Shamu
Species | Orca (Orcinus orca) |
---|---|
Sex | Female |
Born | Unknown |
Died | August 16, 1971 SeaWorld San Diego |
Years active | 1965–1971 |
Known for | Namesake of the Shamu show |
Shamu
Early life
Shamu was the first-known intentional live capture of a healthy orca as the three previous captures (
Captivity
Shamu was retired from performing after an incident on April 19, 1971, in which she bit the legs and hips of Annette Eckis, a SeaWorld employee who was told to ride her as part of a filmed publicity event. Shamu refused to release the woman until other workers came to the rescue and pried the orca's jaws apart with a pole.[9][10] The employee had been asked to ride Shamu while wearing a bikini, and had not known that the orca had previously attacked people who wore ordinary bathing suits and was only conditioned to perform with trainers wearing wetsuits.[9] Shamu had also been showing signs of erratic behavior and of being upset just before the incident.[9]
Shamu died about four months later, on August 16, 1971.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Other Captive Orcas - Historical Chronology | A Whale Of A Business | FRONTLINE | PBS". pbs.org.
- ^ a b c "Stories Of Captive Killer Whales | A Whale Of A Business | FRONTLINE | PBS". pbs.org.
- ^ a b "SeaWorld Investigation: Secrets Below the Surface". KGTV San Diego. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
- ^ "The Killer in the Pool", Zimmermann, Tim, Outside Magazine, 2010 July Retrieved 2010 July 12
- ^ "Granny's Struggle: A black and white gold rush is on", Lyke, M. L., Seattle Post-Intelligencer 2006 October 11 Retrieved 2010 July 12
- ^ "How did Shamu get her name?". orlandovillas.com.
- ^ Zimmermann, Tim (July 30, 2010). "The Killer in the Pool: A Story that Started a Movement". Outside Online.
- ^ "Shamu - Orca Aware". Orca Aware.
- ^ a b c Eckis v. Sea World Corp. [Civ. No. 14458. Court of Appeals of California, Fourth Appellate District, Division One. November 19, 1976.] [64 Cal. App. 3d 1] (justia.com link)
- ^ "Killer Whale Bites Girl In Marine Act Rehearsal". Toledo Blade. Associated Press. April 20, 1971. Retrieved September 22, 2014.