Last week, I made a post about Kamogawa Sea World. Today, we'll discuss a facility operated by the same owner: Kobe Suma Sea World. I'd appreciate it if you could look into this. It's incredibly important to understand why Kobe needs to be closed.

Kobe Suma Sea World is a marine park in Kobe, Japan, belonging to the Granvista Hotels & Resorts corporation. As of April 24th, 2024, 2 killer whales are living at Kobe Suma Sea World.

Kobe Suma Sea World is NOT associated with SeaWorld, but with Kamogawa Sea World.
Kobe Suma Sea World was known as Suma Aqualife Park before it was closed on May 31st, 2023, privatized, and later reopened as Kobe Suma Sea World in June 2024

About the facility

https://preview.redd.it/ipzlljqgkjih1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=086b25a54085027f3cbbe45596799070e9762304

Before we move on, I have to mention the dolphin pool at the hotel. This is genuinely the most evil tank I have ever seen.

That's the entire tank.

Size:

https://preview.redd.it/oedshgtjkjih1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=d0bdd1e31d81d41d8ab781dcdee18da724af2c2f

Kobe Suma has three orca pools, and just like Kamogawa, the size is one of its main issues.
The tanks have an overall water capacity of 8,500 metric tons.
The show pool is the deepest pool, according to information supplied by the company during a phone call; it is only 6.5 m (21.3 ft) deep. The back pools are even shallower.

Approximate surface area:
Show pool: 614.82 m²m² (6,618 ft²)
Back pool (r): 360.7 m² (3,883 ft²)
Back pool (l): 426.66 m² (4,593 ft²)
Medical pool: 97.27 m² (1,047 ft²)
Take these measurements with a grain of salt, as I took them from Google Earth.

The tanks of Kobe are only 40 m (131 ft), 33 m (108 ft), and 27 m (89 ft) at their maximum length. This provides very few ‘straight-line’ swimming opportunities.
Stella and Ran II are both approximately 5 meters long, which means they can swim a maximum of eight body lengths before they're forced to turn.

Blue Ocean buffet restaurant

Layout:

As mentioned, Kobe has four pools. Two back pools, one show pool, and a medical pool. The sides are quite low and make it easy for the orcas to jump out.
On October 3rd, 2025, Kobe Suma Sea World announced a temporary closure due to "animal circumstances." It's speculated that Stella may have fallen or jumped out of her tank. Stella is often seen sliding and leaping over the barriers separating the pools, making this theory more likely.

Kobe layout

Besides the size, the slide-outs are an issue.
The slide-outs, especially the middle one, are too large and hard to get out of. The orcas have to hook their fluke on the edges to pull themselves back into the water.

Notice how the fluke is hooked on the edge

And it is very easy to get stuck on the slide-outs. In 2024, Ran got stuck on the slide-out for over an hour.
In the video, Ran is seen lying on her side, with her fluke stuck on a fish box, while Stella appears to try to engage the trainers to draw attention to the situation.
Stella refuses to leave Ran, and even beaches herself next to her daughter. It takes the trainers approximately 11 minutes to arrive at the scene and spray water over Ran.
Stella is seen "comforting" Ran by engaging in body contact.
The two are heard vocalising during the entire situation.
Stella then starts moving side to side, pushing Ran to the edge. This eventually frees Ran.

This is not the only time this has happened. In December 2024, Stella slid over a barrier to push Ran back into the water after she had self-stranded again. We can only assume how often it has happened without the public knowing.

Being beached for an extended period puts enormous pressure on the whale's internal organs due to their weight. Not only that, but it puts them at risk of sunburn.

The tanks are also connected through these slide-outs and have chains on them. Ran and Stella frequently slide over the barriers that separate the pools. The chains are supposed to discourage this behavior, but they slide over the chains as well.

Chains on slideout

In addition, the pools have no shade, and the orcas are almost constantly exposed to the sun. The pools are also shallow, which barely allows for the orcas to seek out colder water. Kobe has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers reaching temperatures of over 30°C (86°F).

The area of the covered stadium and the lack of shade for the orca tanks

Waterworks

Kobe Suma is one of the only two facilities still practicing waterworks.

Examples of waterwork

Waterworks has stopped everywhere else, except in Kobe and Kamogawa. Trainers' safety is a major concern.

Both Stella and Ran are known for "aggressive" behavior towards trainers.

Stella was trained in waterworks but was stopped when she became aggressive toward her trainers after the death of Maggie. Still, Kobe reintroduced her to waterworks.

Ran dumped her trainer off her back during a morning training session shortly before her transfer to Kobe. In the fall of 2024, Ran lunged at a trainer (0:18). Ran has also flipped a trainer after she

I also think it is beyond disrespectful to stand, sit, or climb on these whales.

It's also suggested trainers use physical force to indicate tricks. It's been reported that trainers pull on the pectoral fins to signal the orcas to splash the audience with their flukes. The angle at which this was done is harmful, as it flexes the pectoral fin into a position that can cause soft tissue damage.

Possibly a picture of the trainer pulling the pectoral fin into a backward, unnatural position to signal the use of its fluke to splash the audience.

I don't even wanna talk about the teeth.

Education

Only educational sign outside of the orca tank

More information may be given during the shows. They do have microphones and appear to be communicating with the audience. I don't speak Japanese, so I don't know what they're saying.

But unlike Kamogawa, Kube has an orca lab dedicated to education. According to their website, it provides biological information and the latest data obtained through orca research.

Orca skeleton. This orca is likely Bingo

Videos/pictures show and explain orca behaviors such as pectoral slaps and breaching. However, it provides very little information about these behaviors and only explains what the orca is doing. Not why.

There is also a video of the first killer whale show in Japan. There appears to be some additional information about orcas, such as the reproductive physiology of killer whales.

I personally find this information very limiting, and nothing is really thoroughly explained.

The orca hall has a 6 x 3 meter display that shows videos of orcas in Shiretoko, Hokkaido, but can also host educational programs and other events.

Orca hall

Orca

The history is quickly discussed.

Stella was the first orca to arrive at Kobe on March 29th, 2024. Before, they didn't have any killer whales.

Stella and Ran

Their history:

You may know Stella and Ran II from my previous post.

Stella was captured in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland, sometime around October 23-24th, 1987. She was captured alongside three other killer whales: Oscar, Maggie, and Bubba.

They were held at Hafnarfjordur Aquarium for training.

These orcas were originally captured for SeaWorld. SeaWorld needed to get more whales before the new San Antonio park's opening. Despite concealing evidence, Sea Shepard caught wind of their rumored activities and had the allegations confirmed. SeaWorld was forced to abandon the orcas.

Around that time, Hafnarfjörður Aquarium began experiencing problems. The water filtration system had deteriorated to such a state that the "water was so murky with waste that the bottom of the pool was invisible, and a tide of scum coated the walls of the pool at water level."

Before protests could mount, all four orcas were quickly sold to Kamogawa Sea World.

Maggie and Stella often had conflicts because Maggie was the dominant female, but Stella was larger and more competitive. However, they got along well otherwise.

Stella was a good mother, even to Maggie's calf, which passed only an hour after birth. Stella was present during birth and has always shown to be a good mother. This loss of Maggie's calf affected both emotionally.

