days (2 years, 8 months, 1 day)	Pneumonia, Streptococcal Septicaemia and Chediak-Higashi-Syndrome
Nootka / Knootka / Newtka / T5	North Eastern Pacific Bigg's Transients	F	Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1970/3/1	4 years old	411	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1990/3/13	24 years old	7317 days (20 years, 12 days)	Pyogranulomatous; Pneumonia
Scarredjaw Cow / T3	North Eastern Pacific Bigg's Transients	F	Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1970/3/1	20 years old	579	Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada	1970/5/15	20 years old	75 days (2 months, 14 days)	Malnutrition
Chappy	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	F	Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington State, USA	1970/8/8	2 years old	350	Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	1974/4	5 years old	1332 days (3 years, 7 months, 24 days)	Periostitis (inflammation of the lumbar bone)
Clovis	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington State, USA	1970/8/8	2 years old	335	Marineland Antibes, France	1973/2	4 years old	908 days (2 years, 5 months, 24 days)	Clostridial Myositis
Jumbo	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington State, USA	1970/8/8	5 years old	475	Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	1974/7	8 years old	1423 days (3 years, 10 months, 23 days)	Liver Dysfunction
Lil’ Nooka	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington State, USA	1970/8/8	2 years old	351	Sea-Arama Marineworld, Texas, USA	1971/3/18	2 years old	222 days (7 months, 10 days)	Asphyxiation
Ramu 4	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington State, USA	1970/8/8	2 years old	351	Marineland, Queensland, Australia	1971/8	2 years old	358 days (11 months, 24 days)	Unknown
Wally / Whale	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	F	Port Madison, Bainbridge Island, Washington State, USA	1970/8/8	Less than 1 year old	280	Munich Aquarium, Germany	1971/10/4	1 year old	422 days (1 year, 1 month, 26 days)	Heart Failure
Winston / Ramu	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​	M	Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington State, USA	1970/8/8	4 years old	406	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1986/4/28	19 years old	5742 days (15 years, 8 months, 20 days)	Chronic Cardiovascular Failure
Kandu 2	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(L pod)	M	Penn Cove, Washington State, USA	1971/8/26	3 years old	396	Marineland Ontario, Canada	1979/10	11 years old	2983 days (8 years, 2 months)	Pneumonia
Kandu 3	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(L pod)	F	Penn Cove, Washington State, USA	1971/8/26	1 year old	323	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1975/6/15	4 years old	1389 days (3 years, 9 months, 20 days)	Uraemia-Nephritis
Kona	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(L pod)	F	Penn Cove, Washington State, USA	1971/8/26	4 years old	434	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1977/9/28	10 years old	2225 days (6 years, 1 month, 2 days)	Septicemia. Also reported as Pulmonary Abscession
No name	N/A	M	Carr Inlet, Washington State, USA	1971/11	3 years old	401	Seattle Marine Aquarium, Washington State, USA	Date unknown	Unknown	N/A	Unknown
No name	N/A	M	Carr Inlet, Washington State, USA	1971/11	4 years old	411	Seattle Marine Aquarium, Washington State, USA	Date unknown	Unknown	N/A	Unknown
Canuck / J24 Eltanin	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(J pod)	M	Carr Inlet, Washington State, USA	1972/3/9	2 years old	353	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1974/12/1	4 years old	997 days (2 years, 8 months, 22 days)	Candidiasis
Zero	Japanese	F	Abashiri, Japan	1972/9/1	Unknown		Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	1972/9/15	Unknown	14 days	Unknown
Sandy	Unknown	F	Ocean City, Washington State, USA	1973/3/13	6 years old	488	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1977/10/22	10 years old	1684 days (4 years, 7 months, 9 days)	Cerebral Haemorrhage
Frankie / Skookum Frankie	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(L pod)	M	Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1973/8	12 years old	594	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1974/1/29	12 years old	181 days (5 months, 28 days)	Pneumonia
Kandy	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(L pod)	F	Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1973/8	14 years old	540	Marineland Ontario, Canada	1973/11/16	14 years old	107 days (3 months, 15 days)	Acute Pneumonia
