Argentinian Orcas

## History

The history begins on the 8th of August, 1985, when Milagro was rescued and transferred to Mundo Marino where he was deemed non-releasable. Bethlehem, nicknamed "Belén", later joined him in January of 1988 after she too was rescued and deemed non-releasable. Milagro later died in February of 1991 before the two could breed. On the 17th of November, 1992, a group of 4 whales were sighted on a beach, with a few being farther away than two adult males. The first bull was freed from the mud he was stuck in and transferred to Mundo Marino. Sadly, he died a few minutes after being lowered in the tank. Another as stuck with him but died on the beach around the time that they were going to transfer him. Kshamenk, as he was later named, was originally reported with other whales on the following day but was found alone. It's believed they got back in the water but the young, small, and malnourished one could not. He arrived at Mundo Marino the following day where he was treating for his condition. Kshamenk was deemed non-releasable and paired with Belén later in the year. In 1998, Belén gave birth to her first calf, a stillborn. In February of 2000, Belén died while pregnant with her second calf, a 4 month old fetus.

There was, at one point, a chance to bring Kshamenk to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure and be paired with the park's sole orca Shouka. Both parks continuously tried multiple times, but nothing worked as Kshamenk is a native fauna to Argentina, leading the government to decline the request. Kshamenk currently lives with bottlenose dolphins, and sired three calves via AI after SeaWorld specialists went to Mundo Marino to collect sperm samples(see Argentinian Icelandic hybrids).

## Ecotype Information

Many people assume that Kshamenk is an Argentinian transient orca because of his ecotypes typical diet. They consist on eating mostly seals, however fish and other marine life have been included as well. The answer to why he's not a transient is simply because this ecotype doesn't exist in the waters of Argentina. Transients, residents, and offshore killer whales live in the north waters of the Pacific ocean, meaning that no matter what wild Argentinian orcas eat, they do not fit in any resident/transient/offshore category.

## Hybrids

There is one hybrid that includes the Argentinian ecotype, being an Argentinian-Icelandic mix. This hybrid has been in captivity since July of 2012.

* Argentinian-Icelandic

## Timeline

### 1985

**8th of August** - Milagro strands at an unknown location in Argentina. He is transferred to Mundo Marino later that day.

### 1988

**6th of January** - Belén(Bethlehem) strands in Samborombón Bay, Aregentina. She is transferred to Mundo Marino later that day.

### 1991

**10th of February** - Milagro dies at Mundo Marino from a vascular collapse.

### 1992

**17th of November** - "Father of Kshamenk" and MM-00-S9202 strand in Samborombón Bay, Aregentina.

MM-00-S9202 dies on the beach as help arrives.

"Father of Kshamenk" is transferred to Mundo Marino. He dies a few minutes after being lowered in the tank, hitting his head against the wall and continuously vomiting all from a presumed parasitic infection.

A few orcas are spotted farther down Samborombón Bay.

**18th of November** - The small group of stranded orcas is reported to Mundo Marino.

**19th of November** - Only Kshamenk is seen out of the group of stranded orcas. He is transferred to Mundo Marino later that day.

### 1998

**February** - Belén gives birth to a stillborn calf, sired by Kshamenk.

### 2000

4th of February - Belén dies at Mundo Marino from a kidney infection. Her 4 month old fetus also dies, sired by Kshamenk.

### 2001

November - Attempts are made to transfer Kshamenk to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure in Ohio, USA. Both parks agree to the move as Six Flags is planning on buying Shouka from Marineland Antibes.

### 2002

2nd of August - The Earth Island Institute(EII) and the Wild Earth Foundation(WEF) release a statement saying how the Argentinian government declined as Kshamenk is a native fauna.

*“The request to export the orca whale Kshamenk from Argentina to Six Flags World of Adventure in the US was denied by the Argentinian CITES authority Mrs. Victoria Lichtschein. While Keiko -the star of Free Willy- makes progress in his way to freedom in Iceland, in Argentina the national authorities said NO to Kshamenk’s export to an amusement park in the US. The Wild Earth Foundation (WEF) and Earth Island Institute (EII) have submitted to the Argentinian authorities an advance letter of intent to hopefully rehab and release the orca into his native waters. For eight months a large group of environmental organizations and scientists have been working to block the orca’s transfer into US and to get him released in Argentinian waters. Finally on July the 29, Mrs Victoria Lichtschein, Director of wild fauna of the Argentine nation and CITES authority denied to the oceanarium Mundo Marino the authorization to export Kshamenk. 'After months we were able to win this important argument to the cetacean’s captivity industry, closing the door to the trading of wild borned orca whales' said Mark Berman, from the International Marine Mammal Project of EII. “The decision adopted by Mrs Victoria Lichtschein from CITES Argentina is exemplary, it sets an important precedent to avoid the trading of wild animals whose origin’s legallity is doubtful” stated Gabriela Bellazzi, President of Wild Earth Foundation. Now the organizations face a new and big challenge: to free Kshamenk in the Argentinian sea.”*

Kshamenk stays at Mundo Marino and Shouka, who was eventually bought by Six Flags, continues to live without an orca companion

### 2010

? - Staff members from SeaWorld travel to Mundo Marino and collect 24 sperm samples from Kshamenk for their AI program. He sires 3 calves, Makani, Kamea, and Takara's Miscarriage of 2012.

## Trivia

1. Kshamenk is the only full Argentinian orca alive in captivity.
2. Mundo Marino is the only place to house this ecotype.
3. The ecotype "Argentinian Transient" doesn't exist.

## References/Sources

1. ↑ "Kshamenk, the last captive Orca"
3. ↑ Emma Luck on Twitter
4. ↑ "Murió la Orca 'Belén'"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "The story of Kshamenk, a lone killer whale kept in captivity in Argentina"