When Maggie died after stillbirth complications, Stella became easily aggressive towards her trainers.

Between January 1998 and April 2006, Stella gave birth to four calves: Lovey, Lara, Sarah, and Ran II.

Stella, Bingo, and Ran were transferred to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium in December 2011.

Stella gave birth to her 5th and last calf, Lynn, on November 13th, 2012.

On December 7th, 2015, Ran was transferred back to Kamogawa Sea World.

On May 31, 2023, Suma Aqualife Park was closed.

On March 29th, 2024, Stella was moved to the new facility, Kobe Suma Sea World. She stayed isolated at the park until Ran was transferred to the facility a month later.

Orca conditions

It should be no surprise that both Stella and Ran show clear signs of mental and physical illness.

Teeth:

For those who don't know:

Their teeth are damaged from grinding, gnawing, biting, and ‘jaw clapping’ on hard surfaces such as metal gates, concrete tanks, and toys.

This exposes the pulp of the teeth, and the teeth are drilled to reduce infection. To my knowledge, this is typically done without analgesics and leaves the orcas with permanently open holes.

These holes collect waste such as dead fish parts from feeding and from fish that is regurgitated and reingested. There's also feces in the water.

The teeth must be flushed at least twice a day with betadine or similar. You can imagine how painful all this is.

Stellas teeth in 2024

This damage already happened in Kamogawa, but it was not mentioned in my other post.
Footage from Kobe Suma Sea World, before the public opening day, documented Stella gnawing on hard surfaces at the facility. This is a well-documented behavior of orcas in captivity.

Rans teeth in 2024

Some of her teeth have a green tinge. This green tinge has only been documented in Japanese captive orcas. The cause is unclear, but it may be caused by algae, chemical imbalance, or their diet.

Mental illness

Orcas are known to self-harm in captivity by bashing their body or head against a wall. This is not exclusive to Asia. This can damage tissue and cause permanent damage. Head bashing is extremely dangerous, and Hugo even supposedly died from a brain Aneurysm caused by head bashing. Hugo also cut open his nose when he slammed into a plastic viewing bubble, breaking it.

Both Stell and Ran have been observed swimming in patterns. As I said, the tanks are incredibly small and don't allow for normal swimming behavior.

This is a screenshot from a drone video and supposedly shows Ran just as she's about to hit her head against the wall. I did not find the video, so I cannot confirm this.

This behaviour is indicative of severe welfare issues.

Anticipatory Behaviour

It's been reported that Stella and Ran swim in tighter circles, faster, and with their mouths open before shows. They also apparently rest their chins on the ledges around the tank, enter the medical pool to see into the trainer area, and swim on the side with one eye out of the water to see the trainers coming.

Logging

During logging, orcas float at the surface. This can become dangerous because of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes pose a risk of transmitting diseases to captive orcas and are known to be present at Kobe.

Stella logging. Note the stillness of the water.

That was about it. Thanks.

Highly recommend Ingrid Visser's work on this.

Last week, I made a post about Kamogawa Sea World. Today, we'll discuss a facility operated by the same owner: Kobe Suma Sea World. I'd appreciate it if you could look into this. It's incredibly important to understand why Kobe needs to be closed.

Kobe Suma Sea World is a marine park in Kobe, Japan, belonging to the Granvista Hotels & Resorts corporation. As of April 24th, 2024, 2 killer whales are living at Kobe Suma Sea World.

Kobe Suma Sea World is NOT associated with SeaWorld, but with Kamogawa Sea World.
Kobe Suma Sea World was known as Suma Aqualife Park before it was closed on May 31st, 2023, privatized, and later reopened as Kobe Suma Sea World in June 2024

About the facility

https://preview.redd.it/gf2an68rciih1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=f1c3f9279461c9eb8354c9840b6698f06e88ddcb

Before we move on, I have to mention the dolphin pool at the hotel. This is genuinely the most evil tank I have ever seen.

That's the entire tank.

Size:

https://preview.redd.it/ju3bnrig3jih1.png?width=1274&format=png&auto=webp&s=ebef53263c5a9e1e856dec8e6cda918837cd2ffb

Kobe Suma has three orca pools, and just like Kamogawa, the size is one of its main issues.
The tanks have an overall water capacity of 8,500 metric tons.
The show pool is the deepest pool, according to information supplied by the company during a phone call; it is only 6.5 m (21.3 ft) deep. The back pools are even shallower.

Approximate surface area:
Show pool: 614.82 m²m² (6,618 ft²)
Back pool (r): 360.7 m² (3,883 ft²)
Back pool (l): 426.66 m² (4,593 ft²)
Medical pool: 97.27 m² (1,047 ft²)
Take these measurements with a grain of salt, as I took them from Google Earth.

The tanks of Kobe are only 40 m (131 ft), 33 m (108 ft), and 27 m (89 ft) at their maximum length. This provides very few ‘straight-line’ swimming opportunities.
Stella and Ran II are both approximately 5 meters long, which means they can swim a maximum of eight body lengths before they're forced to turn.

Blue Ocean buffet restaurant

Layout:

As mentioned, Kobe has four pools. Two back pools, one show pool, and a medical pool. The sides are quite low and make it easy for the orcas to jump out.
On October 3rd, 2025, Kobe Suma Sea World announced a temporary closure due to "animal circumstances." It's speculated that Stella may have fallen or jumped out of her tank. Stella is often seen sliding and leaping over the barriers separating the pools, making this theory more likely.

Kobe layout

Besides the size, the slide-outs are an issue.
The slide-outs, especially the middle one, are too large and hard to get out of. The orcas have to hook their fluke on the edges to pull themselves back into the water.

Notice how the fluke is hooked on the edge

And it is very easy to get stuck on the slide-outs. In 2024, Ran got stuck on the slide-out for over an hour.
In the video, Ran is seen lying on her side, with her fluke stuck on a fish box, while Stella appears to try to engage the trainers to draw attention to the situation.
Stella refuses to leave Ran, and even beaches herself next to her daughter. It takes the trainers approximately 11 minutes to arrive at the scene and spray water over Ran.
Stella is seen "comforting" Ran by engaging in body contact.
The two are heard vocalising during the entire situation.
Stella then starts moving side to side, pushing Ran to the edge. This eventually frees Ran.

This is not the only time this has happened. In December 2024, Stella slid over a barrier to push Ran back into the water after she had self-stranded again. We can only assume how often it has happened without the public knowing.

Being beached for an extended period puts enormous pressure on the whale's internal organs due to their weight. Not only that, but it puts them at risk of sunburn.

The tanks are also connected through these slide-outs, and have chains on them. Ran and Stella frequently slide over the barriers that separate the pools. The chains are supposed to discourage this behavior, but they slide over the chains as well.

Chains on slideout

In addition, the pools have no shade, and the orcas are almost constantly exposed to the sun. The pools are also shallow, which barely allows for the orcas to seek out colder water. Kobe has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers reaching temperatures of over 30°C (86°F).

The area of the covered stadium and the lack of shade for the orca tanks

Waterworks

Kobe Suma is one of the only two facilities still practicing waterworks.

