{{Short description|Captive female orca (c.1976–2017)}} {{for|the helicopter known as ''Kasatka''|Kamov Ka-60}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox animal | image = Shamu with trainer.jpg | caption = Kasatka as "Shamu" at SeaWorld San Diego lifting a trainer out of the water. | name = Kasatka | species = Orca | gender = Female | birth_date = {{Circa | 1976}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|08|15|1976|df=yes}} | years_active = 1978–2017 | known_for = Performer of the ''Shamu'' show. | mate = {{ubl|''Kotar''|''Keet''}} | children = {{ubl|''Takara'' (daughter)|''Nakai'' (son)|''Kalia'' (daughter)|''Makani'' (son)}} }} '''Kasatka''' ({{Circa | 1976}} – 15 August 2017) was a female orca who was captured from the wild in 1978, and kept at SeaWorld San Diego.
==Life==
Kasatka was captured off the southeastern coast of Iceland on 26 October 1978, with another young female whale named Kahana. Both were estimated to be around 2 years old. The two whales were housed in a sea pen in Grindavík before being shipped to SeaWorld later that year.<ref name="Capture">{{cite journal |last1=Sigurjónsson |first1=Jóhann |last2=Leatherwood |first2=Stephen |title=The Icelandic live-capture fishery for killer whales, 1976-1988 |journal=Workshop on North Atlantic Killer Whales |date=May 1987 |pages=307–316 |url=https://www.hafogvatn.is/static/research/files/rit_fisk_1988_xi_21.pdf |access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref>
Kasatka showed occasional aggression to humans. In 1993 and 1999, she tried to bite trainer Ken Peters during a show.<ref name= "signonsandiego">{{cite web| url= http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20061130-9999-7m30shamu.html |title=Killer whale bites trainer, takes him to tank bottom |last= Repard| first= Pauline |date=2006-11-30 | website= SignOnSanDiego.com | publisher= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501164501/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20061130-9999-7m30shamu.html |archive-date= 2009-05-01 }}</ref> On November 30, 2006, she grabbed Peters again and dragged him underwater twice during their show.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/near-death-at-seaworld-wo_b_1697243.html |title= Near Death At SeaWorld: Worldwide Exclusive Video| work= Huffington Post| date= July 24, 2012| first= David | last= Kirby}}</ref> Peters survived with minor injuries.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/29/killer.whale/index.html |title= Killer whale attacks Sea World trainer| website= CNN.com| date= November 30, 2006}}</ref>
After suffering incurable pneumonia from 2008 to 2017, Kasatka was euthanized at age 40 on August 15, 2017.<ref name= obit>{{cite web| url= https://www.seaworld.com/san-diego/sitecore/content/global-content/blogs/swc-blogs/2017/kasatka | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment| title= Kasatka| website= seaworld.com |date= 2017| accessdate= }}</ref>
==Offspring== Kasatka was the matriarch of the San Diego Orca SeaWorld family.<ref name= obit /> She was the first captive cetacean to successively receive artificial insemination, according to John Hargrove, a trainer there.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hargrove |first1=John |title=I trained killer whales at SeaWorld for 12 years. Here's why I quit. |url= https://www.vox.com/2016/3/22/11275970/seaworld-orca-killer-whale |accessdate=25 February 2019 |work= Vox.com |date=22 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Robeck |first1=T.R. |last2=Steinman |first2= K.J. |last3=Gearhart |first3=S. |last4= Reidarson |first4=T.R. |last5=McBain |first5=J.F. |last6= Monfort |first6= S.L.|title=Reproductive Physiology and Development of Artificial Insemination Technology in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) |journal=Biology of Reproduction |date=1 August 2004 |volume=71 |issue=2 |pages=650–660 |doi=10.1095/biolreprod.104.027961 |pmid=15115725 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
