Junior (pronounced june-yore) was an approximately 12-year-old male Icelandic killer whale who lived at Marineland of Canada. He was captured in November 1984 from Berufjörður, Iceland at approximately 2 years old. Junior passed away due to brain damage on June 1st, 1994 at Marineland of Canada.
Capture & Early Life[]
In November 1984, likely on the 25th, Junior was seine-netted outside of Reydarfjördur, Iceland, while hunting herring. He and four members of his pod, Kandu VII, Patty, Bingo, and an unnamed male, were captured and taken to the Hafnarfjörður Aquarium to be trained and sold to marine parks. At the time of his capture, Junior was estimated to be two years old. In January 1985, the unnamed male died from neck injuries. Later that year, in November, Bingo and Patty were purchased and moved to Kamogawa Sea World. Junior and Kandu remained at the Hafnarfjörður Aquarium for another year before they were sold in 1986.
On November 15th, 1986, Junior and Kandu were transferred to Marineland Canada. The two were initially kept in the King Waldorf Stadium, where they joined two other females, Kiska and Nootka V. Junior likely participated in shows during this time. However, Junior was subjected to aggression from the other whales. At one point, Junior himself had also become aggressive, which was a problem with Nootka, who had fallen pregnant in 1988.[1] Junior was also much “slower” than the other whales and was harder to train. As a result, he was moved to an isolated, windowless indoor pool known as a "warehouse".
Life at Marineland Canada[]
In 1989, Junior was moved to a small tank in an indoor building often known as "the warehouse." The warehouse was a small, dimly lit pool behind the King Waldorf Stadium. It was used for many years to store excess animals for a need of training, a lack of space, or if an animal was deemed “not useful” to the park. The warehouse was extremely cramped and dark, with no access to fresh air or sunlight. The building’s design amplified the stadium’s music and noise, which could be nearly deafening for the animals. Junior was put up for sale, but no marine parks were interested in him, likely due to his poor training ability.
Between 1990 and 1994, Junior was filmed several times by an outsider.[2] Initially, he was described as a curious and spirited animal who followed the person around the pool.[3] However, his mental and physical health deteriorated significantly over the years. Junior was kept without his own species and was only housed with bottlenose dolphins for a brief period. According to a former trainer, the dolphins got along well with Junior, but sometimes displayed aggressive behaviors, like biting his tail.[3] Aside from that brief period, Junior was kept in total isolation. Due to Marineland’s policy against enrichment, Junior received no stimulation other than interactions with his trainers.
As the years went on, the tank in the warehouse became heavily worn and covered in rust. Many photos showed that the water was cloudy and green. According to former staff, chemicals used to treat the water were sometimes so strong that the animals would throw themselves out of the water to escape them. Junior was filmed one last time in April 1994, showing him floating lethargically and facing the wall. He was described as “unresponsive” and uninterested in everything around him. [2]
Death[]
In June 1994, after spending nearly 5 years in the warehouse, Junior died from brain damage. The exact circumstances of his death are unknown. Despite being listed in the 1992 inventory of orcas at Marineland, and being filmed on several occasions, Marineland was very reluctant to admit his existence.
Galleries[]
- Photos of Junior
- Videos of Junior
Transfer History[]
| FROM: | TO: | ON: |
|---|---|---|
| Berufjördur, Iceland | Sædýrasafnið, Iceland | Nov. ??, 1984 |
| Sædýrasafnið, Iceland | Marineland of Canada, Ontario | Nov. 15, 1986 |