News of 2022

This page has captive killer whale news from the year 2022.

**Disclaimer:** This page is archived, meaning updates are fixing broken links, names, small mistakes, etc. Information *may or may not be accurate***.**

Dates are sorted from the beginning towards the end of the year.

## January

**1st** - Ulises' 44th birthday was celebrated today at SeaWorld San Diego. His estimated birthday is between January and April of 1978.

**2nd** - Corky II's 57th birthday was celebrated today at SeaWorld San Diego. Her estimated birthday is unknown and therefore will not be listed as 57 on this wiki until the 31st of December.

**5th** - Amazing news! Cookie's calf has been confirmed to exist and has been getting better since birth. They are on artificial milk and have not been in contact with other orcas since their birth. Unfortunately, the calf seems to show attention to the other whales and has been hitting the gate of the pool that connects to the other whales. Besides that, all seems to be going fairly well.

**7th** - Sakari is now 12!!

**11th** - Lovey is 24!!

## February

**2nd** - Keet turns 29!!

**8th** - Lara is now 21!!

**9th** - Tokitae, also known as Lolita, has caught a low case of pneumonia. This was determined after a routine blood work test came back "abnormal". PETA originally made a news headline covering Tokitae's illness, however it was found to be exaggerated. Although many people who have said to work at the Miami Seaquarium claim her status is unstable, the company went live on Facebook yesterday around noon. All seems to be well, and Tokitae's physical appearance has not changed. The specialist/trainer working with her that day, Ally, was noted to have said that Tokitae's condition was very well and "didn't know where PETA was getting their sources."

1. "Miami Seaquarium acknowledges killer whale Lolita has been ill"
2. Live from the Miami Seaquarium (8th of February)
3. "BREAKING: Lolita Deathly Sick at Miami Seaquarium Reports Whistleblowers"

**14th** - Makani turns 9 today!!

**23rd** - Inouk turns 23 today!!

**25th** - Shouka turns 29, and Ran II turns 16!!

## March

**3rd** - The Miami Seaquarium has been ordered to shut down "the whale bowl"(where Tokitae lives) as a result of the newest USDA report! This is good and bad in several different ways, however.

**4th** - "The Dolphin Company" is officially the new owner of the Miami Seaquarium. They announced several months ago that Tokitae would move to her homelands, or somewhere other than where she is at the moment.

**12th** - Malia is 15!!

**16th** - Moana has turned 11!

## April

**5th** - People have become worried for Nalani, SeaWorld Orlando's 15 year old female, after she was seen in the medical pool for a few days around two weeks ago. However, more recently, she has been seen doing regular behaviors backstage despite not performing in shows since her med pool scare. Katina, Nalani's mother, has discoloration on her right eye patch. According to a guest, however, she has had this since January, and it doesn't seem to be effecting her at all.

**6th** - Nalani is back in shows! Her physical appearance seems to be normal leading people to believe she was fighting an illness and/or had to be separated from Malia for a few days after tension occurred between the two.

## June

**1st** - Wikie is 21!!

In other news, Shanghai has finally announced the birth of their baby orca calf, Chip! There have also been multiple photo uploads as well, along with a video of the birth and a video of Chip from yesterday!! It was also confirmed that Chip is a male and his official name will be announced on the 16th of June! Other things confirmed by the statements include:

* Dylan is the father.
* Chip was born on the 10th of September at 1:16 am, not on the 9th.
* He was a big baby at birth! 513.677 lbs and 8.2 ft.
* Chip will be revealed to the public between the 3rd and 16th of June! 5,000 people will be able to go inside Shanghai(admission free), so hopefully we can expect some more information, photos, and videos soon!

**12th** - News has surfaced from Chimelong Ocean Kingdom! According to a China Cetacean Alliance(CCA) on the 9th of February, Chimelong has "two undisclosed orca calves." This may confirm the unknown orca that came into China in October of 2019. Using the previous information of the data used to confirm the birth of the 2019 calf, this second orca was most likely born in January of 2021 or later. It is highly unlikely that the mother of this orca isn't the same as the first one, presumably meaning that two females have already been involved in Chimelong's breeding program. Newer photos of the orca complex were released recently, and it is set to open sometime this year!