She bore two daughters and two sons, resulting in six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren by the time of her death: *Takara (born 1991), female (SeaWorld San Antonio)<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-21-me-672-story.html | title= Sea World Proudly Spouts Off News That Killer Whale Kasatka Is Pregnant| date= March 21, 1991| first= Monica| last= Rodriguez| work= Los Angeles Times |access-date= August 16, 2017}}</ref> **Kohana (born May 3, 2002 – September 14, 2022), female (Loro Parque)<ref name= Newkirk-Breeding>{{cite news| url= http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-newkirk-seaworld-orca-breeding-20170223-story.html| title= OpEd: SeaWorld was right to stop breeding orcas, but it should go further | first= Ingrid| last= Newkirk| work= Los Angeles Times| date= February 23, 2017| access-date= August 16, 2017}}</ref> *** Adán (born October 13, 2010), male (Loro Parque) *** Victoria ("Vicky") (August 3, 2012 – June 16, 2013), female (Loro Parque) **Trua (November 23, 2005), male (SeaWorld Orlando)<ref>{{cite web| url= https://seaworldcares.com/the-facts/Orca-Profiles/Orlando/Trua/ | title= Trua| website= seaworldcares.com | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment| author= Michelle| access-date= August 16, 2017}}</ref><ref name= Newkirk-Breeding /> **Sakari (January 7, 2010), female (SeaWorld San Antonio)<ref>{{cite web| url= https://seaworldcares.com/the-facts/Orca-Profiles/San-Antonio/Sakari/ | title= Sakari| website= seaworldcares.com | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment}}</ref> **Kamea (December 6, 2013 - June 19, 2025), female (SeaWorld San Antonio)<ref>{{cite web| url= https://seaworldcares.com/the-facts/Orca-Profiles/San-Antonio/Kamea/ | title= Kamea| website= seaworldcares.com | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment}}</ref> **Kyara (April 19, 2017 – July 24, 2017), female (SeaWorld San Antonio)<ref>{{cite web| url= https://seaworldcares.com/kyara-update | title= Kyara obit| website= seaworldcares.com | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment}}</ref> *Nakai (born September 1, 2001 – August 5, 2022), male (Seaworld San Diego); first orca conceived by artificial insemination<ref>{{cite web| url= https://seaworldcares.com/the-facts/Orca-Profiles/San-Diego/Nakai/ | title= Nakai| author= Autumn | website= seaworldcares.com | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment| access-date= August 16, 2017}}</ref> *Kalia<ref name= JT-born>{{cite web| url= http://www.insideseaworld.com/kalias-calf-born | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160621193122/http://www.insideseaworld.com/kalias-calf-born | url-status= usurped | archive-date= June 21, 2016 | title= Kalia's Calf is Born! |first= Jennicca |last= Taylor| date= December 2, 2014 | website= insideseaworld.com| publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment| access-date= August 16, 2017}}</ref> (born December 21, 2004), female (SeaWorld San Diego)<ref>{{cite web| url= https://seaworldcares.com/the-facts/Orca-Profiles/San-Diego/Kalia/ | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment| title= Kalia| author= Mike| website= seaworldcares.com | access-date= August 16, 2017}}</ref> **Amaya (born December 2, 2014 – August 19, 2021), female (SeaWorld San Diego)<ref>{{cite web| url= https://seaworldcares.com/the-facts/Orca-Profiles/San-Diego/Amaya/| title= Amaya| website= seaworldcares.com | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment| access-date= August 16, 2017}}</ref><ref name= JT-born /> *Makani (born February 14, 2013), male (SeaWorld San Diego)<ref>{{cite web| url= https://seaworldcares.com/the-facts/Orca-Profiles/San-Diego/Makani/ | title= Makani| author= Katey| website=seaworldcares.com | publisher= SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment| access-date= August 16, 2017}}</ref>
==See also== * List of individual cetaceans * List of captive orcas * Captive killer whales * Killer whale attacks on humans * Keiko, the star of the 1993 movie ''Free Willy''
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.seaworld.com SeaWorld]
Category:1976 animal births Category:2017 animal deaths Category:Individual animals in California Category:Orcas from SeaWorld
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