Examples of waterwork

Waterworks has stopped everywhere else, except in Kobe and Kamogawa. Trainers' safety is a major concern.

Both Stella and Ran are known for "aggressive" behavior towards trainers.

Stella was trained in waterworks but was stopped when she became aggressive toward her trainers after the death of Maggie. Still, Kobe reintroduced her to waterworks.

Ran dumped her trainer off her back during a morning training session shortly before her transfer to Kobe. In the fall of 2024, Ran lunged at a trainer (0:18). Ran has also flipped a trainer after she

I also think it is beyond disrespectful to stand, sit, or climb on these whales.

It's also suggested trainers use physical force to indicate tricks. It's been reported that trainers pull on the pectoral fins to signal the orcas to splash the audience with their flukes. The angle at which this was done is harmful, as it flexes the pectoral fin into a position that can cause soft tissue damage.

Possibly a picture of the trainer pulling the pectoral fin into a backward, unnatural position to signal the use of its fluke to splash the audience.

I don't even wanna talk about the teeth.

Education

Only educational sign outside of the orca tank

More information may be given during the shows. They do have microphones and appear to be communicating with the audience. I don't speak Japanese, so I don't know what they're saying.

But, unlike Kamogawa, Kube has an orca lab dedicated to education. According to their website, it provides biological information and the latest data obtained through orca research.

Orca skeleton. This orca is likely Bingo

Videos/pictures show and explain orca behaviors such as pectoral slaps and breaching. However, it provides very little information about these behaviors and only explains what the orca is doing. Not why.

There is also a video of the first killer whale show in Japan. There appears to be some additional information about orcas, such as the reproductive physiology of killer whales.

I personally find this information very limiting, and nothing is really thoroughly explained.

The orca hall has a 6 x 3 meter display that shows videos of orcas in Shiretoko, Hokkaido, but can also host educational programs and other events.

Orca hall

Orca

The history is quickly discussed.

Stella was the first orca to arrive at Kobe on March 29th, 2024. Before, they didn't have any killer whales.

Stell and Ran

Their history:

You may know Stella and Ran II from my previous post.

Stella was captured in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland, sometime around October 23-24th, 1987. She was captured alongside three other killer whales: Oscar, Maggie, and Bubba.

They were held at Hafnarfjordur Aquarium for training.

These orcas were originally captured for SeaWorld. SeaWorld needed to get more whales before the new San Antonio park's opening. Despite concealing evidence, Sea Shepard caught wind of their rumored activities and had the allegations confirmed. SeaWorld was forced to abandon the orcas.

Around that time, Hafnarfjörður Aquarium began experiencing problems. The water filtration system had deteriorated to such a state that the "water was so murky with waste that the bottom of the pool was invisible, and a tide of scum coated the walls of the pool at water level."

Before protests could mount, all four orcas were quickly sold to Kamogawa Sea World.

Maggie and Stella often had conflicts because Maggie was the dominant female, but Stella was larger and more competitive. However, they got along well otherwise.

Stella was a good mother, even to Maggie's calf, which passed only an hour after birth. Stella was present during birth and has always shown to be a good mother. This loss of Maggie's calf affected both emotionally.

When Maggie died after stillbirth complications, Stella became easily aggressive towards her trainers.

Between January 1998 and April 2006, Stella gave birth to four calves: Lovey, Lara, Sarah, and Ran II.

Stella, Bingo, and Ran were transferred to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium in December 2011.

Stella gave birth to her 5th and last calf, Lynn, on November 13th, 2012.

On December 7th, 2015, Ran was transferred back to Kamogawa Sea World.

On May 31, 2023, Suma Aqualife Park was closed.

On March 29th, 2024, Stella was moved to the new facility, Kobe Suma Sea World. She stayed isolated at the park until Ran was transferred to the facility a month later.

Orca conditions

It should be no surprise that both Stella and Ran show clear signs of mental and physical illness.

Teeth:

For those who don't know:

Their teeth are damaged from grinding, gnawing, biting, and ‘jaw clapping’ on hard surfaces such as metal gates, concrete tanks, and toys.

This exposes the pulp of the teeth, and the teeth are drilled to reduce infection. To my knowledge, this is typically done without analgesics and leaves the orcas with permanently open holes.

These holes collect waste such as dead fish parts from feeding and from fish that is regurgitated and reingested. There's also feces in the water.

The teeth must be flushed at least twice a day with betadine or similar. You can imagine how painful all this is.

Stellas teeth in 2024

This damage already happened in Kamogawa, but it was not mentioned in my other post.
Footage from Kobe Suma Sea World, before the public opening day, documented Stella gnawing on hard surfaces at the facility. This is a well-documented behavior of orcas in captivity.

Rans teeth in 2024

Some of her teeth have a green tinge. This green tinge has only been documented in Japanese captive orcas. The cause is unclear, but it may be caused by algae, chemical imbalance, or their diet.

Mental illness

Orcas are known to self-harm in captivity by bashing their body or head against a wall. This is not exclusive to Asia. This can damage tissue and cause permanent damage. Head bashing is extremely dangerous, and Hugo even supposedly died from a brain Aneurysm caused by head bashing. Hugo also cut open his nose when he slammed into a plastic viewing bubble, breaking it.

Both Stell and Ran have been observed swimming in patterns. As I said, the tanks are incredibly small and don't allow for normal swimming behavior.

This is a screenshot from a drone video and supposedly shows Ran just as she's about to hit her head against the wall. I did not find the video, so I cannot confirm this.

This behaviour is indicative of severe welfare issues.

Anticipatory Behaviour

It's been reported that Stella and Ran swim in tighter circles, faster, and with their mouths open before shows. They also apparently rest their chins on the ledges around the tank, enter the medical pool to see into the trainer area, and swim on the side with one eye out of the water to see the trainers coming.

Logging

During logging, orcas float at the surface. This can become dangerous because of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes pose a risk of transmitting diseases to captive orcas and are known to be present at Kobe.

Stella logging. Note the stillness of the water.

That was about it. Thanks.

Highly recommend Ingrid Visser's work on this.

Who has your favorite saddle patch?
I'm looking for some unique/pretty saddle patches for an art project.
If you have a favorite, drop it in the comments!
Please also include a name/ID and a reference pic if you have one!

Here are some of my favorites:

WA007 Swirl

J27 Blackberry

K20 Spock

K37 Rainshadow

Picture by Center for Whale Research

Picture by Center for Whale Research

K47 is the newest calf of K-pod, born in December 2025.

K47 was last seen traveling with K36 Yoga and K43 Saturna in Fort Bragg, California, about three months ago. These pictures are from July 9th, 2026.

K47 was traveling close to K43, so it is safe to assume K43 Saturna is the mother.

K47 seems to be healthy, active, and well-filled out.

I'm really glad K47 seems to be doing so well. K47 was the first calf born to K-pod since K45 Prosper in 2022.

The sex of K47 has yet to be officially confirmed, and it does not currently have an official nickname.

