Their Story; Katina.

      My name is Katina, I was born sometime in 1975. In October 1986 I was captured in Iceland and sent to Marineland, Niagara Falls, Canada. I was originally named Kandu 6, but in 1979 I was sent to SeaWorld San Diego and then again in 1982 I was sent to Ohio with another female named Kasatka. For two years we would perform in Ohio in the summer and then when winter came around we'd be moved to San Diego to perform. Finally, in September 1984 I was sent to SeaWorld Orlando where I lived the rest of my life.

     I became pregnant in early 1984 in San Diego, that summer I was sent to Ohio where they realized I was pregnant and then sent me to Orlando where I gave birth to my first girl Kalina. Since many other Orca calves had been born in captivity in the past, and not survived, when I birthed Kalina, I became the most successful and prime whale for breeding. In 1987, I mated with Kanduke and gave birth to my second calf, November 4th, 1988 named Katerina. They took both Kalina and Katerina away from me and sent them to different facilities. 

      When Tilikum showed up in 1992, I became pregnant again and gave birth to my first son Taku in September 1993. My next calf came in December 1996 called Unna. My fifth calf Ikaika came in August 2002. Taku, Unna, and Ikaika all had the same father which was Tillikum. I gave birth to my son Taku's calf in 2006 named Nalani and she performs in shows with me. In 2010 I gave birth to Makaio who is my seventh son.

      Currently, I am living in SeaWorld Orlando with two of my calves, Nalani and Makaio and one of my grandchildren Trua. I am still performing daily and I am SeaWorld's most reliable performance whale. This isn't the life I wanted for myself though, almost all of my children have been taken from me and most of them are passed on. I want to be in the ocean with my family, my pod. Swimming free, not performing. 

My Visit To SeaWorld.

     I went to SeaWorld, and I'm not proud of it. In April 2016 my family and I took a trip to Florida and one of the stops on the way was SeaWorld. Now I have to say that this wasn't my choice and I preferred to go to Disney or Universal but this decision was heavily outweighed by the rest of my family. To avoid distress and family arguments I decided that I had to go. Though I'm not proud that I was a SeaWorld visitor, I am glad I was able to experience it as an insider... 

     The first question of the day as if the whales would perform because of the recent announcement that shows would be ending, after being reassured that the show would go on, my family happily proceeded into the park. We started the day at the dolphin rehab where a lot of unsanitized hands touched the vulnerable dolphins. The caregivers feeding them did not advise cleanliness but rather that you could pet a dolphin if it came close to you. Next, we moved over the Blue Horizons show where multiple dolphins performed vigorous routines for close to an hour. After that, it was immediately to the Sea Lion and Otter show where we then watched a Sea Lion and Otter do very unnecessary tricks that you would never see in the wild. Then to Shamu Stadium for the big event. 

     I remember sitting there and wishing and hoping the show wouldn't start. That they would cancel the show and it would all be over and we could go home. From the beginning I knew this wasn't right, the feeling in the pit of my stomach was almost unbearable. The show started and ended but it seemed like an eternity in between the start and finish. Don't get me wrong, seeing one of my favorite animals of all time up close was really cool, but it was not the ideal circumstance and I wouldn't wish it on any Orca, nor will I ever go back to witness it again. 

     At the end of the show, we went back to the viewing area where the most beautiful creature to live on this planet swam inches away from me, it was the most fulfilling and depressing moment of my life. This wasn't how I imagined it. I wanted the freedom to see this in the wild, much how he wants the freedom to live in the wild, this was the moment I met Tilikum. 

     The "expert" that was standing by was answering the questions everyone was asking. A young child asked if Tilly was Shamu, "No that's not Shamu but we call them all Shamu because it is like their last name, they're all family." If only that young child knew the truth behind that horrifying statement. Tilly swam by a few times before being released into a different pool so the other whales could come in. Someone else asked why Tilly's dorsal fin was collapsed and the "expert" told us that it's 'natural,' that all males have collapsed dorsal fins in the wild. 

     My dad then proceeds to ask about the baby Shamu that was born in 1985, the "expert" blatantly lied to my fathers face claiming that there was no "Baby Shamu" born in 1985 and she had no idea what he was talking about. My dad visited the park just days after the birth of Kalina (baby Shamu.) Kalina was baby to Katina and was taken at only 4 years old and moved to SeaWorld San Diego. 

     SeaWorld lies, they tell you what you want to hear because it sounds good. Wild Orca males never have collapsed dorsal fins unless injured or ill. Kalina was the original baby Shamu who was ripped from her mother at a very young age. All the whales' last names are "Shamu" because almost all of them have the same dad, Tilikum. 

     I will never step foot back into SeaWorld, I felt sad for the animals and mad at the world for letting this happen, for letting humans take these beautiful creatures away from their homes. They deserve a life worth living where they belong, in the ocean.