Kenau (pronounced KAY-now), also known as Magnus (MAAG-noose), was an approximately 16-year-old female Icelandic killer whale who lived at SeaWorld Orlando. She was captured on November 11th, 1976, near Ingólfshöfði, Iceland, when she was about a year old. Kenau was one of the first killer whales to be taken from Iceland for captivity. She passed away due to hemorrhagic bacterial pneumonia on August 6th, 1991 at SeaWorld Orlando. Kenau was the mother of Baby Shamu II and Kayla.
Early Life and Capture[]
Kenau and Gudrun shortly after their capture. Photo provided by Morgunblaðið.
On November 11th, 1976, Kenau and her pod were netted in Ingólfshöfði, Iceland.[1][2] Although around 30 whales were netted, several managed to swim over the net and escape. Two young females, Kenau and Gudrun, were captured and lifted onto the Icelandic fishing vessel called the “Guðrún” by nets and divers. The rest of the pod was released shortly afterward. Gudrun was named after the capture boat, and Kenau was nicknamed "Magnus," a traditionally masculine name, so it’s possible that Kenau was initially mistaken for a male. After their capture, Gudrun and Kenau were loaded onto a plane and taken to the Netherlands. They were then moved to Dolfinarium Harderwijk on November 13th.[3] The transport went well, and they started eating soon after arriving. For the next few months, the whales lived together at Harderwijk.
Although Gudrun was supposed to stay, Kenau was never meant to be a permanent resident of Harderwijk. About seven months after her capture, Kenau was loaded onto a plane and flown to SeaWorld San Diego. Upon arriving, she met the park's three Southern Resident killer whales, Kona, Sandy, and Winston. A few months later, in September, Kona passed away, and Sandy was moved to SeaWorld Orlando. In October, Kilroy joined them, and in December, Kandu V and Canuck II joined as well.
Life at SeaWorld[]
In May 1978, Kenau was moved to SeaWorld Ohio. She lived and performed with several dolphins during the park’s summer season. In October, she was moved back to SeaWorld San Diego. Shortly after her arrival, three more Icelandic whales were moved to the park: Kotar, Kasatka, and Kakela. The newcomers were likely moved to the dolphin petting pools soon after, so it’s unknown when Kenau was introduced to them. In April 1979, Kenau and Kandu were moved to SeaWorld Ohio. Two months later, in June, another Icelandic female named Katina joined them. The three were moved back to San Diego in October.
Kenau and "Baby Shamu II." Photo provided by Jason Lee Scott.
During the summer seasons of 1980 and 1981, Kenau and Kandu performed at SeaWorld Ohio before returning to San Diego in the fall. The pair left Ohio for the last time in September 1981. They rejoined Winston, Kotar, Kasatka, and Katina. In 1982, Katina and Kasatka left for Ohio, but returned later that year. In 1984, Kenau mated with Winston and became pregnant with her first calf.
On January 6th, 1986, Kenau gave birth to a female calf. She showed good maternal instincts and properly nursed her. However, when the calf was 10 days old, she began to exhibit breathing difficulties. The calf was immediately given medical care but died the following day from a congenital heart defect. The calf did not live long enough to receive an official name, but was nicknamed Baby Shamu II, as she was the second calf born in any SeaWorld park after Kalina, the original Baby Shamu. Three months later, the calf’s father, Winston, passed away from heart failure.
In January 1987, Orky II and Corky II were moved to San Diego. Shortly after their arrival, Orky conceived two calves with Kenau and Kandu. A year later, Kenau moved to SeaWorld San Antonio for the park’s opening year, where she joined Kasatka and Kotar. On November 26th, 1988, Kenau gave birth to her second calf, Kayla. She took good care of Kayla and successfully nursed her within 12 hours. In 1990, Kenau mated with Kotar and became pregnant with her third calf. To support her next pregnancy, Kenau was permanently separated from Kayla in January 1991 and moved to SeaWorld Orlando.
At SeaWorld Orlando, Kenau was reunited with Gudrun and Katina, and also met their calves, Taima and Katerina. Kenau had no health problems during her time in Orlando, aside from a tooth infection, which was being treated two weeks before her death.[4]
Death[]
On August 5th, 1991, Kenau’s appetite decreased, and she became disinterested in her trainers. She remained alert and active during this time, but was placed under 24-hour watch. The next morning at around 3:00 am, Kenau’s respiratory rate increased, and she began to display erratic behavior. Her condition quickly deteriorated. She was moved to the medical pool where emergency medical treatment was given, but Kenau died hours later at 7:15 am.[4] At the time of her passing, she was 12 months pregnant with a male fetus.
Upon necropsy, it was discovered that Kenau had passed away due to a severe hemorrhagic bacterial pneumonia that resulted in a fatal overwhelming septicemia and pulmonary anoxia. It was believed that her unborn calf was alive until her death.[4] Kenau's tooth infection appeared to have gone away at the time of her necropsy.
Galleries[]
- Photos of Kenau
- Videos of Kenau
Transfer History[]
| FROM: | TO: | ON: |
|---|---|---|
| Ingólfshöfði, Iceland | Capture Boat (Guðrún), Iceland | Nov. 11, 1976 |
| Capture Boat (Guðrún), Iceland | Vestmannaeyjar Holding, Iceland | Nov. 11, 1976 |
| Vestmannaeyjar Holding, Iceland | Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Netherlands | Nov. 13, 1976 |
| Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Netherlands | SeaWorld San Diego, California | May ??, 1977 |
| SeaWorld San Diego, California | SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | May ??, 1978 |
| SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | SeaWorld San Diego, California | Oct. ??, 1978 |
| SeaWorld San Diego, California | SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | Apr. ??, 1979 |
| SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | SeaWorld San Diego, California | Oct. ??, 1979 |
| SeaWorld San Diego, California | SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | Apr. ??, 1980 |
| SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | SeaWorld San Diego, California | Oct. ??, 1980 |
| SeaWorld San Diego, California | SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | Apr. ??, 1981 |
| SeaWorld Aurora, Ohio | SeaWorld San Diego, California | Sep. ??, 1981 |
| SeaWorld San Diego, California | SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas | Feb. ??, 1988 |
| SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas | SeaWorld Orlando, Florida | Jan. ??, 1991 |
References[]
- ↑ ''Guðrún is happy here.''
- ↑ https://timarit.is/page/3356040#page/n23/mode/2up Fleiri háhyrningar veiddir (More killer whales caught}
- ↑ https://timarit.is/page/3065490#page/n7/mode/2up ÉTA 20 KÍLÓ Á DAG (EAT 20 KILO A DAY)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://www.scribd.com/doc/85186903/Necropsy-Killer-Whale-Kenau-and-Fetus