Picture by Center for Whale Research

Pods: J, K, L

IDs Encountered: 
J-Pod: J16, J19, J22, J26, J27, J31, J36, J37, J38, J39, J40, J41, J42, J44, J45, J46, J47, J49, J51, J53, J56, J58, J59, J62, and J63

K-pod: K12, K14, K16, K20, K22, K27, K33, K35, K36, K37, K38, K42, K43, K45, and K47

L-pod: L22, L25, L54, L77, L87, L88, L94, L108, L113, L117, L119, L121, L124, L126, and L127

Full encounter report:
After getting blown off the water the previous day due to windy conditions, we wanted to get an early start. After some searching, Michael saw a killer whale that turned out to be K20! She spyhopped once. K27 was south of K20. K14 and K37 were spread out behind the other two. After these four, we found K43 and her new calf K47. This was our first good look at K47 since early January, and it was nice to see it stuck to K43. K47 looked active, healthy, and well filled out. “Mike 1” radioed us to report that there were some L12s mixed in with them.

To the southwest, we saw K33 and L117, so now we knew that the rest of the L54s and L88 should be around too. We did see L54 and L87. We saw our first J pod whales when we found the J40s with J46 and J53. J39 was also seen briefly. L108 showed up by himself. The group that included the J40s, J46, and J53 was joined by the L94s, L124, and L87. We then found a group that had the J31s and most of the L77s. J26 was following them. After that, we found L22 by herself. Somewhere to the east, K16 and K35 were charging west towards another group. This group had J46, L94, L127, and the K22s along with several males including J44, J45, J51, K42, and L87.

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon trying to find as many individuals as possible. The whales remained spread out, although some good groups started to form by early afternoon. We did find L25, and it was good to see the oldest whale in the population around. A little while later, we found J46 being pursued by J45, J51, K35, K37, K42, and L87. By this point in the day, both boats were convinced that the “19 Ls” (the L4s, L47s, L72, and L90) were not present. Near the end of the day, we had a nice group forming up that included the J22s, J37s, L94s, and L25 with L88!

Full credit for the photos and encounter report goes to Center for Whale Research

I posted this on r/orcas, but I figured it would be interesting for you here too. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: The pictures have been removed. I do not know why, but I will try to fix it.

Kamogawa Sea World is a marine leisure centre located between the Tojo coast and Japan National Route 128 in Kamogawa city, Japan.
Kamogawa Sea World is NOT affiliated with SeaWorld in any way and is operated by Granvista Hotels & Resorts Co., Ltd. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA)

About the facility

https://preview.redd.it/k1zze6auszgh1.png?width=877&format=png&auto=webp&s=364c588302acda080be081c9777c919009926686

Kamogawa has two pools. While there aren't any measurements, the backstage pool is approximately 15m (49ft) x 18m (59 ft).
The show pool has an area of about 585.77 m² (6,305 ft²).
These measurements were taken with Google Earth and should be taken with a grain of salt. The depth is unknown. The show pool is estimated to be around 30 ft, and the back pool is even shallower.
For comparison, this is SeaWorld Orlando:

https://preview.redd.it/y7ljnza4rzgh1.png?width=828&format=png&auto=webp&s=2f1a5cc9f04bfbd4879aec9f89f8fbf9e1d16290

​

Problems with Kamogawa

1. Kamogawa presents several problems. The tank size is, in my opinion, one of the worst concerns. Orcas can travel up to 100 km a day, and while no tank is big enough for them, the comparison between SeaWorld Orlando and Kamogawa is grim.
2. The orcas at Kamogawa have no enrichment. The only enrichment mentioned is trainer interaction, shows, and training sessions.
3. Kamogawa is one of only two parks still doing waterwork. During waterwork, trainers are in the water with killer whales. This has been largely banned across Europe and the USA after multiple incidents with the whales.
4. The shows focus on entertainment and offer virtually no education.
5. Kamogawa does not currently have any males, but they are actively trying to breed by importing frozen semen from other marine parks.

History

Kamogawa Sea World opened on October 1st, 1970, and was the first Japanese Aquarium to start breeding killer whales.
Kamogawa has had 18 orcas, not including stillbirths and calves who died shortly after giving birth. Three of them remain today.

Chappy and Jumbo were captured on August 8th, 1970, from Penn Cove, Washington. They were Southern Residents.
Shortly after their opening, in September of 1970, Chappy and Jumbo were sent to Kamogawa Sea World.
They were the first captive orcas to be put on display in Japan.
Chappy passed away in April of 1974, leaving Jumbo alone. Jumbo passed away in July 1974 from Liver Dysfunction.

Jumbo (L) and Chappy (R), 1970.

​

The next whale at Kamogawa was Zero. Zero was captured on August 15th, 1972, in Abashiri, Japan. During capture, she sustained a harpoon injury. Two weeks after arriving in Kamogawa, she died from her injuries.

Zero

King was captured on November 5th, 1979, from Ingolfshöfdi, Iceland. Caren was captured a few days later.
On Feb. 11, 1980, they arrived at Kamogawa.
King passed away on October 4th, 1983, leaving Caren alone.

King and Caren (left to right) at Kamogawa, early 1980's.

Patty was captured in November 1984 from Reydarfjördur, Iceland, alongside Bingo, Junior, Kandu VII, and an unnamed male.
Patty and Bingo were sent to Kamogawa sometime in November of 1985. They joined Caren.

Patty

Caren passed away from a white blood cell disorder on May 4th, 1987.
Maggie, Stella, Bubba, and Oscar were captured on October 23rd/24th, 1987, in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.
Patty passed away on September 16th, 1987, from acute Eneritis. Bingo was alone.
Maggie, Stella, Bubba, and Oscar arrived sometime around March 29th, 1988. They were put in a small pool alongside Bingo. The facility was building a new habitat at the time, but the pools weren't large enough to contain all five orcas.
To create more space, Bubba was sold to a park in Hong Kong in 1989.

​

Maggie gave birth to her first calf at 4:18 AM on March 3rd, 1995. This calf was the first captive-bred orca calf born in Japan. Labor lasted one hour and 28 minutes. The calf died half an hour after birth for unknown reasons.

Maggie and her calf

Maggie's next calf in 1977 was a stillbirth. Maggie died from the complications.

Lovey was born on January 11th, 1998. Her mother is Stella, and she is Stella's first calf. Lovey is one of the three orcas remaining in Kamogawa.

Lovey

Lara was born on February 8th, 2001, to Stella and is her second calf. Lara is one of the three orcas remaining in Kamogawa.

Lara

Sarah was born on May 31st, 2003. Her mother is Stella.

Sarah

In 2006, Kamogawa rescued KSW-OO-S0601. He was found stranded on Iwawaba Beach in the town of Onjuku in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan on February 10th, 2006.
He was taken to Kamogawa Sea World for treatment. Apparently, he was so weak he could barely maintain a position with his blowhole above the water. The tank's water had to be lowered to a depth of 1 meter. He had no appetite, so animal care staff had no choice but to force-feed it a "nutritional mixture". KSW-OO-S0601 died at Kamogawa Sea World on February 13th, 2006. He was emaciated.

KSW-OO-S0601

Ran II was born on February 25th, 2006, at 8:11 JST. Her mother is Stella.

Sarah died shortly after on April 26th, 2006, for unknown reasons.

Lara, Lovey, Ran II, and Luna (left to right)

Earth was born on October 13th, 2008, to Lovey.

