Unna (pronounced OO-nah) was an 18-year-old female Icelandic killer whale who lived at SeaWorld San Antonio. She was born tail-first on December 27th, 1996 at SeaWorld Orlando. Her mother was Katina and her father was Tilikum. Unna passed away due to chronic systemic candidiasis on December 21st, 2015 at SeaWorld San Antonio.
Birth & Early Life[]
Unna was born tail-first on December 27th, 1996, after a three-hour labor. Another female, Taima, was present for her birth and assisted Katina during labor.[1] Unna was Katina’s fourth calf. The next day, Unna made her debut during a show, appearing alongside her mother for public viewing.[2] She was eventually introduced to her brother, Taku, and developed a close bond with him. When she was young, Unna was known to “pick” a person near her and follow them around the pool with her tongue out. [3]
In 1999, Unna’s older sister, Kalina, gave birth to a male calf, Tuar. Three years later, on August 23rd, 2002, Katina gave birth to Unna’s younger brother, Ikaika. Unna was present for the birth and learned how to care for a calf. However, less than four months later, Unna was moved to SeaWorld San Antonio.
Life at SeaWorld San Antonio[]
On December 7th, 2002, Unna was transferred to SeaWorld San Antonio, joining Kyuquot, Keto, and Kayla. She adjusted quickly to her move and was eating a full base within 24 hours.[4] At the time of her arrival, the social structure at San Antonio was unstable, but improved after her introduction.[5] She grew close to Kyuquot, who at the time was facing aggression from the other whales. [5]
In 2004, three young males, Tuar, Tekoa, and Keet, were moved to the park. That next year, Unna fell pregnant with her first calf. Throughout her pregnancy, Unna had increased discrimination towards trainers and acted aggressively towards other whales. Only experienced trainers were allowed to work with her during this time.[4] In February 2006, Tekoa and Keto were moved to Loro Parque. Two months later in April, Unna delivered a stillborn calf during a show. The calf, later found to be female, was likely sired by Keet, which would’ve made her inbred.
After Unna’s miscarriage, her health became heavily compromised and she had to be medicated for most of her life afterward.[4] In November 2006, Kayla was moved to SeaWorld Orlando, switching places with Unna's brother Taku, though he would pass away months later. In 2009, after an adult female named Takara moved to the park, Unna had limited access to the males while she was cycling to prevent pregnancy.[4] However, Unna fell pregnant for a second time around 2008 and miscarried a calf in 2009. The father was likely Keet.
Unna was described as a slow learner and had trouble generalizing concepts. She relied heavily on observational training, but continued to progress despite her delayed focus. She was able to carry out shows when other whales didn’t want to participate and was reliable in waterworks. Although she never gave birth to a living calf, she helped Takara raise two of her calves, Sakari, born in 2010, and Kamea, born in 2013. In 2012, Keet was moved to SeaWorld San Diego. Unna mainly spent time with Takara and her two calves, but could occasionally be seen with Kyuquot and Tuar.
In September 2015, SeaWorld announced that Unna was battling a resistant strain of candidiasis, an inflammation of her bladder. She underwent intense medical treatment for the next three and a half months, but this particular strain of the infection was resistant to commonly used medications. Despite the intense care, she was not making any progress.
Death[]
On December 21st, 2015, only 6 days before her 19th birthday, Unna succumbed to systemic candidiasis. Systemic candidiasis often occurs in individuals with weakened immune systems. If an individual's immune system is compromised due to stress, illness, or other factors such as antibiotic usage, they may become more susceptible to fungal infections like candidiasis. Candida is commonly present in the environment and on the skin and mucous membranes of animals.
Personality[]
Unna was a good-natured animal, but also very energetic. Despite not giving birth to a calf, she had good maternal instincts and helped assist other moms in raising calves. She was a reliable performer and enjoyed waterwork sessions with trainers before they were stopped in 2010.
Trivia[]
- The name Unna is derived from Old Norse, meaning "to love and adore."
Transfer History[]
| FROM: | TO: | ON: |
|---|---|---|
| SeaWorld Orlando, Florida | SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas | Dec. 07, 2002 |
Galleries[]
- Photos of Unna
- Videos of Unna
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtgH7TQJSHs
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6d4tszeoZ0
- ↑ http://www.orca-spirit.co.uk/1210.html
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 https://www.scribd.com/doc/85241042/SeaWorld-Orca-Profile-Killer-Whale-Unna-2010
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.scribd.com/doc/85238547/SeaWorld-Orca-Profile-Killer-Whale-Kyuquot-2010