In other news, Chip was displayed to the public for the first time today! He has not been paired with other orcas yet, however, his naming contest is coming close to an end. The name in the lead? "Fatty Bean Ding"(rough translation).

**17th** - Keto is now 27!!

**22nd** - Tuar is now 23!!

**23rd** - Morgan's 12th rescue anniversary is today.

**25th** - Information has been found on the orcas living Wuxi Changqiao Ocean Kingdom and now SunAsia Beluga Whale World. Wuxi has two males and SunAsia has two females. All four whales lived at Linyi Polar Ocean World until they had to be sold due to financial issues. Wuxi also canceled their project as well.According to Ocean Echoes on Twitter, this information comes from someone who has been directly working with these whales.

Continuing on with the information related to orcas in China, the names of the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom whales have been released! The new ones include Daphne, Cuī, and Er. Grace and Orpheus aren't actually the same whales as Tyson or Nukka. All of the names, besides Er and Cuī, have Mandarin pinyin translations into English.

1. Tíngzhǐ is Grace.
2. Xīwàng is Orpheus.
3. Wánghào is Tyson.
4. Shizú is Daphne.
5. Yǎohé is Nukka
6. Xiǎngkū is Litla.
7. Méngméng is Meng Meng.

Daphne is the matriarch, which means she is possibly the older 2015 capture. There isn't any news on the two other orca calves **yet**.

In our final news(though I, Katerina Studios, am pretty late on this topic), Tokitae at the Miami Seaquarium went through a health assessment last month.

"Sacred Sea (@oursacredsea) has announced that Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut (Tokitae / Lolita) has had her health assessed by two independent veterinarians and the report is now available. The assessment was carried out by James McBain, DVM retired, and Stephanie Norman, DVM, PhD.

The assessment was carried out on May 13 and 14, 2022, where a health and welfare assessment was conducted. Medical and behaviour records from 2016-present were reviewed which included the various medications Toki is on.

During the two days Toki’s behaviour was observed during enrichment sessions and while she was not engaged in enrichment sessions.

Most notably, Toki was suffering from an acute illness beginning in late December 2021 to March 2022, described as a 'serious health event'. Bloodwork results showed the illness and subsequent recovery but didn’t specifically reveal the cause of her illness.

Toki is now recovering from her illness and remains on appropriate medications. Tokitae also suffers from low-grade chronic anemia. Tokitae’s health will continued to be monitored and on-site assessments will be carried out on a regular basis." - @end\_\_speciesism on Instagram (via Inherently Wild)

## July

**1st** - Cookie's calf isn't actually named Nónghào, according to Ocean Echoes on Twitter. Instead, his presumed stage name might actually be his real name(Fat Bean).

**6th** - You may have guessed it!! We *finally* have a name for Cookie's calf, and that is Fat Beans! Others have shortened it to just "Beans" and some still believe that it is just his stage name. At the moment, he is not in shows and hasn't always been shown in the underwater viewing, but he occasionally makes an appearance.

**9th** - Happy 31st birthday, Takara!

**19th** - Happy 10th birthday, Luna II!

## August

**5th** - I, Katerina Studios, regret to inform everyone that Nakai, one of SeaWorld San Diego's beloved male killer whales, passed away last night. He had apparently been fighting an unknown illness for several weeks, and it's believed that Nakai was last seen performing in a Dine With Shamu show two days ago(the day before he passed).

"The zoological team at SeaWorld San Diego is mourning beloved orca Nakai who passed away last night while surrounded by the animal care and medical teams who had worked closely with him for 21 years. Every attempt was made to save his life. Veterinarians and health specialists had been actively treating an infection, but aggressive therapeutic and diagnostic efforts were unsuccessful. Nakai was born at SeaWorld San Diego in 2001. He'll be remembered as a curious and quick learner, often picking up behaviors just by observing the other whales in his pod. Because of these natural abilities, Nakai participated in hearing studies to help scientists better understand the impact on orcas of noise from ships and other human activity. His contributions to helping improve the health and survival of whales in the wild cannot be underestimated and will never be forgotten.

