Takara Pregnant?

Rumours have been going round that Takara of SeaWorld San Antonio is pregnant again, presumably through AI. This has now been confirmed, and she was AI'd in the summer sometime after her last pregnancy failed. However, this one will hopefully be successful. I'll try and bring an update too!

-Emma

Source: http://timzimmermann.com/2013/01/23/orca-breeding-update-takara-pregnant/

RIP Oscar

Kamogawa Sea World in Japan announced today that Oscar died on the December 20th to an illness he had been fighting since December 14th. Kamogawa Sea World says that Oscar had been sluggish and had a loss of appetite since December 14th and was being given treatment by the trainers and vets. However, at about 6:15pm on December 20th, Oscar finally passed away. Kamogawa Sea World doesn't yet know what illness claimed Oscar's life as this is still currently under investigation. Here is the information written on their website, translated badly from Japanese:
 
 That: (Oscar nickname) died on Thursday, December 20, orca, which has been bred in: Kamogawa Sea World (Ichiri Arai Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture, director)
Will be reported.
Orca "Oscar", which had been determined to continue the treatment and poor health behaviors become sluggish appetite is reduced from Friday, December 14,
15 minutes (Thu) at 18:00, December 20, the mortality of the treatment also exert hard was confirmed.
For the cause of death is our currently under investigation.
Please support the "Oscar" Until now, I would like to sincerely thank everyone that we have a lot of love.
About the orca "Oscar":
Individual name: Oscar (male)
Estimated age: 27 years old
Date of loading: March 29, 1988
Carrying yuan Iceland:
Length, weight: 5.8m length, weight 3,200 kg
Rearing days: 9,031 (as of 12/19)

Sorry that makes little sense. Oscar was the father of two calves, Earth, who was born in 2008, and Luna, who was born in July this year. Both of these young killer whales will now have to grow up without a father. Kamogawa Sea World's breeding program and shows have also been affected by Oscar's death. The killer whale exhibit is currently closed, with all the shows cancelled. Here is what Kamogawa Sea World say on their website, again translated badly from Japanese:

(Oscar nickname) I ended his life on Thursday, December 20, orca, which has been kept in the hotel.
Oscar, but has continued to determined to treatment and poor health behaviors become sluggish appetite is reduced from Friday, December 14,
15 minutes (Thu) 18:00, December 20, we have not died also extends the treatment of hard.

Along with this, today, we have to stop the performance and all-day exhibition of killer whales.
I can not visit the restaurant from the ocean.
Want to humbly thank your understanding We apologize the inconvenience to you.

Oscar is transported from Iceland in March 1988, we have contributed significantly to the breeding and exhibition of killer whales in Kamogawa Sea World.

Please support the "Oscar" Until now, I would like to sincerely thank everyone that we have a lot of love.

Kamogawa Sea World curator

 Hopefully, we will soon find out what claimed Oscar's life.

-Emma

Sources:
http://www.kamogawa-seaworld.jp/n_release/20121221.html
 http://www.kamogawa-seaworld.jp/n_news/topics_20121221.html

Information on Narnia's Possbile Future Home

There are several rumors going round that Narnia, who was captured from the Okhotsk Sea in August, will be arriving at a new aquarium on Russky Island, Vladivostok, Russia. The aquarium is currently being build and is called Primorsky Aquarium. Although the site mentions nothing about orcas, some of the artist's renderings show images of a killer whale is a very oddly shaped pool:

Image belongs to Primorsky Aquarium.
As you can see, the pool looks very small, hardly any bigger than Lolita's tank in Miami Seaquarium. Here's a more zoomed-in version of it:

Image belongs to Primorsky Aquarium.
This is a still from the promotional video about the aquarium, which also depicts Narnia swimming in her pool:

Image belongs to Primorsky Aquarium.
So as you can see, this pool isn't going to be very large. I'm also wondering whether the top circular part of the pool is actually part of the orca pool, because there doesn't seem to be any apparent way for an orca getting to it from the other pool. Also, the bridge over the pool could be a danger, as people could throw in litter or even fall into the pool. Another interesting thing to keep in mind is that the orca pool is NOT part of Primorsky Aquarium's dolphinarium. The dolphinarium is indoors and will hold belugas, bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales as well as various seal species and walruses. Obviously, this pool is going to be outdoors, so there is no way that Narnia is going to be a part of the dolphinarium. Of course, she may not even be going to Primorky Aquarium, only time will tell. Finally, I've included the aquarium's promotional video here so you can learn a bit more about this project:

