Key events in the captive orca industry

+ 18th November 1961 - The first ever killer whale was captured and taken to Marineland California. For a long time, the orca was known as 'Newport whale', but over time it has come to be known that the orca was named Wanda*. Wanda survived for only two days in captivity before dying.
+ 21st March 1964 - SeaWorld California opened - the first of the once four SeaWorld parks.
+ 23rd June 1965 - Namu* a male orca was captured and taken to Seattle Marine Aquarium. He starred in a movie, also titled Namu, which helped to alter public perception on killer whales, as previously orcas were misunderstood and widely feared.
+ December 1965 - Shamu* was transferred from Seattle Marine Aquarium to SeaWorld California, where she became an infamous icon.
+ Between 1960s-1970s - Approximately 70 orcas were captured off North American waters.
+ August 1970 - The Penn Cove capture at Puget Sound received public outcry and criticism. L-25 pod was targeted - 5 orcas died in the process and 7 orcas were taken. Of the seven, included Lolita, who still lives at Miami Seaquarium today.
+ 21st October 1972 - US Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed to prevent any further orca captures from North American waters. The bill was sparked by the Penn Cove round up.
+ Between 1976-1988 - After the bill passed in North America, Iceland became the new place to take killer whales from the wild. 48 orcas were captured in Icelandic waters, including Keiko* and Tilikum*.
+ 19th February 1977 - First killer whale was born in captivity to Corky 2, however it only survived 18 days.
+ 26th September 1985 - Kalina* was born to Katina at SeaWorld and regarded as the first successful killer whale birth in captivity. She lived for 25 years in various SeaWorld parks before her death.
+ 20th February 1991 - Keltie Byrne was killed by Tilikum*, Haida 2* and Nootka 4*, after she fell into the killer whale pool at Sealand of the Pacific.
+ 9th February 1997 - A family of 10 orcas were rounded up into the now infamous Taiji Cove. Five orcas were sold to marine parks, and they became known as the Taiji Five. Two of the orcas died before they were named, whereas the others were named Ku*, (sent to Taiji Whaling Museum then died to Nagoya Port Aquarium), Asuka* (also sent to Taiji Whaling Museum then died at Izu-Mito Sea Paradise) and Kyu* (died at Nanki Shirama Adventure World).
+ 9th September 1998 - Keiko* was flown from Oregon Aquarium to a sea-pen off Icelandic waters, where he started his rehabilitation to the wild.
+ 1st September 2001 - Nakai, the first ever orca conceived via artificial insemination was born.
+ 26th September 2003 - The first killer whale captured since the Taiji Five, was taken from Russian waters. The female survived only a month in captivity.
+ 12th December 2003 - Keiko* passed away in Norway, of pneumonia at approximately 27 years of age.
+ 24th December 2009 - Trainer Alexis Martinez was killed at Loro Parqie by Keto during a training session. After this incident, trainers were removed from entering the water with the orcas.
+ 24th February 2010 - Tilikum* killed trainer Dawn Brancheau during a Dine With Shamu session. OSHA then bans trainers from entering the water with killer whales, leading to the end of waterwork performances during SeaWorld shows.
+ 23rd June 2010 - Morgan was found alone in Dutch waters and taken to Dolfinarium Harderwijk. It was assumed she would be nursed to health there and then re-released, however she was sent to Loro Parque in November 2011. An ongoing campaign exists called Free Morgan, to send her back to the wild.
+ 11th August 2012 - Almost 9 years since the first Russian capture, a lone female, Narnia was taken into captivity.
+ 19th July 2013 - Blackfish was released in the United States. The film documents Tilikum's life, Dawn Brancheau's death and other cases of killer whale aggression in captivity. Public outcry against keeping killer whale's in captivity sparked 'The Blackfish Movement', which led to a decreased attendance to SeaWorld parks.
+ 17th March 2016 - SeaWorld declared to end it's killer whale breeding program and their current orcas will be the last generation.
+ September 2016 - California puts through a bill that bans the breeding of killer whales in captivity.
+ 19th April 2017 - The last killer calf, Kyara, was born at SeaWorld Texas to Takara.
+ 26th May 2017 - France passed legislation that bans the breeding of dolphins and killer whales in captivity, likely to make the Marineland four orcas the last generation.
+ 24th July 2017 - Kyara died at SeaWorld from pneumonia, after only 3 months of life.
+ 22nd September 2018 - Ula is born at Loro Parque to Morgan.
+ June 2019 - Canada passes a bill banning the capture and breeding of cetaceans in captivity. The current cetaceans held at MarineLand Canada are unable to be transferred elsewhere.