Nootka 2	North Eastern Pacific Southern Residents ​(K pod)	F	Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1973/8	30 years old	579	Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada	1974/5/1	30 years old	273 days (9 months)	Ruptured Aorta
Nootka 3	North Eastern Pacific Bigg's Transients	F	Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1975/8/16	3 years old	381	Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada	1976/5/14	3 years old	272 days (8 months, 28 days)	Perforated Post-Pyloric Ulcer. Abscess in Gastrointestinal Tract
Kandu 4 / Kanduke / T9	North Eastern Pacific Bigg’s Transients (T7?)	M	Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1975/8/16	4 years old	427	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1990/9/20	19 years old	5514 days (15 years, 1 month, 4 days)	Viral Leptomeningitis, an inflammation of the subarachnoid space in the brain
Kim / Oum	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Medallands Bugt, Iceland	1976/10/10	5 years old	450	Marineland Antibes, France	1982/7/24	10 years old	2113 days (5 years, 9 months, 14 days)	Lung Abscess
Gudrun	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Medallands Bugt, Iceland	1976/10/28	Less than 1 year old	270	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1996/2/25	19 years old	7059 days (19 years, 3 months, 28 days)	Septicemia, Bacteremia associated w/ Endomyometritis
Kenau	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Medallands Bugt, Iceland	1976/10/28	1 year old	300	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1991/8/6	15 years old	5395 days (14 years, 9 months, 9 days)	Hemorrhagic Bacterial Pneumonia
No name	Corky 2 Orky 2	M	Captivity	1977/2/28			Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1977/3/15	15 days old	15 days	Pneumonia, Bowel Stasis and Cerebral Edema
Miracle	N/A	F	Menzies Bay, British Columbia, Canada	1977/8/10	1 year old	305	Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada	1982/1/12	5 years old	1616 days (4 years, 5 months, 2 days)	Drowning
Kandu 5	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Ingólfshöfði, Iceland	1977/9/30	3 years old	370	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1989/8/21	14 years old	4343 days (11 years, 10 months, 22 days)	Hemorrhage; Maxillary Bilateral Fracture
Canuck 2	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Ingólfshöfði, Iceland	1977/10	2 years old	350	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1981/8/2	5 years old	1401 days (3 years, 10 months, 1 day)	Chronic Kidney Disease
Hoi Wai / Suzie Wong	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Ingólfshöfði, Iceland	1977/10	Less than 1 year old	270	Ocean Park, Hongkong	1997/4/21	20 years old	7142 days (19 years, 6 months, 20 days)	Severe Intestinal Blood Loss
Kona 2	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Ingólfshöfði, Iceland	1977/10	2 years old	350	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1987/10/15	12 years old	3666 days (10 years, 14 days)	Pulmonary Abscession
Magnus	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Ingólfshöfði, Iceland	1977/10	1 year old	326	Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Netherlands	1977/12/18	1 year old	78 days (2 months, 17 days)	Agranulocytic Anaemia
Winnie	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Ingólfshöfði, Iceland	1977/10	Less than 1 year old	275	SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	2002/4/11	25 years old	8958 days (24 years, 6 months, 10 days)	GI Tract Obstruction
Kahana	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Tvisker, Iceland	1978/10	1 year old	320	SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	1991/5/14	13 years old	4608 days (12 years, 7 months, 13 days)	Broken Skull, Severe Blood Loss and Intestinal Ganglioneuroma (tumor)
Kasatka	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Tvisker, Iceland	1978/10	1 year old (or less)	290	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	2017/8/15	39 years old	14,198 days (38 years, 10 months, 14 days)	Kasatka was humanely euthanised after suffering from a Bacterial Respiratory Infection (likely pneumonia) and a Compromised Immune System for a prolonged period of time.
Shawn	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Medallands Bugt, Iceland	1978/10	1 year old (or less)	290	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1979/9/3	1 year old	337 days (11 months, 2 days)	Pneumonia
Kotar	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	South East Iceland	1978/10/9	Less than 1 year old	210*	SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	1995/4/1	16 years old	6018 days (16 years, 5 months, 23 days)	Kotar died after a gate he was playing with closed on his head, crushing his skull. Despite this, his cause of death is officially listed as Acute Hemorrhagic Pneumonia.