-Emma

Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y7e3f9WJLg
http://russian-aquarium.ru/en/index.html
http://endkillerwhalecaptivity.tumblr.com/post/32772449025/soleilalae-end-killer-whale-captivity-this-is

Morgan to Stay at Loro Parque

The Dutch judge announced on Thursday that Morgan the killer whale will be staying at Loro Parque as the decision made to move Morgan to Loro Parque was not unlawful, and also acknowledged that all the proper legal steps had been taken to move her to Tenerife. Morgan, who is constantly scratched, bitten and raked by her fellow tank mates at Loro Parque, is therefore deemed to spend the rest of her life in captivity, rather than being given the chance to be rehabilitated back into the wild. It is unsure whether her fight will continue in Spanish courts or not.

-Emma

Sources:
http://www.theblackfish.org/news/morgan-verdict.html
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2012/12/court_rules_orca_morgans_remov.php
http://www.orkacoalitie.nl/2012/12/13/orca-coalition-condemns-protection-of-wildlife/

Lovey's Calf Named "Luna"

Today it was announced that Lovey's calf, born all the way back on July 19th at Kamogawa Sea World in Japan, has got a name! That name is Luna, which was decided in a contest where 18,588 people submitted names for the calf. She is now roughly 2.8m long and weights in at about 280kg. They chose the name Luna from the submitted names because they want the little orca to shine forever. The person who submitted the name also gets a pair of tickets of Port of Nagoya, a twin room at the hotel near Nagoya, a room for 5 at the Kamogawa Sea World's hotel, a stuffed orca, a year's membership to the "Dolphin Dream Club" for 4 people and free visits for a year to Kamogawa SeaWorld. Here's a rough translation of what was written on Kamogawa's website:

""Luna" female was born as the second child of "Lovey" on July 19.
The image of a "month" relevant "Earth" Both of elder brother, from being a girly nickname has decided to "Luna".  
Such as "Moon" to Luna, the hope that illumines forever, they have grown to be loved by everyone orca.
 Winners Wanted baby orca nicknamed
Material of Luna
Date of birth: 24 minutes at 6:00 on Thursday afternoon, July 19, 2012
Gender: Female
Body length: About 200cm
Body weight: About 200kg
Mother: (Born January 11, 1998) age 14 years old "Rabbie", weight / 5.1m length / 2,200 kg
Father: Estimated age 27 years "Oscar", weight / 5.8m length / 3,200 kg 

Nicknamed determined this time, prepare a nice prizes at random from among the people who have applied for (Luna) Luna!
The winner is the following people!
<Grand prize>
     Nagoya Shinkansen round trip ticket set pair 1 ⇔ Tokyo
     1 pair set your admission ticket Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
     1 pair set twin room Hotel Com's Nagoya hotel voucher
     Up to 5 people per room voucher Kamogawa Sea World Hotel
     Admission will be free of Kamogawa Sea World for one year
     4 people min membership card "Dolphin Dream Club" (family members)
     Stuffed orca
Solo
     Mr. Sakuma Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture
<Prize>
     Admission will be free of Kamogawa Sea World for one year
     One person membership card "Dolphin Dream Club" (General Member)
     Stuffed orca
5 people
     Mr. Ozawa Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture
     Mr. Sugimoto, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture
     Mr. Suzuki, Kisarazu, Chiba
     Mr. Toda-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture Nakakoma
     Mr. Miyoshi Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture
To those who are elected, the personnel will contact you again.
Thank you much for your application in the recruitment of orca nicknamed baby, thank you."

Sorry that all of that makes so little sense.
I also found a link to some nice photos of Luna by Kamogawa Sea World:
www.kamogawa-seaworld.jp/n_special/photo.html

Source: www.kamogawa-seaworld.jp/n_special/godfather.html

"Simply Orca" is now "Orca Worldwide"

Due to the fact that someone has accused me of "copying" a YouTube username, the "Simply Orca" blog has been renamed to "Orca Worldwide".

Morgan Confirmed to be Deaf

Loro Parque, Tenerife, has today announced that, after a hearing test (audiogram), Morgan has been confirmed to be deaf. This could possibly explain why she is bullied so much by the other orcas at Loro Parque. But, does this mean that her chance of being released into the wild is 0? Because if she's deaf, surely she won't be able to survive in the wild? The Dutch court's decision is due soon, so we can only wait to find out...

Here are some videos:

-Emma

Sources: www.orcahome.de/orcanews.htm
www.youtube.com/loroparquetenerife