Orkid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orkid is a female orca, or killer whale, that was born on September 23, 1988 at SeaWorld San Diego, California. Her mother was Kandu 5, and her father was Orky 2. Orkid was the second captive-born orca to be successfully raised in the hands of man, the first being Kalina.
Orkid was named in honor of her father Orky 2, who died three days after Orkid's birth. Her name is a portmanteau of "Orky's kid".
Orkid's mother Kandu 5 was a dominant and often aggressive whale, but she proved to be a gentle and caring mother to Orkid. But, during a performance on August 21, 1989, Kandu attacked another female orca named Corky 2. She rammed Corky broadside. Because of the forceful impact, Kandu broke her jaw, which lacerated a vital artery. Kandu began to hemorrhage, exhaling large amounts of blood. She died 45 minutes later due to massive bloodloss. Orkid was just 11 months old. Corky would then raise Orkid with the help of another female named Kasatka.
Currently 18 years old, Orkid is healthy and doing well in San Diego, where she has lived her entire life. She is a very dominant female and can sometimes be aggressive with both her trainers and the other whales, a trait which she inherited from both her mother and father. She is the second most dominant female, and she is only behind Kasatka.
Having yet to bear any offspring, Orkid has been artificially inseminated quite a few times, but so far without success. Orkid only has two relatives in captivity: her half sister Kayla and Kayla's daughter Halyn; she has never met either. Orkid currently measures between 18 and 19 feet and weighs in around 5,900 pounds.