Betty	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Skardsfjara, Iceland	1978/10/17	3 years old	374	Marineland Antibes, France	1987/9/8	11 years old	3248 days (8 years, 10 months, 22 days)	Pneumonia
No name	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Skardsfjara, Iceland	1978/10/17	1 year old	310	Saedyrasafnid (Hafnarfjordur) Aquarium, Iceland	1979/1	1 year old	76 days (2 months, 15 days)	Heart Attack
Spooky	Corky 2 Orky 2	M	Captivity	1978/10/31			Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1978/11/10	10 days old	10 days	Pneumonia, Colitis
No name	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Iceland	1978/11	1 year old	320	Saedyrasafnid (Hafnarfjordur) Aquarium, Iceland	1979/1	1 year old	61 days (2 months)	Pneumonia
No name	Japanese	M	Taiji, Japan	1978/12/25	Unknown		Taiji Whaling Museum, Japan	1978/12/30	Unknown	5 days	Harpoon Wound
Benkei	Japanese	M	Taiji, Japan	1979/2/26	7 years old	520	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	1989/1	16 years old	3597 days (9 years, 10 months, 6 days)	Acute Pneumonia
Chi	Japanese	F	Taiji, Japan	1979/2/26	9 years old	610	Taiji Whaling Museum, Japan	1979/5	9 years old	64 days (2 months, 5 days)	Unknown
No name	Japanese	F	Taiji, Japan	1979/2/26	9(+) years old	635	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	1979/3/31	9(+) years old	33 days (1 month, 5 days)	Birth Complications. Delivered a stillborn calf.
No name	Japanese	F	Taiji, Japan	1979/2/26	9(+) years old	650	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	1979/4/28	9(+) years old	61 days (2 months, 2 days)	Nutritional Disorder
Tai	Japanese	M	Taiji, Japan	1979/2/26	9(+) years old	700	Taiji Whaling Museum, Japan	1982/6	12(+) years old	1191 days (3 years, 3 months, 6 days)	Unknown
Surfer Girl	N/A	F	Pfeiffer Beach, California, USA	1979/5/26	1 year		Marine World Africa, California, USA	1979/6/3	1 year old	8 days	Pneumonia. Kidney failure. Perforated Gastric Ulcer
Dzul-ha / Shamu	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Malarrif, Iceland	1979/7/25	1 year old	300	Aquarama on Parade, Mexico	1983	4 years old	1256 days (3 years, 5 months, 7 days)	Unknown
Caren / Calen	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Ingólfshöfði, Iceland	1979/11	2 years old	362	Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	1987/5/4	9 years old	2741 days (7 years, 6 months, 3 days)	Agranulocytosis
Keiko	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Medallands Bugt, Iceland	1979/11	2 years old	365	Taknes Bay, Skålvikfjord, Norway	2003/12/12	26 years old	8307 days (22 years, 8 months, 29 days) Calculated from Keiko's capture date to his release date (2002/7/30).	Believed to be Pneumonia
King	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Ingólfshöfði, Iceland	1979/11	Less than 1 year old	270	Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	1983/10/4	4 years old	1433 days (3 years, 11 months, 3 days)	Acute Pneumonia
No name	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Medallands Bugt, Iceland	1979/11	3 years old	370	Marineland Ontario, Canada	1980/1	3 years old	61 days (2 months)	Acute Enterotoxaemia
Benkei 2 / Ushiwaka	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Alvidra, Iceland	1980/10/24	1 year old (or less)	290	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	1983/7	3 years old	980 days (2 years, 8 months, 7 days)	Malignant Lymphoma
Vigga	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Reydarfjördur, Iceland	1980/11/10	1 year old	310	Marine World Africa, California, USA	2000/8/14	20 years old	7217 days (19 years, 9 months, 4 days)	Heart Failure, Brain/Lung Abscess, Pneumonia
Bjossa	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Reydarfjördur, Iceland	1980/11/14	3 years old	400	SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	2001/10/8	23 years old	7633 days (20 years, 10 months, 24 days)	Chronic Bronchopneumonia
Finna	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Reydarfjördur, Iceland	1980/11/14	4 years old	410	Vancouver Aquarium, Canada	1997/10/6	20 years old	6170 days (16 years, 10 months, 22 days)	Pneumonia
Nemo	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Selvogsbanki, Iceland	1981/10	2 years old	350	Windsor Safari Park, England, United Kingdom	1986/11/17	7 years old	1873 days (5 years, 1 month, 16 days)	Thrombocytosis