On December 13, 2011, Ran II was transferred to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium.
One day after, Stella, Bingo, and Ran were transferred to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium.

Luna was born on July 19th, 2012. Her mother is Lovey. Luna is one of the three orcas still remaining in Kamogawa.

Earth, Lovey, Luna, and Lara (bottom to top)

On December 7th, 2015, Earth was moved to the Port of Nagoya Aquarium. To take his place, Ran was transferred back to Kamogawa Sea World that same day. She rejoined her two sisters, Lovey and Lara, and also met her three-year-old niece, Luna. 

There are rumors that Ran had a stillborn calf in 2021, but this hasn’t been confirmed. In March 2024, Lovey gave birth to a calf, but it did not survive.

On April 24th, 2024, Ran was transferred for a third time to a new facility, Kobe Suma Sea World..

This left Luna, Lovey, and Lara alone at Kamogawa.

After a conversation I had yesterday, it occurred to me that people know very little about facilities in Asia. So, let me educate you a little!
I would really appreciate it if you guys would at least take a look at this. These posts take hours of research to make.

Disclaimer: The pictures have been removed. I do not know why, but I will try to fix it.

Kamogawa Sea World is a marine leisure centre located between the Tojo coast and Japan National Route 128 in Kamogawa city, Japan.
Kamogawa Sea World is NOT affiliated with SeaWorld in any way and is operated by Granvista Hotels & Resorts Co., Ltd. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA)

About the facility

https://preview.redd.it/2k2sgv87rzgh1.png?width=877&format=png&auto=webp&s=71c736ab92ccab972ad91cda5efa591c006df69a

Kamogawa has two pools. While there aren't any measurements, the backstage pool is approximately 15m (49ft) x 18m (59 ft).
The show pool has an area of about 585.77 m² (6,305 ft²).
These measurements were taken with Google Earth and should be taken with a grain of salt. The depth is unknown. The show pool is estimated to be around 30 ft, and the back pool is even shallower.
For comparison, this is SeaWorld Orlando:

https://preview.redd.it/mcl39k76rzgh1.png?width=828&format=png&auto=webp&s=fee37c7b0fc837da091d41b4d38cfd9fd8eae399

Problems with Kamogawa

1. Kamogawa presents several problems. The tank size is, in my opinion, one of the worst concerns. Orcas can travel up to 100 km a day, and while no tank is big enough for them, the comparison between SeaWorld Orlando and Kamogawa is grim.
2. The orcas at Kamogawa have no enrichment. The only enrichment mentioned is trainer interaction, shows, and training sessions.
3. Kamogawa is one of only two parks still doing waterwork. During waterwork, trainers are in the water with killer whales.
4. This has been largely banned across Europe and the USA after multiple incidents with the whales.
5. The shows focus on entertainment and offer virtually no education.
6. Kamogawa does not currently have any males, but they are actively trying to breed by importing frozen semen from other marine parks.

History

Kamogawa Sea World opened on October 1st, 1970, and was the first Japanese Aquarium to start breeding killer whales.
Kamogawa has had 18 orcas, not including stillbirths and calves who died shortly after giving birth. Three of them remain today.

Chappy and Jumbo were captured on August 8th, 1970, from Penn Cove, Washington. They were Southern Residents.
Shortly after their opening, in September of 1970, Chappy and Jumbo were sent to Kamogawa Sea World.
They were the first captive orcas to be put on display in Japan.
Chappy passed away in April of 1974, leaving Jumbo alone. Jumbo passed away in July 1974 from Liver Dysfunction.

Jumbo (L) and Chappy (R), 1970.

The next whale at Kamogawa was Zero. Zero was captured on August 15th, 1972, in Abashiri, Japan. During capture, she sustained a harpoon injury. Two weeks after arriving in Kamogawa, she died from her injuries.

Zero

King was captured on November 5th, 1979, from Ingolfshöfdi, Iceland. Caren was captured a few days later.
On Feb. 11, 1980, they arrived at Kamogawa.
King passed away on October 4th, 1983, leaving Caren alone.

King and Caren (left to right) at Kamogawa, early 1980's.

Patty was captured in November 1984 from Reydarfjördur, Iceland, alongside Bingo, Junior, Kandu VII, and an unnamed male.
Patty and Bingo were sent to Kamogawa sometime in November of 1985. They joined Caren.

Patty

​Caren passed away from a white blood cell disorder on May 4th, 1987.
Maggie, Stella, Bubba, and Oscar were captured on October 23rd/24th, 1987, in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.
Patty passed away on September 16th, 1987, from acute Eneritis. Bingo was alone.
Maggie, Stella, Bubba, and Oscar arrived sometime around March 29th, 1988. They were put in a small pool alongside Bingo. The facility was building a new habitat at the time, but the pools weren't large enough to contain all five orcas.
To create more space, Bubba was sold to a park in Hong Kong in 1989.

​

Maggie gave birth to her first calf at 4:18 AM on March 3rd, 1995. This calf was the first captive-bred orca calf born in Japan. Labor lasted one hour and 28 minutes. The calf died half an hour after birth for unknown reasons.

Maggie and her calf

Maggie's next calf in 1977 was a stillbirth. Maggie died from the complications.

Lovey was born on January 11th, 1998. Her mother is Stella, and she is Stella's first calf. Lovey is one of the three orcas still remaining in Kamogawa.

Lovey

Lara was born on February 8th, 2001, to Stella and is her second calf. Lara is one of the three orcas still remaining in Kamogawa.

Lara

Sarah was born on May 31st, 2003. Her mother is Stella.

Sarah

In 2006, Kamogawa rescued KSW-OO-S0601. He was found stranded on Iwawaba Beach in the town of Onjuku in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan on February 10th, 2006.
He was taken to Kamogawa Sea World for treatment. Apparently, he was so weak he could barely maintain a position with his blowhole above the water. The tank's water had to be lowered to a depth of 1 meter. He had no appetite, so animal care staff had no choice but to force-feed it a "nutritional mixture". KSW-OO-S0601 died at Kamogawa Sea World on February 13th, 2006. He was emaciated.

KSW-OO-S0601

Ran II was born on February 25th, 2006, at 8:11 JST. Her mother is Stella.

Sarah died shortly after on April 26th, 2006, for unknown reasons.

Lara, Lovey, Ran II, and Luna (left to right)

Earth was born on October 13th, 2008, to Lovey.

On December 13, 2011, Ran II was transferred to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium.
One day after, Stella, Bingo, and Ran were transferred to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium.

Luna was born on July 19th, 2012. Her mother is Lovey. Luna is one of the three orcas still remaining in Kamogawa.

Earth, Lovey, Luna, and Lara (bottom to top)

On December 7th, 2015, Earth was moved to the Port of Nagoya Aquarium. To take his place, Ran was transferred back to Kamogawa Sea World that same day. She rejoined her two sisters, Lovey and Lara, and also met her three-year-old niece, Luna. 

There are rumors that Ran had a stillborn calf in 2021, but this hasn’t been confirmed. In March 2024, Lovey gave birth to a calf, but it did not survive.

On April 24th, 2024, Ran was transferred for a third time to a new facility, Kobe Suma Sea World..

