Katerina (pronounced KAT-er-ee-nah) was a 10-year-old female hybrid killer whale who lived at SeaWorld San Antonio. She was born tail first at 4:19 PM EST on November 4th, 1988 at SeaWorld Orlando. Her mother was Katina, an Icelandic killer whale, and her father was Kanduke, a West Coast transient killer whale, making Katerina 50% Icelandic, 50% West Coast transient. Katerina passed away due to severe hemorrhagic bacterial pneumonia on May 5th, 1999 at SeaWorld San Antonio.
Birth & Early Life[]
Katerina with Katina and Kalina. Photo provided by Jason Lee Scott.
On November 4th, 1988, Katina gave birth to her second calf at SeaWorld Orlando. Katina’s first calf, Kalina, was present for the birth and served as a second maternal role for the new baby. Another orca, Gudrun, was also there to assist Katina during birth. She was found to be a female a few days later, and was named Katerina.
By the time Katerina was a few months old, she was already participating in performances alongside Katina and Kalina. The three whales also spent a significant amount of time with Gudrun and Taima. Occasionally, Katerina would also appear in shows with her father, Kanduke. Kalina maintained a close bond with Katerina, and learned how to care for a calf through observing her mom Katina. However, in February 1990, Kalina was transferred to SeaWorld Ohio. Katerina remained in Orlando with her mother until one year later, when SeaWorld decided to transfer her to Ohio as well.
SeaWorld Ohio[]
On April 20th, 1991, Katerina was transferred to SeaWorld Ohio at the young age of two. Upon her arrival, she was introduced to another young female, Kayla, who was the same age as her. The two began training for waterwork behaviors and participated in the park’s seasonal operations for three years. Katerina proved to be an excellent candidate for waterwork and exhibited no aggression towards her trainers. She was the primary whale to be used in shows at the time.
In October 1994, a third female named Winnie joined Katerina and Kayla at SeaWorld Ohio. The three whales performed together for around a month until Katerina was moved again, this time to SeaWorld San Antonio.
SeaWorld San Antonio[]
On November 29th, 1994, Katerina was transferred to SeaWorld San Antonio, where she joined Keet, Kotar, Kyuquot, and Haida. A few weeks earlier, Kalina had been moved out of the park, leaving her young calf, Keet, behind. This made Katerina Keet’s aunt, and the two bonded instantly. Katerina took on a maternal role for Keet and acted as his surrogate mother for years. She also got along well with Kyuquot and Haida.
At San Antonio, Katerina was the primary whale used for waterwork performances, just as she had been in Ohio. She had a calm but energetic nature, which made her a reliable whale in shows. Despite not having calves of her own, she showed good maternal instincts toward her nephew Keet. She got along well with all of her trainers and the other whales in her pod.
Death[]
On May 5th, 1999, Katerina passed away suddenly during the night. Her behavior had begun to change about two days prior, and she was put on antibiotics to try and treat an infection. Despite her treatment, she died from bacterial pneumonia and severe hemorrhaging at the age of 10.
Galleries[]
- Photos of Katerina
- Videos of Katerina
| FROM: | TO: | ON: |
|---|---|---|
| SeaWorld Orlando, Florida | SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | Apr. 20, 1991 |
| SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas | Nov. 29, 1994 |