Neptune	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Selvogsbanki, Iceland	1981/10	4 years old	410	Clacton Dolphinarium, England, United Kingdom	1983/6/1	5 years old	608 days (1 year, 8 months)	Appendicitis
No name	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Alvidra, Iceland	1981/10	4 years old	414	Marineland Ontario, Canada	1981	4 years old	Unknown	Unknown
No name	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Selvogsbanki, Iceland	1981/10	Less than 1 year old	259	Clacton Dolphinarium, England, United Kingdom	1981/12/11	Less than 1 year old	71 days (2 months, 10 days)	Traumatic Shock. Ruptured Kidney
Nootka 5	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Medallands Bugt, Iceland	1981/10	2 years old	350?	Marineland Ontario, Canada	2008/1/8	28 years old	9595 days (26 years, 3 months, 7 days)	Unknown
Ruka / Orca	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Selvogsbanki, Iceland	1981/10	2 years old	350	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	2000/3/29	20 years old	6754 days (18 years, 5 months, 28 days)	Traumatic Shock
Benkei 3	Japanese	M	Taiji, Japan	1982/2/12	Less than 1 year old	275?	Private residence, Japan	1983/12	2 years old	657 days (1 year, 9 months)	Unknown
No name	Japanese	M	Taiji, Japan	1982/2/12	9(+) years old	700?	Taiji Whaling Museum, Japan	1982/6/1	9(+) years old	109 days (3 months, 20 days)	Pneumonia
Sacchi	Japanese	F	Taiji, Japan	1982/2/12	9(+) years old	600?	Enoshima Marineland, Japan	1984/4	11(+) years old	779 days (2 years, 1 month)	Pneumonia
No name	Sacchi Wild Orca	M	Captivity	1982/5/1			Enoshima Marineland, Japan	1982/5/11	10 days old	10 days	Brain Abscess
Kiva	Corky 2 Orky 2	F	Captivity	1982/6/18			Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1982/8/3	46 days old	46 days (1 month, 16 days)	Colic, Respiratory Failure
Freya	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Stokkseyri, Iceland	1982/10	1 year old	300?	Marineland Antibes, France	2015/6/20	33 years old	11,950 days (32 years, 8 months, 19 days)	Undisclosed illness
Haida 2	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Stokkseyri, Iceland	1982/10	1 year old (or less)	290	SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	2001/8/1	19 years old	6879 days (18 years, 10 months)	Necrosis of Cerebrum/ Fungal Infection
Kim 2	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Stokkseyri, Iceland	1982/10	1 year old (or less)	290	Marineland Antibes, France	2005/11/23	23 years old	8454 days (23 years, 1 month, 22 days)	Pneumonia
No name	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Héradsflói, Iceland	1982/10	1 year old	310	Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada	1983/5/29	1 year old	240 days (7 months, 28 days)	Haemophilia, a genetic disorder that inhibits the body’s ability to control blood clotting when faced with an injury
Nootka 4	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Héradsflói, Iceland	1982/10	3 years old	381	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1994/9/13	14 years old	4365 days (11 years, 11 months, 12 days)	Complications associated with her stillbirth: Pneumonia; Septicemia
Tilikum	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Togi, Iceland	1983/11/9	2 years old	350	SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	2017/1/6	35 years old	12,112 days (33 years, 1 month, 28 days)	Bacterial Pneumonia
Nandu	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Jökulsá, Iceland	1983/11/14	2 years old	354	Aquarama São Paulo, Brazil	1988/3/2	6 years old	1570 days (4 years, 3 months, 17 days)	Adrenal Gland Tumor
Samoa	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Jökulsá, Iceland	1983/11/14	3 years old	397	SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	1992/3/14	11 years old	3043 days (8 years, 4 months)	Mycotic Meningoencephalitis
Bingo / Thor	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Reyðarfjörður, Iceland	1984/11	2 years old	339	Port of Nagoya Aquarium, Japan	2014/8/2	31 years old	10,866 days (29 years, 9 months, 1 day)	Pneumonia
Freyja / Patty	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Reyðarfjörður, Iceland	1984/11	2 years old	351	Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	1987/9/16	4 years old	1049 days (2 years, 10 months, 15 days)	Acute Enteritis
