Shamu (SeaWorld Show)
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''Shamu'' was the
stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
used for several performing
orca The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopol ...
s at
SeaWorld SeaWorld is an American theme park chain with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. It is a proprietor of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, animal theme parks, and rehabilitation centers owned by United Parks & Resorts. The parks host shows st ...
. The Shamu show began in the 1960s. The original
Shamu Shamu ( – August 16, 1971) was a female orca The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizabl ...
died in 1971, but the name was
trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
ed by SeaWorld, and has been given to different orcas over the years. In March 2016, following the 2010 death of orca trainer
Dawn Brancheau Dawn Therese Brancheau ( LoVerde, April 16, 1969 – February 24, 2010) was an American animal trainer at SeaWorld. She worked with orcas at SeaWorld Orlando for fifteen years, including a leading role in revamping the Shamu (SeaWorld show) ...
, and subsequent public backlash from the 2013 documentary ''
Blackfish Blackfish is a common name for various species of fishes and cetaceans, including: Fish * Alaska blackfish (''Dallia pectoralis''), an Esocidae, esocid from Alaska, Siberia, and the Bering Sea islands * Black fish (''Carassioides acuminatus''), ...
'', SeaWorld announced they would be ending their orca breeding program and phasing out their orca shows, instead opting to introduce "new, inspiring, natural orca encounters rather than theatrical shows… ocusingon orca enrichment, exercise and overall health."


Original Shamu

In October 1965, a female juvenile orca was captured from the southern resident pod in
Penn Cove Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington state. Whidbey is about north of Seattle, and lie ...
,
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,
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by
Ted Griffin Ted Griffin (born December 21, 1970) is an American screenwriter whose credits include '' Ravenous'', '' Rumor Has It'', and '' Ocean's Eleven''. Born in Pasadena, California, Griffin graduated from Colgate University in 1993. While attending u ...
. After living at the
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aquarium for two months, she was sold to
SeaWorld San Diego SeaWorld San Diego is a theme park in Mission Bay Park in San Diego, California. It is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, public aquarium, and marine animal rehabilitation center. SeaWorld, the theme park's proprietor, is owned and operated by Un ...
in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. She became the park's flagship performing orca until April 1971 when she attacked Anne Eckis, a SeaWorld employee who was told to ride her as part of a filmed publicity event, and refused to release the woman until other workers came to the rescue. Shamu died four months later.


Shamu shows

Shamu shows have been presented at the following SeaWorld parks: *
SeaWorld San Diego SeaWorld San Diego is a theme park in Mission Bay Park in San Diego, California. It is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, public aquarium, and marine animal rehabilitation center. SeaWorld, the theme park's proprietor, is owned and operated by Un ...
in
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*
SeaWorld Ohio SeaWorld Ohio was a theme park and Ocean, marine zoological park located in Aurora, Ohio. It was owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts, Busch Entertainment Corporation. The Ohio location was the second SeaWorld park to be built in the c ...
(closed in 2000) *
SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld Orlando is an animal theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Although separately gated, it is often promoted with neighboring parks Discovery Cove and Aquatica as well as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, all of which are owned and operated ...
in
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*
SeaWorld San Antonio SeaWorld San Antonio is a marine mammal park, oceanarium and animal theme park in the Westover Hills District of San Antonio, Texas, on the city's west side. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned and operated by U ...
in
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The orca presentations have been held in SeaWorld's Orca Stadium(s), which each seat 5,500, and all of the shows have involved a part where one or more whales splash the audience. The San Diego show has usually ended with a hangglider landing at or near the stadium.


Shamu shows throughout the years


Night shows performed during the spring and summer

SeaWorld Orlando &
SeaWorld San Antonio SeaWorld San Antonio is a marine mammal park, oceanarium and animal theme park in the Westover Hills District of San Antonio, Texas, on the city's west side. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned and operated by U ...
present "Shamu Christmas Miracles" during "SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration", a yearly holiday event. SeaWorld San Diego presented "Shamu's Christmas" from the 2014–2016 season, when "Shamu Christmas Miracles" débuted at the park.


Shamu Educational Shows throughout the years


Baby Shamu

The first "Baby Shamu" was named Kalina. She was the first surviving orca born in captivity on September 26, 1985. Ten orca calves had been born in captivity before 1985, but five were stillborn and the others all died within two months of their births. Kalina died on October 4, 2010. The stage name "Grandbaby Shamu" was given to Kalina's first calf, which was born on February 2, 1993 – a male named Keet. The first "Great Grandbaby Shamu" was Keet's first calf, born on December 21, 2004 – a female named Kalia. Kalia gave birth to the first "Great Great Grandbaby Shamu" Amaya, on December 2, 2014. The father is Ulises. Amaya died on August 19, 2021.