This left Luna, Lovey, and Lara alone at Kamogawa.

Killer whales have appeared in folklore for hundreds of years, feared in Western culture and venerated by the Nazca and Thaua peoples. I was researching the meaning of orcas in Religion and folklore, and here are some of the things I found.

The Nasca people lived on the southern desert coast and western slopes of the Andes in Peru between 200 BC and AD 650. You may know them from the Nasca Lines – hundreds of huge lines, geometric figures, and figurative images carved into the earth covering more than 500 square kilometres. (British Museum)

‘La Orca de Piedras Gordas’, or The Orca

Nazca religious beliefs were based upon agriculture and fertility. Much of the Nazca art depicts powerful nature gods, such as the killer whale.

The geoglyph is approximately 200 feet long. Soil tests of the orca geoglyph date it potentially to 200 B.C. It's conceivable that it was designed not only by the Nazca but also by the Paracas, who created geoglyphs in this style from roughly 800 B.C. to 200 B.C. (NewsWeek).

Killer Whale, Nazca Culture, pottery

More orca pottery

It's suggested that killer whales may have represented "shamanic" leaders. They were religious leaders. After ritually taking hallucinogenic drugs, shamans would take on the attributes of an animal, such as the killer whale. The anthropomorphic depictions of killer whales with arms holding severed heads of enemies support this theory.
The ocean had a huge impact on the Nazca people. For a shaman to present as the ocean's most fearsome predator would have been seen as being of great value in enabling people to survive in their environment. And as an apex predator, the killer whale appears to have been an important symbol of success in warfare.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Thaua people, Yuin, are an Aboriginal Australian people living around the Twofold Bay area of the South Coast of New South Wales.

“We consider beowas to be our brothers,” wrote Thaua historian Steven Holmes in a study published in the Journal of Heredity in December 2023. According to Thaua beliefs, when a member of their community passes away, they are reincarnated as a beowa (orca).

Holmes recounts a personal anecdote involving his great-great-grandfather, a blind man who would walk along the beach singing to the beowas. The beowas would follow him along the beach, communicating back and forth with him. “It was a strong friendship between these beowas and my people,” Holmes reflects. ( Source)

“My people had a long-lasting friendship with the beowa [orcas] in Eden, especially Old Tom…[They] would swim with Old Tom, holding on to his dorsal fin. My ancestors were never hurt or injured.”

After the region was colonized, Europeans tried to continue the whaling practices, hiring skilled Thaua to help them. Commercial whaling in Eden ended around 1928. Baleen whale populations decreased, and orcas disappeared. Why is unclear. (Source)‘La Orca de Piedras Gordas’, or The Orca

Hey, guys.

I recently got three orchids for free because they were literally lying around in a plant shop.
Three mini Phalaenopsis Orchids.
They were still looking decently well, although losing their bloom. The leaves were totally fine, and some of the roots were looking rough. They were in small pots with this dried moss substrate, not sure what the name is.

I repotted them.
Here are the mistakes I made.
I repotted them while some of them were still blooming. In the process of losing their bloom, but still had their flowers.
And I think here is the biggest mistake. I repotted them in too-big pots. Pictures linked below. I figured the bigger, the better. Yes, I read about repotting online, but nothing mentioned that smaller pots were better.

Since then, I've noticed that they have been doing a little worse leaf-wise. So...I just put two of them back into their original small pots. I also noticed that the roots weren't looking good in their big pots. That's why I put two of them back into their original small pots. (I have four mini orchids, and all of them are in bigger pots. One of them has been in a bigger pot for a while and is doing okay)

Now, my question is, how do I save them? Did I completely fck them up, or are they savable?

New pot compared to orchid. Yes, I put more substrate in, ofc. This was right after I got them.

Right after repotting them. The ones with the flowers are the new ones I got. The one without leaves is older.

The leaves of two of the ones I repotted into bigger pots. THey are looking worse than before, but I havent repotted them into smaller ones again.

Condition of the two I repotted back into smaller pots. I chose two because their leaves were looking the bests. I just repotted them like twenty minutes ago and have since watered them (dunked for five minutes)

Here are the roots of the ones in the big pots:

https://preview.redd.it/cnqnt720iedh1.png?width=1153&format=png&auto=webp&s=a9d5022fa6c26c4e2d397a7cef2b578524c81b46

https://preview.redd.it/99bdfno0iedh1.png?width=1153&format=png&auto=webp&s=2196721766db8954a819dbe354c02e3c27b22e67

https://preview.redd.it/0cvl50b5iedh1.png?width=3456&format=png&auto=webp&s=be886fbc4d496115c5659776b277d9e0adc6291d

Hey, I love orchids and have a few, but I am terrible at keeping them alive. I've so far managed to keep one alive and actually managed to get it to grow a leaf, but it died after I moved.

Recently, two of my current orchids started loosing their flowers, and the stems turned brown.

One of my other orchids lost some of its flowers on one stem, but it is still looking good otherwise.

What am I doing wrong here?
I did forget to water them for about two weeks, but I've since watered them again, and their roots are all good-looking.
I have never used fertilizer, but I have one at home.
They don't get direct sunlight, but do have it fairly bright. Yes, I have my curtains shut atm because its so unbearably hot where I live, but this problem started before that.
Any tips?

https://preview.redd.it/ion58wr6n19h1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=4cb654a450fcc5d77eaa48b21010f97741ea9685

https://preview.redd.it/x6qzg8j7n19h1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=10b8811376a8f7bff5a34215e89033aadf19082f

https://preview.redd.it/3ia2b57dn19h1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=f5142da9d525dce92746366843d7b674ad96b1c9

Introduction to killer whales - ectoypes Part 1.

Ecotypes are groups of organisms within a species that are adapted to specific environmental conditions. They exhibit genetic, behavioral, structural, or physiological differences from other members of the species.
Today, ten ecotypes are widely recognized. However, defining the various ecotypes of orca is difficult. And many researchers believe there should only be nine.

Residents, Transients, Offshore, Type 1 North Atlantic, and Type 2 North Atlantic are recognized in the Northern Hemisphere.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Types A, B1, B2, C, and D are recognized.

However, within the scientific community, the Type 2 North Atlantic is not recognized.

In 2009, Dr. Foote proposed two ecotypes (North Atlantic Type 1 and 2), based on museum specimens and stranded killer whales. He noticed morphological differences between the killer whales.

In his paper, he described Type 1 North Atlantic killer whales as generalist feeders, consuming fish and occasionally marine mammals such as seals. These whales showed heavy tooth wear associated with fish consumption. Thus, Type 1 included most North-Eastern Atlantic killer whales.

Dr. Foote describes Type 2 North Atlantic killer whales as marine mammal hunters. The 5 individuals displayed very little tooth wear, suggesting a diet based on marine mammals.
The recognition of Type 2 was based on stranded whales in the Faroe Islands and Scotland.

However, samples of the five individuals were too decomposed or damaged for accurate DNA analysis.
5 Individuals are not an accurate representation of a potential ecotype. The data supporting two distinct ecotypes are insufficient.

Since then, research has documented the prey-switching abilities of some Icelandic and Norwegian orcas. Research showed that some individuals feed on seals and fish.