Junior	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Berufjörður, Iceland	1984/11	2 years old	350	Marineland Ontario, Canada	1994/6/1	11 years old	3499 days (9 years, 7 months)	Brain Damage
Kandu 7	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Reyðarfjörður, Iceland	1984/11	6 years old	490	Marineland Ontario, Canada	2005/12/21	27 years old	7720 days (21 years, 1 month, 20 days)	Cancer
No name	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Reyðarfjörður, Iceland	1984/11	4 years old	409	Saedyrasafnid (Hafnarfjordur) Aquarium, Iceland	1985/1	4 years old	61 days (2 months)	Neck Injury
No name	Corky 2 Orky 2	F	Captivity	1985/7/22			Marineland of the Pacific, California, USA	1985/8/20	29 days old	29 days	Asphyxiation
Milagro	Argentinian mammal-eating population	M	Argentina	1985/8/8	5 years old		Mundo Marino, Buenos Aires, Argentina	1991/2/10	10 years old	2012 days (5 years, 6 months, 2 days)	Unknown
Kalina	Katina Winston	F	Captivity	1985/9/26			SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	2010/10/4	25 years old	9139 days (25 years, 8 days)	Acute Bacterial Septicemia
Goro	Japanese	M	Taiji, Japan	1985/10	Less than 1 year old	260	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	2005/1/21	19 years old	7052 days (19 years, 3 months, 20 days)	Acute Pneumonia
Nami	Japanese	F	Taiji, Japan	1985/10	3 years old		Port of Nagoya Aquarium, Japan	2011/1/14	28 years old	9236 days (25 years, 3 months, 13 days)	Ulcerative Colitis - Pulmonary Zygomycosis with Cunninghamella Bertholletiae
Baby Shamu 2	Kenau Winston	F	Captivity	1986/1/5			SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	1986/1/16	11 days old	11 days	Heart Defect
No name	Japanese	F	Japan	1986/2	Unknown		Japanese Fishermen Group, Coast of Japan	1986/4	Unknown	59 days (2 months)	Unknown
Shachi	Japanese	F	Taiji, Japan	1986/2	6 years old		Izu-Mito Sea Paradise, Japan	1988/3	8 years old	759 days (2 years, 1 month)	Pneumonia
Magy / Maggie / Miss Piggy	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Seyðisfjörður, Iceland	1987/10	3 years old	400	Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	1997/10/7	13 years old	3659 days (10 years, 6 days)	Birth Complications
Oscar / Wolfie	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Seyðisfjörður, Iceland	1987/10	1 year old	320	Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	2012/12/20	26 years old	9212 days (25 years, 2 months, 19 days)	Unknown
Prince / Bubba	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Seyðisfjörður, Iceland	1987/10	3 years old	400	Ocean Park, Hong Kong, China	1991/7/10	6 years old	1378 days (3 years, 9 months, 9 days)	Pseudomonas
Belen / Bethlehem	Argentinian mammal-eating population	F	Samborombón Bay, Argentina	1988/1/6	1 year old		Mundo Marino, Buenos Aires, Argentina	2000/2/4	13 years old	4412 days (12 years, 29 days)	Unknown
Katerina	Katina Kanduke	F	Captivity	1988/11/4			SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	1999/5/5	10 years old	3834 days (10 years, 6 months, 1 day)	Severe Suppurative Hemorrhage. Bacterial Pneumonia.
No name	Bjossa Hyak 2	F	Captivity	1988/11/13			Vancouver Aquarium, Canada	1988/12/4	21 days old	21 days	Malnutrition
Kayla	Kenau Orky 2	F	Captivity	1988/11/26			SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	2019/1/28	30 years old	11,020 days (30 years, 2 months, 2 days)	Lung disease - likely Pneumonia
Taima	Gudrun Kanduke	F	Captivity	1989/7/11			SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	2010/6/6	20 years old	7635 days (20 years, 10 months, 26 days)	Peracute Uterine Prolapse
Splash / Katak	Nootka 5 Kandu 7	M	Captivity	1989/8/15			SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	2005/4/5	15 years old	5712 days (15 years, 7 months, 21 days)	Acute Perforating Gastric Ulceration w/ Associated Peritonitis
Yamato / Tanouk	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	M	Hornafjörður, Iceland	1989/10/21	3 years old	397	Izu-Mito Sea Paradise, Japan	2000/10/24	14 years old	4021 days (11 years, 3 days)	Unknown
Ran	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Hornafjörður, Iceland	1989/10/22	2 years old	337	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	2004/8/29	16 years old	5425 days (14 years, 10 months, 7 days)	Pneumonia, Blood Poisoning and Acute Gastritis. Gave birth to premature calf on 2004/8/26.