One member of Nakai's team who cared for him for 21 years said, 'I have been professionally and personally invested in the welfare of Nakai since he was born in our park, and the bond we shared was very strong. He was very friendly and an overall playful guy who loved to interact with people. It was a joy to care for and learn from him and I will miss him greatly. He was a huge part of my life and of our family here at SeaWorld San Diego. We appreciate the support of the community as we grieve his loss together with his loyal fans everywhere.'"

Necropsy results will be added when they become available.

**23rd** - A rumor went out saying that Fat Beans, the almost 1 year old calf at Shanghai, had been introduced to the others. However, this was not the case, as the female whale in the photo(next to an unknown calf) is Orkid. It is thought that Beans was introduced to Sean a few months ago.

**25th** - Happy 20th birthday, Ikaika!!

## September

**10th** - Little Fat Beans(Chip) at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park has turned 1!

**15th** - Devastating news coming from Loro Parque. 20 year old Kohana has died very recently at the facility(no specific date was given).

"Absolute love and respect for the animals living at our park is the principle that has guided us throughout our 50-year history. Because of this, the death of one of them is always a very hard blow to all of us.

With deep sadness, the Loro Parque team regrets to report the sudden death of our beloved orca Kohana.

Kohana had health issues that were identified by our experts some time ago. They did everything in their power to save her life, unfortunately it was not possible.

The memory of Kohana, an animal that we have adored and to which we have dedicated our greatest care, will make our mission even stronger: to provide the best care and well-being to the different species of our animal embassy.

Following the corresponding protocols, specialists from the Institute of Animal Health of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will carry out the necropsy."

https://www.loroparque.com/en/announcement-2/

**18th** - Happy 16th birthday, Nalani!!

**19th** - The cause of death for Nakai and Kohana has been revealed. Diva Flora Nikolova found a Spain news report stating that Kohana died from cardiac malformation, a birth defect on the heart. Sara Farrell on Twitter was able to get Nakai's cause of death via a FOIA request. He died from lung disease.

**21st** - Kohana's date of death has been revealed to be the 14th via a Loro Parque YouTube video.

**23rd** - Orkid has turned 34!!

**25th** - If you haven't been keeping up with my(Katerina Studios) social media platforms, you might have not been aware that I held a nicknaming contest for some of our beloved Russian Transient orcas!! Both SunAsia females have been nicknamed, with the winners being "Samara"(guardian in Hebrew) and "Kyra"(lady in Greek) by popular vote. I will also be holding one for Wuxi's 2 male orcas in the coming days, followed by the 2 Hengqin Island's births from the last 3 years.

**28th** - AMAZING NEWS!! Zina, a (now) 8 year old female, has been spotted thriving in Russia with a wild pod! She was documented to be hunting/eating seals with a pod of 7 other orcas. She seemed to be attached to an old female in particular, but it's unknown/cannot be determined if that whale is her mother, more the less the pod being her family. This was via a video posted by BBC Earth earlier today(found by KTP Studios), which shows the behind the scenes of the documentary "*Frozen Planet II*".

**29th** - Some concerns have gone out regarding 33 year old Kshamenk at Mundo Marino. He has a peanut head, which means that he has lost fat in his body(noticeably the front). It is not known what is causing this, but it's believed to be a health problem. At the moment, it does not seem to be affecting his ability to do behaviors or participate in sessions.

## October

**2nd** - The Miami Seaquarium released a statement saying that Tokitae's apatite has decreased, however **she is not in critical condition**. Tokitae was announced to have a respiratory condition earlier this year, and her health has been back and forth in positive in negative ways both ways.

"The dedication that our vets and animal care staff provide for our animals is unmatched. This couldn’t be truer when it comes to the care of our beautiful Tokitae. We have a special team, including world-renowned experts, that is dedicated to making sure Toki receives round-the-clock care.