Even D. Foote himself has since proposed removing one of the ecotypes. In a paper published in 2022, he suggested that North Atlantic Type 1 and 2 be grouped.

In Part 2, I will cover the separate ecotypes more closely. This is just an introduction to the number of ecotypes and to why many other researchers and I believe North Atlantic Type 1 and 2 should be grouped.

Introduction to killer whales - Orcinus ater and Orcinus rectipinnus

Orcinus ater and Orcinus rectipinnus are two suggested new species, separate from the universally recognized Orcinus Orca.
Orcas are considered a single worldwide species, Orcinus Orca, with different ecotypes across regions.
In the North Pacific, three killer whale ecotypes have been described. Offshores, Residents, and Transients.

Very little is known about offshore killer whales due to their tendency to be far offshore and be wary of boats. In 2003, the Species at Risk Act listed them as vulnerable to becoming threatened or endangered. They primarily prey on sharks.

Southern Resident killer whales (also known as Residents, or SRKWs) are primarily coastal and historically found mostly in waters of the Salish Sea. Since their primary prey, Chinook salmon, is declining in numbers, they have become less common in the Salish Sea, traveling down to central California and up into the coastal waters of the western Pacific at times. SRKWs exclusively feed on fish, primarily Chinook salmon.

Bigg's killer whales (also known as transients) were infrequently seen in the Salish Sea, but have become more common. They're often observed on the continental shelf in temperate to Arctic waters, though their distribution beyond the shelf is not well documented. They prey on mammals.

|Expected range maps for (a) resident and (b) Bigg’s killer whales|

SRKWs and Bigg's killer whales diverged from common ancestors over 300,000 years ago. Since then, they have undergone severe behavioral and morphological changes.

Prey:

Bigg's are mammals-eating specialists, preying on seals, sea lions, porpoises, dolphins, and whales.
Residents prey exclusively on fish, primarily chinook salmon.
Their diet has drastically shaped their culture and morphology.

Vocalization and hunting:

Residents are a lot more vocal than Bigg's, communicating almost constantly. Residents feed on fish and do not rely on stealth. Compared to Bigg's killer whales, residents tend to be more surface active.

Bigg's killer whales rely on stealth, and because whales, dolphins, and porpoises can hear their vocalization, they largely remain silent.

Echolocation:

In addition, the echolocation of Residents is much more complex and developed. Residents use echolocation to hunt and can differentiate between size, weight, and type of fish based on the fish's swim bladder.
Bigg's do not rely on echolocation to hunt, but are capable of it.

|Echolocation of killer whales|

Teeth:

Transients have larger, thicker jaws. Their skulls have evolved for grabbing, tearing, and ramming.

Residents are smaller and have smaller, slimmer jaws.

|Bigg's on the left, Resident on the right. Notice the more robust skull and wider rostrum of the Bigg's|

Teeth:

Bigg's teeth are thicker and more robust, with a slight hook shape that can become worn over time. Their teeth appear more blunt, likely caused by direct contact with bones and hides of their prey.

Resident teeth are narrower and have a hooked shape that allows interlocking of their prey. They have worn tips as well as worn sides caused by the friction of teeth interlocking together.

|Comparison of the teeth of trasients and residents.|

Size:

Transient males are around 27 ft (8.2 m) long, and females are 23 ft (7 m) long. They are larger and more muscular.

Residents are smaller. Males are about 24 ft (7.2 m) long, and females 21 ft (6.4 m) long.

|Notice the larger, more muscular Bigg's killer whale.|

Saddle patches and dorsal fins:

Transients have saddle patches that are closed and often heavily scarred. Their dorsal fins are tall with a wider base. The dorsal fins of females are slightly triangular with a pointed tip and a wider base.

|T037A2 Inky and T037A4 Crinkle, two Bigg's killer whales. Note the wider base and closed saddle patches|

Resident saddle patches tend to be more open. They have taller dorsal fins that may lean forward. The females have curved dorsal fins with a rounded tip.

|J27 Blackberry and J16 Slick. Two Southern Resident Killer whales. Note the smaller base and open saddle patches|

Social structure:

Bigg's killer whales travel in smaller groups, and typically hunt in small, matrilineal groups. After a successful hunt, the prey is shared among the group, which is an important bonding tool for the whales.

Residents maintain tight-knit family groups but are often seen traveling in large groups consisting of multiple matrilines.

Relationship between the subspecies:

Biggs and residents do not interbreed. On the contrary, Biggs and transients typically avoid each other. Residents have been known to disturb Biggs' hunts on occasion.

There are even theories suggesting Biggs killer whales have preyed on and maybe cannibalised residents. (I will cover the alleged cannibalism in another post.)

Necessity for conservation:

Separating different ecotypes into distinct subspecies is essential for their conservation. Currently, Orcinus Orca is listed as data deficient by the IUCN. While some ecotypes are thriving, some are at the brink of extinction. Separating the ecotypes into subspecies would highlight vulnerable subspecies and help conservation efforts.

New scientific names:

Residents would be named Orcinus ater (Cope in Scammon, 1869), and Bigg's Orcinus rectipinnus (Cope in Scammon, 1869).

Orcinus rectipinnus: Rect means upright, and pinna means fin.

Orcinus ater: Ater means black or dark.

Introduction to killer whales - size

Orcas vary greatly in size, and the difference between ecotypes is noticeable.
Killer whales are the biggest dolphins. Size and weight depend on the ecotype. Mammal-eating orcas tend to be bigger.

Most females are 5 to 7 meters long, and males can reach up to 8 meters.
The smallest ecotype is the Ross Sea Orca, also known as Type C. Males reach up to 6 meters. The largest ecotype is Type A. Males can grow up to 9 meters, and females 8 meters.

Multiple factors influence the size of an individual within an ecotype.

Genetics plays an essential role in their size. Genetic makeup dictates their potential size. Orcas from different populations have evolved unique traits, including variations in size.
This variation in size is largely influenced by their diet and environment. Mammal-eating orcas tend to be bigger than those specializing on fish and smaller prey. Size may also be linked to prey availability.

Orcas in colder regions tend to be larger than those in temperate waters. This difference likely stems from their need for additional body mass and blubber to sustain their body heat.

Determining the length of killer whales is difficult. Especially in the wild, orcas are typically measured using drones. Measuring lengths and weights is considerably easier in captivity. Both captive and wild measurements can be inaccurate. There are multiple debates about the precise size of individuals in both the wild and captivity.

Even the largest killer whale in captivity is debated.

Measures of Tilikum are the best-documented and most verifiable. In 2016, his size was measured at 6.71 meters (22ft). His weight was recorded at 5,352 kg (11,800 lb) in the same year. These measurements are consistently cited in zoological records.

Tyson or 泰森 is often dubbed the largest orca in captivity. He measured 7.3 meters in January 2024. However, there are no peer-reviewed sources, official measurements, or a consistent dataset. Those numbers are often taken from social media, aquarium promotional material, or estimates.

Determining the biggest killer whale in the wild is significantly more difficult.

Multiple sources state that the largest orca ever recorded was 9.8 meters long and weighed more than 10 tonnes. The biggest female was supposedly 8.5 meters long.