Ai	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Hornafjörður, Iceland	1989/10/29	1 year old	310	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	1995/8/25	6 years old	2126 days (5 years, 9 months, 27 days)	Candidiasis
Sharkan / Sharkane	Icelandic North Atlantic Type 1	F	Hornafjörður, Iceland	1989/10/29	4 years old	427	Marineland Antibes, France	2009/1/3	23 years old	7006 days (19 years, 2 months, 5 days)	Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ( Bacille Pyocyanique)
K’yosha	Bjossa Hyak 2	F	Captivity	1991/9/30			Vancouver Aquarium, Canada	1992/1/4	96 days old	96 days (3 months, 5 days)	Brain Infection
No name	Nootka 4 Tilikum	M	Captivity	1992/2/4			Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada	1992/3/10	35 days old	35 days (1 month, 6 days)	Infection. Extremely High White Blood Cell Count.
No name	Kiska Kandu 7	M	Captivity	1992/8/24			Marineland Ontario, Canada	1992/10/25	62 days old	62 days (2 months, 1 day)	Drowning
"Father of Kshamenk" (got the name because he was an adult male, it is not known whether he was Kshamenk's father indeed)	Argentinian mammal-eating population	M	Samborombón Bay, Argentina	1992/11/17	Unknown - Likely 7(+) years old	550	Mundo Marino, Buenos Aires, Argentina	1992/11/17	Unknown	Less than 1 day	Undetermined but likely to have been a parasitic infection. In the moments before his death, "Father of Kshamenk" vomited parasites and suffered respiratory arrest. Blood tests showed evidence of renal failure, eosinophilia, and muscle and liver lesions from his stranding.
Neocia / Baby October	Nootka 5 Kandu 7	F	Captivity	1992/10/21			Marineland Ontario, Canada	2004/8/1	11 years old	4302 days (11 years, 9 months, 11 days)	Internal Infection
Taku	Katina Tilikum	M	Captivity	1993/9/9			SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	2007/10/17	14 years old	5151 days (14 years, 1 month, 8 days)	Severe Multifocal Interstitial Pneumonia
Nyar	Gudrun Tilikum	F	Captivity	1993/12/31			SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, USA	1996/4/1	2 years old	822 days (2 years, 3 months, 1 day)	Suppurative Encephalitis; Osteoarthritis
Kanuck	Kiska Kandu 7	M	Captivity	1994/8/28			Marineland Ontario, Canada	1998	3 years old	1222 days (3 years, 4 months, 4 days)	Traumatic Shock
No name	Haida 2 Kotar	F	Captivity	1994/11/20			SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	1994/12/28	38 days old	38 days (1 month, 8 days)	Pneumonia Multifocal Pyogranulomatous w/ Gram+Filamentous
No name	Maggie Bingo	M	Captivity	1995/3/3			Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	1995/3/3	Hours old	Less than 1 day	Unknown
No name	Bjossa Finna	F	Captivity	1995/3/8			Vancouver Aquarium, Canada	1995/3/8	Minutes old	Less than 1 day	Ruptured Umbilical Cord. Died minutes after birth.
Valentin	Freya Kim 2	M	Captivity	1996/2/13			Marineland Antibes, France	2015/10/12	19 years old	7181 days (19 years, 7 months, 29 days)	Intestinal Volvulus (twisted intestine)
Malik / E-Day	Nootka 5 Kandu 7	F	Captivity	1996/4/21			Marineland Ontario, Canada	2000/3/4	3 years old	1413 days (3 years, 10 months, 12 days)	Immune System Deficiency
Nova	Kiska Kandu 7	M	Captivity	1996/11/6			Marineland Ontario, Canada	2001/8/20	4 years old	1748 days (4 years, 9 months, 14 days)	Pneumonia. Starvation.