Medication has stabilized Toki’s health after the respiratory condition she experienced early this year. While not considered critical, her appetite has decreased. With guidance from Toki’s vet, as well as the foremost marine mammal experts in the world, extra precautions are being taken.

Thank you for your interest in Toki; please send your positive vibes and prayers her way. We will provide updates on her condition as soon as we’re able."

https://www.facebook.com/MiamiSeaquarium/photos/a.101595349267/10160399387654268/

**8th** - Great news! The Miami Seaquarium released a statement saying that Tokitae apatite has increased and she is now more engaged with her trainers and other enrichment devices!

"Toki’s appetite is improving, she is interacting with her care team and responding to enrichment activities. Thank you for your positive vibes, thank you Friends of Lolita, thank you to her animal care team and thank you to the experts around the world for your support!"

https://www.facebook.com/MiamiSeaquarium/photos/a.10152688049984268/10160409247749268/

**9th** - Makaio turns 12 today!!

**13th** - Earth turns 14 and Adán turns 12 today!

**15th** - ***NEW:*** Two killer whales stranded in a beach in Cadzand, Zeeland earlier today. Both were pushed out to sea, however one, a subadult female, restranded herself. SOS Dolfijn is currently on scene taking care of the female, however the future for this whale remains unknown. The female is around 5.5 meters(16.4 feet) in length.

    **Links:**

1. https://www.hln.be/dieren/geredde-orka-opnieuw-aangespoeld-bij-cadzand-situatie-is-zorgelijk~af8f53402/
2. https://www.nu.nl/dieren/6230147/levende-orka-aangespoeld-op-strand-cadzand-toestand-is-zorgelijk.html
3. https://www.paudal.com/2022/10/15/two-live-orcas-washed-up-on-cadzand-beach-one-animal-is-in-serious-condition-animals/
4. https://www.instagram.com/p/CjvcdyQN7yJ/

**UPDATE:** I(Katerina Studios) am sad to report that the female has passed away. :(

https://twitter.com/SOSDolfijn/status/1581402462292185088

**16th** - The exitance of the other orca has been confirmed be false by SOS Dolfijn personnel on site. The female's body is currently undergoing a necropsy.

**20th** - A little late to this, but the female has been identified as IB6 "Gala", an Iberian orca. Gala was in the water during her first stranding, therefore original reports came in as a young juvenile male around 3 meters long. Gala belong to the "Lusas Clan", and never interacted with humans. She could be a possible relative to IB13, a bull male believed to be her son or brother. Once her necropsy is performed, her skeleton will be put on display at the Naturalis Museum in the Netherlands.

## November

**3rd** - The 31st marked the end of the month, which means the first orca to be born at Chimelong(well, in their holding pool) turned 3 sometime during the month!

**13th** - Lynn turns 10 today!

**20th** - Keijo turns 9 today!

**23rd** - Trua turns 17 today!!

## December

**2nd** - China Orca News has found an article that includes Shanghai's orca calf's "real name"!! Cody, as he has been named, is the official name for the beloved calf, whose stage name will remain Fat Beans. He has also been shown in the show pool at the facility(for the first known time)!

Below is the art that revealed his name. It is the winner of a drawing contest and "the lively appearance firmly grasped the hearts of the audience".

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?\_\_biz=MzUzODg5MzU1MA==&mid=2247545990%20&idx=4&sn=7117109cedb5fd1cab8704dfb9c79282

**6th** - Kamea turned 9 today!

**21st** - Happy 18th birthday to Kalia!

**24th** - Kyuquot turned 31 today!

**28th** - *SeaWorld San Diego captured orca birthdays:* Corky II's 58th(!!) birthday will be celebrated on the 1st of January, and Ulises' 45th birthday will be celebrated on the 2nd of January.

## Sources

1. ↑ "Miami Seaquarium acknowledges killer whale Lolita has been ill" - *7th of February, 2022*
2. ↑ "鸿山朋友注意！长乔海洋馆有个坏消息！已经官方确认！" - *16th of February, 2022*