Katina is a 39 year old female who lives at SeaWorld Orlando. She is the dominant orca of the park and also the matriarch. She has successfully given birth to 7 calves and is the most successful breeding female in captivity.
On September 26, 1985, Katina gave birth to the first successful calf born in captivity. The calf was named Kalina and became known as the Original Baby Shamu. Kalina went on to have 4 calves of her own: Keet, Keto, Tuar and Skyla. Katina became a great great grandmother when Kalia gave birth to her first calf, Amaya, on December 2, 2014. Kalia is Keet's first calf.
Katina gave birth to her 2nd calf, Katerina, on November 4, 1988. Katerina died on May 5, 1999. Her 3rd calf was her first male and he was named Taku. He was born on September 9, 1993. He sired two calves, Trua and Nalani. He passed away on October 17, 2007.
She gave birth to her 4th calf, Unna, on December 27, 1996. Taima assisted Katina through the delivery and after. Unna gave birth to a stillborn female calf in 2006. Ikaika was her 5th calf, born on August 25, 2002. This pregnancy was one of four featuring orcas on the Animal Planet show That's My Baby.
Her 6th calf was Nalani, born on September 18, 2006. Nalani was the first inbred calf to be born in captivity. Her father was Taku, who is also her brother. Katina and Taku were very close. Nalani was Taku's second calf. Despite the inbreeding, Nalani has not shown any signs of falling behind and is a very smart whale.
Makaio was Katina's 7th calf, born on October 9, 2010. He was born just days after Katina's oldest calf, Kalina, passed away. A poll was held for naming of her calf. Makaio was chosen which means gift of God in Hawaiian.
Although Katina is getting older, as of June 2015, SeaWorld has said they still have hopes of her having another calf. Most orcas stop having calves around age 40 and no orca is known to have had a calf after age 46.
Sex-Female
Age-39
Captured-10/26/78
Age at Capture-Approximately 2
Place of Capture-Skardsfjara, Iceland
Family
Calves
Kalina (1985)*
Katerina (1988)*
Taku (1993)*
Unna (1996)
Ikaika (2002)
Nalani (2006)
Makaio (2010)
Grandchildren
Keet (1993)
Keto (1995)
Kalina's Stillbirth (1997)*
Tuar (1999)
Skyla (2004)
Trua (2005)
Unna's Stillbirth (2006)*
Nalani (2006)
Great Grandchildren
Kalia (2004)
Halyn (2005)*
Adán (2010)
Victoria (2012) *
Great Great Grandchildren
Amaya (2014)
Compatible Mates
Ulises, Tilikum, Kshamenk, Kyuquot, Inouk, Tekoa, Nakai, Earth, Nord, Moana, Makani, Keijo
Origin of Katina
Greek for "Pure"
Pronounced: kuh TEE nah
Nicknames
Kat
Tina
Also Known as
Kandu 6
Weights
5,400 lbs (2006)
5,680 (2010)
6,000 lbs (October 2010)
5,200 lbs (2012)
5,400 lbs (March 2015)
Lengths
18 ft (2006)
Breed
100% Icelandic
Katina is a very loving whale. She did waterworks before they were stopped in 2010. She has never shown any aggression to her trainers and has a very close bond with them. Although she is the dominant whale, she is usually very kind to the other orcas unless she needs put them in their place or discipline the young. The only orca she is never grouped with is Tilikum, though they have been seen together, likely to get them used to being around each other for breeding. She and Tilikum used to perform together along with Taku and Unna when they were young. She is most often seen with Nalani, Makaio, Kayla and Malia. She is a very loving mother and shows this not only to her calves, but the many other calves who have been born at the park. She has been a surrogate mother to several calves and will also babysit other orca's calves.
She is a very energetic whale. When asked to do a behavior she often puts all her effort into them. She is by far the highest jumper at Orlando. She knows many behaviors for dry work and waterworks.