Unna	Katina Tilikum	F	Captivity	1996/12/27			SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	2015/12/21	18 years old	6933 days (18 years, 11 months, 24 days)	Candida fungus. Systemic Bacterial Infection
Asuka	Japanese	F	Hatajiri Bay, Taiji, Japan	1997/2/7	7 years old	550	Izu-Mito Sea Paradise, Japan	2007/9/19	17 years old	3876 days (10 years, 7 months, 12 days)	Unknown
Ku	Japanese	F	Hatajiri Bay, Taiji, Japan	1997/2/7	5 years old	455	Port of Nagoya Aquarium, Japan	2008/9/19	16 years old	4242 days (11 years, 7 months, 12 days)	Heart Failure
Kyu	Japanese	M	Hatajiri Bay, Taiji, Japan	1997/2/7	5 years old	470	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	2004/9/18	12 years old	2780 days (7 years, 7 months, 11 days)	Bacterial Pneumonia
B-kun / 0-8	Japanese	M	Hatajiri Bay, Taiji, Japan	1997/2/7	3 years old	375	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	1997/6/14	3 years old	127 days (4 months, 7 days)	Systemic Viral Infection (Herpes Grp)
A-chan / 0-10	Japanese	F	Hatajiri Bay, Taiji, Japan	1997/2/7	9(+) years old	630	Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	1997/6/17	9(+) years old	130 days (4 months, 10 days)	Bacterial Pneumonia (Bronchopneumonia)
Sumar	Taima Tilikum	M	Captivity	1998/5/14			SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	2010/9/7	12 years old	4499 days (12 years, 3 months, 24 days)	Acute Intestinal / Mesenteric Vol
No name	Nootka 5 Kandu 7	F	Captivity	1998/5/27			Marineland Ontario, Canada	1998/6/7	11 days old	11 days	Unknown
Hudson	Kiska Kandu 7	M	Captivity	1998/9/15			Marineland Ontario, Canada	2004/10/20	6 years old	2227 days (6 years, 1 month, 5 days)	Meningitis
Algonquin	Nootka 5 Kandu 7	M	Captivity	1999/12/18			Marineland Ontario, Canada	2002/8/13	2 years old	969 days (2 years, 7 months, 26 days)	Twisted Intestine
Nakai	Kasatka Tilikum	M	Captivity	2001/9/1			SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	2022/8/4	20 years old	7641 days (20 years, 11 months, 2 days)	Unconfirmed Illness
Sarah	Stella Bingo	F	Captivity	2003/5/31			Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	2006/4/26	2 years old	1061 days (2 years, 10 months, 26 days)	Unknown
No name	Russian Resident	F	Zhirovaya Bay, Avacha Gulf, Kamchatka, Russia	2003/9/26	6 years old		Utrish Dolphinarium, Russia	2003/10/19	6 years old	23 days	Bacterial Pneumonia.
Skyla	Kalina Tilikum	F	Captivity	2004/2/9			Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain	2021/3/11	17 years old	6240 days (17 years, 1 month, 2 days)	Unknown - awaiting necropsy results.
April	Nootka 5 Kandu 7	F	Captivity	2004/4/7			Marineland Ontario, Canada	2004/4/18	11 days old	24 days	Malnutrition
Athena	Kiska Kandu 7	F	Captivity	2004/8/8			Marineland Ontario, Canada	2009/5/24	4 years old	1750 days (4 years, 9 months, 16 days)	Unknown
No name	Ran Kyu	F	Captivity	2004/8/26			Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan	2004/8/28	2 days old	2 days	Broken Skull
Halyn	Kayla Keet	F	Captivity	2005/10/9			SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	2008/6/15	2 years old	980 days (2 years, 8 months, 6 days)	Acute Necrotizing Encephalitis
No name	Japanese	M	Katsuura, Chiba, Japan	2006/2/10	3-4 years old		Kamogawa Sea World, Japan	2006/2/13	3-4 years old	3 days	Unknown
Pascuala	Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) Population(s)	F	Bay of Mantanchén, San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico	2007/4/10	Two weeks old	247	Vallarta Adventures Dolphin Center, Mexico	2007/6/10	2 months old	61 days (2 months)	Immune System Failure. Malnutrition. Infection.
Victoria / Vicky	Kohana Keto	F	Captivity	2012/8/3			Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain	2013/6/16	10 months old	317 days (10 months, 13 days)	Intestinal Complications
Amaya	Kalia Ulises	F	Captivity	2014/12/2			SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA	2021/8/19	6 years old	2452 days (6 years, 8 months, 17 days)	Gastrointestinal Disease
Tama Tiger	New Zealand's Population(s)	M	Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand	2016/8/3	Six months to 1 year old		Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand	2016/8/6	Six months to 1 year old	3 days	Complications w/ Stranding (Dehydration and Malnutrition)
Kyara	Takara Kyuquot	F	Captivity	2017/4/19			SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, USA	2017/7/24	96 days old	96 days (3 months, 5 days)	Infection - thought to be Pneumonia
Kirill (Cyril)	Russian Transient	M	Russia	2018/8	1 year old		Srednyaya Bay, Primorsky Krai, Russia	2019/1/31 (suspected date of death) 2019/2/21 (date his death was reported to Nakhodka Police)	1 year old	204 days (6 months, 20 days)	Undisclosed - Frostbite and Pneumonia
Toa	New Zealand's Population(s)	M	Hongoeka Marae, New Zealand	2021/7/11	Less than six months old		Plimmerton Boat Ramp, New Zealand	2021/7/23	Less than six months old	12 days	Unknown - necropsy denied. Speculated pneumonia.
