Ikaika (whale)

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From Left: Ikaika, Katina, and Taku perform in Orlando

Ikaika (pronounced ee-KY-ka which means "strong" in Hawaiian) is a male orca born at Seaworld in Orlando, Florida on August 25, 2002. He is the offspring of Tilikum (father) and Katina (mother), making him Katina's fifth calf.

[edit] Birth & Shortly After

Katina is a very experieced mother and wasn't nervous at all during the birth and managed perfectly to help her calf swim and take his firsts breaths. During the labor, Ikaika's siblings Unna and Taku were present. Taku became very nervous and had to be moved to another tank. The three of them were almost always together preforming in a show called "Believe".

To decide the name of the new born whale a poll was taken. The following names were chosen to be on the poll: Ikaika (Hawaiian for "strong"), Mottaka (Icelandic for "reception"), Ramu (in honor of the late Ramu), Tsunami (Japanese for "tidal wave") and Ramius (after the Captain in "The Hunt for Red October"). Ikaika no long lives at Seaworld Orlando, Florida but was transferred to Marineland Ontario, Canada on a breeding loan. His move was on November 18th, 2006 in exchange for 3 male beluga whales (Juno, Aurek, and Klondike).