Shamu
Shamu_with_trainer.jpg
Shamu is the name of the world-famous orca whale which is the icon of SeaWorld San Diego, San Antonio and Orlando. Shamu performs along with Baby Shamu and Grandbaby Shamu in a 7-million-gallon pool in a stadium that seats 5,500 people. The Shamu Adventure, as it is called, is the most popular show at SeaWorld, running 20 minutes and showing at least twice a day. The highlight of the performance is the spectacular natural behaviors of killer whales and the unique relationships that SeaWorld trainers have with Shamu. According to the official SeaWorld website, people seating the in first 14 rows "must be prepared to get soaked", by water which is an icy cold 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
The name "Shamu" is actually passed down from one generation to the next and even between different familial lines of orcas; the first Shamu, a female, was captured in Puget Sound in 1965 and died on August 23, 1971. The first Baby Shamu, born on September 26, 1985, was the first-ever baby orca to survive in captivity. (Ten baby orcas had been born in captivity before 1985, but of those ten, five were stillborn and the others all died within two months of their births.) The first Grandbaby Shamu, also known as Keet, was born in February 1993.
SeaWorld has trademarked the names Shamu, Namu, and Kandu.
See also
- Keiko (Orca), the star of the 1993 movie Free Willy
- SeaWorld
External links
- http://shamu.com – Shamu's official site