There are very few details on the origin of this claim. Further, the orcas were never identified.

These figures usually trace back to mid-20th-century measurements of stranded or harvested animals. The location is only occasionally cited (e.g, Alaska, 1959), and the original measurement reports are rarely cited directly in modern articles. Thus, these measurements are not verified.

The largest reliably documented orcas come from Norwegian whaling records.
Between 1938 and 1967, Norwegian whalers operated in multiple locations such as Iceland, the UK, and Norway. Thus, it is difficult to determine the exact origin of this whale.
According to these records, a 32 ft (9.8 m) orca was caught.
However, as with all whaling records, these data were reported by whalers, not by biologists or inspectors. Not all records of the whaling operations were published in accessible datasets. Many remain in the archives. No specimen ID, weight, or photos are available.

Introduction to killer whales - Dorsal fins

The dorsal fin of orcas is the largest dorsal fin of all cetaceans.
The dorsal fin exhibits sexual dimorphism. Dorsal fins of males can reach up to 1.8 m (5ft 11 inches) and are erect and almost triangle-shaped. Female dorsal fins are approximately half the size of adult males and curved. While the cause of this sexual dimorphism is unknown, the difference could be attributed to sexual preferences or other social or ecological pressures.

Orca dorsal fins are made of tense tissue called collagen instead of bone or cartilage. Collagen hardens late in adolescence. Because of this, they may collapse in captivity.

Dorsal fin collapse occurs in almost all captive males and some females. The exact reason for dorsal fin collapse in captivity remains unknown, but many theories have been proposed.
Dorsal fin collapse likely originates from an irreversible structural damage to the collagen over time.
Alternations in water pressure and the lack of support from the surrounding water may be a cause. In the wild, dorsal fins are supported by the surrounding water pressure during high-speed movement and deep diving.
Lowered blood pressure from reduced activity may also be a reason for dorsal fin collapse.
Overheating of the collagen from greater exposure of the fin to sunlight may also be a reason.

Bending or fully collapsed dorsal fins are rarely observed in the wild.

In a 1998 study by Ingrid Visser, 125 orcas in New Zealand were observed. 23% of adult males in one population of 30 had dorsal fin abnormalities. This unusually high rate is likely due to New Zealand having the highest rate of boat collisions involving orcas. Overall, only one of the 125 observed orcas (0,8%) had a collapsed dorsal fin.

In British Columbia, the number of collapsing or bent dorsal fins sits at 4,7%.

Dr. Astrid van Ginneken's concluded that less than 1% of all orcas have a collapsed dorsal fin.

The exact reason for dorsal fin collapse in the wild is unknown. However, it is likely to assume that dorsal fin collapse may be linked to an acute physical stressor rather than environmental conditions.

A theory claims that diet may contribute to the collapse. The most used example to support this theory are Port and Starboard. Port and Starboard are two African killer whales that prey primarily on sharks. Their dorsal fins are collapsed. While this may indicate a direct link between prey and dorsal fin collapse, there is no further evidence to support this theory. New Zealand orcas feed primarily on rays and sharks, yet, as with other populations feeding on sharks, there is no unusually high rate of dorsal fin collapse.

Trauma to the dorsal fin (e.g., boat strikes, raking) may also be a cause of dorsal fin collapse.

Other than that, dorsal fin collapse has been linked to old age, emaciation, and other various factors.

https://preview.redd.it/bzgflnbuf28h1.png?width=736&format=png&auto=webp&s=892a67573c84afe988822e54b2f4b20f61108ea5

|T63 Chainsaw, one of the most famous dorsal fins|

https://preview.redd.it/z8d1x4gmg28h1.png?width=726&format=png&auto=webp&s=8052f13ea3de7381f351ebfb7c9404d03a3257cf

|Port and Starboard|

Hey, does anyone have any research papers, pictures, or images from books explaining the anatomy of orca skulls?
I keep finding amazing pictures of orca skulls, but always without highlighting the separate bones or marking them.
I've already worked with bottlenose anatomy a bit, but they do differ in some things. I'm not educated at all in anatomy, so I'm just getting into it.
What I need is ideally a picture with all skull bones marked and named.
Would appreciate it if anyone could help me out!

Introduction to killer whales

I am making this post for people still learning about orcas to give you easier access to information. I primarily summarize studies or join together multiple sources to give you a clear understanding of the subject. I am still learning myself, and I am currently working on a comprehensive review of Orca biology and behavior. I plan on making a website for this, too. If you're interested in another topic, let me know! As I said, I am still learning myself. I've only really been into orcas for less than a year.

Saddle patches vary greatly in individuals, and even vary between the left and right sides of each individual. The saddle-patch usually develops early in life and does not change, unless there is trauma (e.g., from boat strikes or rake marks). Therefore, saddle patches are used to identify individuals.

Saddle patch classifications in orca are not standardized, and terminology can vary between sources. A saddle patch described as ‘hooked’ in one source may be referred to as ‘open’ in another.
In this review, we will utilize the five variations proposed by Sugarman and used by Baird and Stacey, i.e., "Smooth," "Bump," "Horizontal notch," "Vertical notch," and "Hook," collectively referred to as "SBS-5". In a study published by Pirjo H. Mäkeläinen, Ingrid N. Visser, Tracy E. Cooper, and Mathieu Cusson, a sixth variation was introduced termed "Other", collectively referred to as "SBS-5+1." The "Other" category includes saddle patches that were not present, could not be clearly discerned, opaque, or not one of the SBS-5 categories, such as "Arabque" shape describes by Saski et al.

https://preview.redd.it/tlgq2edn453h1.png?width=1189&format=png&auto=webp&s=58a70b7e7eb6e5296f79077b232e3cea630f9afd

In the above-mentioned study, 3,909 saddle patch shapes were classified. 3,428 of which were left saddle patches and 481 right saddle patches. The orca were distributed in 48 GP/E (geographic populations/ecotypes).

Globally, the SBS-5 saddle patches accounted for 97.6%. Only 2.4% were classified as "Other". Only the Pacific Ocean Basin presented examples of GP/E that had SBS-5+1 saddle patch shapes (2), i.e., Southern Residents and Japan Residents.
For size comparison of the saddle patches, Pirjo H. Mäkeläinen, Ingrid N. Visser, Tracy E. Cooper, and Mathieu Cusson developed a ratio calculation of saddle path width (at widest) compared to the dorsal fin width (at base).
The ratios are categorized as "narrow" (<0.50), "medium" (0.50-0.70), and "wide" (>0.70).

 

https://preview.redd.it/ohfx6jne553h1.png?width=2128&format=png&auto=webp&s=a16552571e8cabb1661c0db381e4971fec760526

Overall, narrow is the most common saddle patch size ratio with 65.8%, while 20% and 14.2% were medium and wide.

https://preview.redd.it/f15njum2653h1.png?width=858&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f2d9da0e9f677836ccbebbb4dcfb862fa7c96a8

 

https://preview.redd.it/uksqkdhg553h1.png?width=2128&format=png&auto=webp&s=6bb9b7b5e48e6d57bf16332692ee2ec2f8b2cf5e

 
Study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.13171