Ula	Morgan Keto	F	Captivity	2018/9/22			Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain	2021/8/10	2 years old	1053 days (2 years, 10 months, 19 days)	Intestinal Torsion

Key notes:
– The information presented in this table was revised in April 2020. Some data displayed previously may have been changed in light of more accurate information.
– This data was compiled from multiple sources including the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Marine Mammal Inventory Reports (MMIRs), marine mammal publications, websites, books, newspaper and news archives, government oversight agencies and marine mammal park documents. Simply click on the hyperlinks to reveal the source.
– Emma Luck (@FlukePrintPhotography / IG) provided a vast array of knowledge to help determine which wild caught orca belonged to which wild population and/or ecotype.
Whales captured in Icelandic waters have been listed as “North Atlantic Type 1” as they closely resemble this ecotype in terms of morphology and ecology – they’re smaller than Type 2s and feed primarily on fish (especially herring) but will also eat the occasional seal. In contrast, Type 2s are massive with noticeably downward-sloping eyepatches, and they’re strict mammal-eaters. However, it’s important to note North Atlantic killer whales are not as well studied as those in the North Eastern Pacific. It’s possible there is more variation and diversity than just two ecotypes (Type 1 and Type 2). It’s also possible that there’s greater diversity in Argentina but not all populations have been adequately studied. Those that have are believed to mammal eaters so this general information has been applied to all orcas captured in the country.  
– Estimated age at capture was calculated using “Killer whale growth rate defined by Duffield and Miller” (see below). This was then used to calculate each wild-caught whale’s age at death. In some cases, an orca’s age and length at capture may not correlate to the growth rate as an alternative source was used (all linked).
– Time in captivity was calculated using an online calculator. The end date was not included (otherwise this would’ve added a day) as the whales passed away before the 24-hour mark. Some capture dates and death dates lack an exact day or month due to insufficient historical data. In this case, 01 is used for an unknown day and January is used for an unknown month unless a season is specified, then the first month of the season is used.
– Some notable sources include “Orca – The Whale Called Killer” by Erich Hoyt, “Keto & Tilikum Express the Stress of Orca Captivity” by John S. Jett and Jeffrey M. Ventre, The Orca Project and Cetacean Cousins.

Potential Queries:
– All orcas captured at less than a year old were presumed to be at least six months old at the time for the sake of calculating their age at death. Please be mindful of this.
– Capture date for Ahab was found in a U.S Navy document regarding Project Deep Ops (found here). This date was then applied to the whales he was believed to be captured with (Cuddles, Mamuk, Haida and Ishmael).
– Based on newspaper records, the unnamed male captured in October 1978 was part of a group of three orcas who were the last to be captured that month. Assuming this record of Icelandic captures is listed in date order, the unnamed male was captured with the two largest females – believed to be Betty and Katina – so his capture date has been applied to them too. Using the same record of Icelandic captures, and the dates listed in this newspaper article, I was able to put the five orcas captured in November 1980 into order of capture by using their lengths and then applied the dates listed in the article:

Benkei 2 – 2.9m – Oct 24
Ulises – 4.0m – Nov 7
Vigga – 3.1m – Nov 10
Finna – 4.1m – Nov 14
Bjossa – 4.0m – Nov 14

This suggests Bjossa and Finna were captured on the same day, most likely at the same time, thus Bjossa’s capture location has been applied to Finna.

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Killer whale growth rate defined by Duffield and Miller

Length in cm        Est. age in years
< 291                                < 1
291 – 328                          1
329 – 366                          2
367 – 404                          3
405 – 442                          4
443 – 480                          5
481 – 518                          6
519 – 552                          7
553 – 590                          8
591 – 628                          9

Duffield, D.A. and K.W. Miller, 1988. Demographic Features of Killer Whales in Oceanaria in the United States and Canada, 1965-1987. Rit Fiskideildar. 11: 297-306.

In Pacific whales, growth is approximately linear, at a mean rate of 38 cm/yr up to 10-12 or 12-16 years of age, for females and males, respectively. 

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