Show incidents

*In April 1971, a 17-foot female orca, the original
Shamu Shamu ( – August 16, 1971) was a female orca The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizabl ...
, bit and grasped the leg of 22-year-old Anette Eckis, requiring her to be rescued by trainers and taken to the hospital for stitches. *On February 23, 1984, a 7-year-old female orca by the name of Kandu V grabbed a SeaWorld San Diego trainer, Joanne Hay, and pinned her against a tank wall during a performance.''
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''
"SeaWorld San Diego suspends Shamu show"
Retrieved 2011-07-08.
*On March 4, 1987, 20-year-old SeaWorld San Diego trainer, Jonathan Smith, was grabbed by one of the park’s six-ton killer whales. The orca dragged the trainer to the very bottom of the tank, hurting him, then carried him bleeding all the way back to the surface, and then spat him out. Smith waved to the crowd when a second orca slammed on top of him. He continued to pretend he was unhurt as the whales repeatedly dragged him to the bottom of the stadium pool. Smith was cut all around his torso, had a ruptured kidney and a six-inch laceration of his liver, yet he managed to escape the pool with his life. Later reports indicated that the whales involved in the attack were the 10-year-old female Kenau and the 9-year-old female Kandu V, who had previously attacked the trainer Joanne Hay in 1984. *In November 1987, Orky (II) was involved in an accident that injured trainer John Sillick during a show for the public. Sillick was riding on the back of a female orca when Orky breached. Sillick's back, leg, and pelvis were broken when Orky landed on top of him. Sillick sued SeaWorld and received an out-of-court settlement, the details of which are under a
gag order A gag order (also known as a gagging order or suppression order) is an order, typically a legal order by a court or government, restricting information or comment from being made public or passed on to any unauthorized third party. The phrase may ...
. According to Sillick's lawyer, after several operations Sillick can again walk, but his activity is limited. Orky may have been responding to another trainer's (perceived) signal to breach. Court documents are sealed but the judge's remarks, which were not sealed, revealed that Orky may have had "visual limitations" that had not been disclosed to the trainer. *On June 12, 1999, 23-year-old Kasatka grabbed her trainer Ken Peters by the leg and attempted to throw him from the pool during a public show at SeaWorld San Diego.''
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''
"A rap sheet of captive animals"
Retrieved 2011-07-08.
''
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''
"Feds detail 5 earlier SeaWorld killer-whale incidents"
Retrieved 2011-07-09.
*In late July 2004, during a show at the SeaWorld park in San Antonio, Texas, a male orca named Kyuquot (nickname Ky) repeatedly jumped on top of his trainer, Steve Aibel, forcing him underwater and barred the trainer from escaping the water. After several minutes, the trainer was able to calm the animal, and he exited the pool unhurt. "Veterinarians believe the whale… felt threatened by the trainer, perhaps a result of the effects of adolescent hormones." *On April 4, 2005, SeaWorld Orlando trainer Sam Davis was repeatedly "bumped" by an 11-year-old male orca named Taku. The show continued uninterrupted, but the trainer was later taken to Sand Lake Hospital for unspecified minor injuries and released the same day. Additional eyewitness account: "The trainer and Taku were about to slide on the slide out at the end of the show when Taku completely stopped and started "bumping" the trainer. The trainer was male and he finally swam out of the tank. I knew something was wrong because none of the whales except Kalina wanted to perform. Then they finally got Taku out to splash people at the end of the show, when this incident took place." *On November 15, 2006, a SeaWorld San Diego trainer was injured when the park's 18-year-old female killer whale, Orkid, grabbed veteran trainer Brian Rokeach by the foot and pulled him to the bottom of the tank, refusing to release him for an extended period of time. Orkid released Rokeach only after heeding fellow trainer Kenneth Peters's repeated attempts to call the animal’s attention back to the stage. Rokeach suffered a torn ligament in his ankle but was not taken to the hospital. In response to the incident, SeaWorld increased the number of trainers who must be available during performances and in water training to five staff members, but this was ineffective because no more than two weeks later, trainer Kenneth Peters was involved in a similar incident with a different orca.''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
''
"Orcas and trainers under OSHA scrutiny"
Retrieved 2011-07-09.
*On November 29, 2006, Kasatka, one of SeaWorld San Diego's then seven orcas, grabbed her trainer, Ken Peters, by the foot and dragged him to the bottom of the tank twice during an evening show at Shamu Stadium. The senior trainer escaped only after staff members managed to separate the two with safety nets. This was the second documented incident of Kasatka attacking Peters; the first attack had occurred in 1999. *On February 24, 2010, toward the end of a "Dine with Shamu" show at SeaWorld Orlando, the orca " Tilikum" pulled down an experienced trainer.
Dawn Brancheau Dawn Therese Brancheau ( LoVerde, April 16, 1969 – February 24, 2010) was an American animal trainer at SeaWorld. She worked with orcas at SeaWorld Orlando for fifteen years, including a leading role in revamping the Shamu (SeaWorld show) ...
, a 40-year-old with extensive training experience, drowned as at least two dozen tourists looked on from above a whale tank and from an underwater viewing area. Brancheau was finishing up a session with Tilikum, the largest orca in SeaWorld's collection, following the Dine with Shamu show. Following this accident, trainers no longer go into the water with the orcas at SeaWorld shows.


See also

*
List of individual cetaceans Cetaceans are the animals commonly known as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. This list includes individuals from real life or fiction, where fictional individuals are indicated by their source. It is arranged roughly taxonomy (biology), taxonomic ...


References


External links


Shamu.com
– SeaWorld's official Shamu site
SeaWorld's "Believe" show page
{{SeaWorld San Diego Oceanaria in the United States SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld San Antonio SeaWorld San Diego