Nootka

Nootka in Sep. 1989. Photo provided by wvbees.

### Nieces & Nephews

T002C1 "Rocky", *T002C2 "Tumbo"*, *T002B1*, T002C3 "Lucy", *T002C4 "Kano"*, *T002B2*, T002C5

Nootka *(pronounced noot-KAH)*, also known as T005, Newtka, or Knootka, was an approximately 24-year-old female West Coast transient killer whale who lived at SeaWorld San Diego. She was captured on March 3rd, 1970 from Pedder Bay, British Columbia at approximately 4 years old. She was believed to be the daughter of T002 "Florencia." Nootka passed away due to pneumonia on March 13th, 1990 at SeaWorld San Diego. She was one of the few transient killer whales ever kept at SeaWorld.

## Capture and Early Life

In 1970, Nootka, then known as T005, along with four other whales, T002, an adult female, T001, an adult male, T003, also known as Scarredjaw Cow, and T004, the young albino female later known as Chimo, were netted in Pender Bay. T002 was believed to be Nootka's mother. Because they were transients, all five whales refused to eat the fish that they were offered. Several weeks later Nootka and Chimo were separated from the others and sold to Sealand of the Pacific. At Sealand, they met Haida. Although separated by a net, Haida offered them dead fish and managed to convince the two newcomers to eat for the first time in weeks.

## Life at Sealand

   She, Chimo, and Haida lived and performed at Sealand together. For the first year, the three whales got along well. Eventually, however, Nootka began to become more dominant. She was especially aggressive towards Chimo. Nootka was transferred to the Japanese Deer Park in April of 1971.

### Life at the Japanese Deer Park

Nootka, who was known as Newtka for the next several years, had been sent to the Japanese Deer Park so she could be trained for another marine park, Seven Seas Marine Life Park in Texas. She was only on public display at the Japanese Deer Park for a few months. Nootka remained at the park for about ten months before being shipped to Texas.

## Life at Seven Seas

Nootka arrived at Seven Seas Marine Life Park on February 7th, 1972. She was one of the park's star attractions, and she developed a reputation for aggression. Beginning in 1974, Seven Seas began trying to sell Nootka. The park was not as profitable as its owners hoped it would be, and they hoped to recoup some of the millions of dollars they had lost by selling the whale. She was eventually purchased by Marineland of Canada, and she arrived at the facility on September 14th, 1975.

### Behavioral Incidents

On one occasion, Nootka launched herself out of the water after a PR man. She completely beached herself in her attempts to get after the man, and had to be returned to the water with a crane. Her head trainer, Larry Lawrence, was also attacked by the whale. At one point, he was sticking his head in her mouth for a trick when she closed her jaws on his neck. He escaped with only minor scrapes, but the trick was not performed with Nootka again. At least two other trainers were bitten on the head by Nootka. In yet another incident, Nootka raked Lawrence's leg with her teeth, causing him to sustain injuries that required 145 stitches.

### Later Years

Nootka spent over ten years at Marineland before she was sent to SeaWorld San Diego on April 27th, 1986. She spent the rest of her life there.

## Death

In August of 1989, Nootka's health began to decline, and she developed chronic pneumonia. On March 13th, 1990, Nootka passed away.

## Galleries

* **Photos** of Nootka
* **Videos** of Nootka

## Transfer History

Nootka's Transfer History
 Pedder Bay Sea Pen, British Columbia
 Sealand of the Pacific, British Columbia
 Japanese Deer Park, California
 Seven Seas Marine Life Park, Texas
 Marineland of Canada, Ontario

1. ↑ Transients: Mammal-hunting Killer Whales of British Columbia, Washington, and Southeastern Alaska
2. ↑ Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean's Greatest Predator
3. ↑ 'Whale of a Load' (1971)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cetabase: SeaWorld San Diego
5. ↑ 'Anybody Wanta Buy a Whale?' (1974)
6. ↑ 'Remember Seven Seas?'
7. ↑ 'Newtka's Mouth "Unsafe"' (1972)
8. ↑ 'Looking Back 12 Years, Former Trainer Had a Real Whale of a Time' (1989)
9. ↑ Necropsy- Killer Whale Nootka