Ramu III (Winston)
Encyclopedia
Ramu III was an Orca
("killer whale
") who resided at the now-defunct Windsor Safari Park
in Berkshire
, England
between 1970 and 1976, and later, at SeaWorld San Diego
in California
between 1976 and 1986. An adult male, Ramu (actually Ramu III) was caught on August 8, 1970, after his pod of eighty orcas was 'corralled' in Penn Cove, near Coupeville, Washington
, USA
(six others were also caught, while four died and the remaining sixty nine escaped capture). At capture, Ramu was 13.32 ft (4.06 m) long and a member of the Southern Resident Killer Whales
' L-pod. It is assumed his family members still survive in the Salish Sea
and in nearby Pacific
coastal waters.
, where he would later move) splashing people with the beating of his tail against the water, along with a small number of dolphin
s, with whom Ramu cohabited. Over the next six years, Ramu matured into a bull Orca and began to outgrow the relatively small tank at the safari park. In October 1976, Ramu was sold to SeaWorld San Diego in a swap that saw two female Orcas (named Winnie and Hoi Wai) move in the other direction. To avoid confusion with another Orca named Ramu that already lived at Seaworld San Diego, Ramu was renamed Winston , although he inevitably performed under the stage name Shamu
, (used for most performing whales at SeaWorld, after the first whale kept there
.)
, which flopped over to his left hand side and made him instantly recognizable to visitors to the park. He courted and mated with several females at the park, impregnating Kandu V, Kenau and Katina. Katina was the first to give birth, on September 26, 1985, to a healthy young female Orca named Kalina (the first of the 'Baby Shamu' generation of whale calves). In January 1986, both Kenau and Kandu V lost their babies, Kenau's dying of a heart defect 11 days after birth and Kandu's being stillborn
.
Winston was not a failure by any means though. Kalina was the first calf conceived and born in captivity successfully, and the success ushered in a generation of numerous Orca births in captivity around the world. Indeed, both Kalina and her mother Katina are still alive at SeaWorld Orlando
in Florida
, along with Kalina's own calves, Keet, (the first 'grandbaby' Shamu), Keto, Tuar and Skyla, as well as a stillbirth in 1997. In 2004, Keet had his first offspring, a female called Kalia, the first great grandbaby Shamu, making Winston a great grandfather. In 2005, Keet sired Halyn, his second offspring thus making Winston a great grandfather again.
Winston died on April 28, 1986 of chronic cardiovascular failure. At the time of his last health checkup, Winston had been 7.4 metres long and weighed in at 5,443 kg. His age at death has been estimated as between 15 and 20 years of age.
(Asterisk indicates a deceased relative)
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
("killer whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
") who resided at the now-defunct Windsor Safari Park
Windsor Safari Park
Windsor Safari Park was a popular family attraction built on St. Leonards Hill on the outskirts of the English town of Windsor in Berkshire; it has since been converted into the site of Legoland Windsor...
in Berkshire
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
between 1970 and 1976, and later, at SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego is an animal theme park, oceanarium, and marine mammal park, located in San Diego, California, United States. The park is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group....
in California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
between 1976 and 1986. An adult male, Ramu (actually Ramu III) was caught on August 8, 1970, after his pod of eighty orcas was 'corralled' in Penn Cove, near Coupeville, Washington
Coupeville, Washington
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile . There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(six others were also caught, while four died and the remaining sixty nine escaped capture). At capture, Ramu was 13.32 ft (4.06 m) long and a member of the Southern Resident Killer Whales
Southern Resident Killer Whales
The Southern Resident Killer Whales represent the smallest of four resident communities within the eastern North Pacific Ocean. It is the only Killer Whale population listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service...
' L-pod. It is assumed his family members still survive in the Salish Sea
Salish Sea
The name Salish Sea was coined only in the late 20th century, and was officially recognized by the United States in 2009 and by Canada in 2010, to describe the coastal waterways surrounding southern Vancouver Island and Puget Sound between Canada and the United States of America...
and in nearby Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coastal waters.
Windsor Safari Park
Ramu was then transferred to Windsor Safari Park, where he became the star attraction in the park's Sea World exhibition, (not to be confused with the American SeaWorldSeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
, where he would later move) splashing people with the beating of his tail against the water, along with a small number of dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s, with whom Ramu cohabited. Over the next six years, Ramu matured into a bull Orca and began to outgrow the relatively small tank at the safari park. In October 1976, Ramu was sold to SeaWorld San Diego in a swap that saw two female Orcas (named Winnie and Hoi Wai) move in the other direction. To avoid confusion with another Orca named Ramu that already lived at Seaworld San Diego, Ramu was renamed Winston , although he inevitably performed under the stage name Shamu
Shamu (SeaWorld show)
Shamu is the stage name given to the SeaWorld orca shows and to the "star" of those shows, beginning with the original Shamu in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, (used for most performing whales at SeaWorld, after the first whale kept there
Shamu
Shamu was the fourth killer whale ever captured and was the third orca ever displayed in a public exhibit. She was the first orca to survive more than 13 months in captivity and was the star of a very popular killer whale show at SeaWorld San Diego in the mid - late 1960s...
.)
SeaWorld San Diego
As a fully grown male, Winston now dwarfed even his pool mates, his size distinguishing him almost as much as his dorsal finDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
, which flopped over to his left hand side and made him instantly recognizable to visitors to the park. He courted and mated with several females at the park, impregnating Kandu V, Kenau and Katina. Katina was the first to give birth, on September 26, 1985, to a healthy young female Orca named Kalina (the first of the 'Baby Shamu' generation of whale calves). In January 1986, both Kenau and Kandu V lost their babies, Kenau's dying of a heart defect 11 days after birth and Kandu's being stillborn
Stillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
.
Winston was not a failure by any means though. Kalina was the first calf conceived and born in captivity successfully, and the success ushered in a generation of numerous Orca births in captivity around the world. Indeed, both Kalina and her mother Katina are still alive at SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group...
in Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, along with Kalina's own calves, Keet, (the first 'grandbaby' Shamu), Keto, Tuar and Skyla, as well as a stillbirth in 1997. In 2004, Keet had his first offspring, a female called Kalia, the first great grandbaby Shamu, making Winston a great grandfather. In 2005, Keet sired Halyn, his second offspring thus making Winston a great grandfather again.
Winston died on April 28, 1986 of chronic cardiovascular failure. At the time of his last health checkup, Winston had been 7.4 metres long and weighed in at 5,443 kg. His age at death has been estimated as between 15 and 20 years of age.
Family members/breed
- Daughters: Kalina, Baby Shamu II*, and 1986 stillborn calf with Kandu V*
- Granddaughters: SkylaSkylaSkyla is the stage name of Lucy Batty, an English dance singer from Altrincham.-Career:Skyla was signed by 3 Beat/AATW in 2008.She has been working along side producers Scott Rosser , Mike Di Scala and Nemesis....
, KaliaKaliaKalia may refer to:* Kalia, Bangladesh* Kalia, Chad* Kalia, Democratic Republic of Congo* Kalia, Faranah, in Guinea* Kalia, Gaoual, in Guinea* Kalia, Indonesia* Kalya, Israeli kibbutz* Kalia, Liberia* Kalia, Nigeria* Kalia, Pakistan...
, and Halyn* - Grandsons: KeetKEETKEET is a digital-only public television station in Eureka, California, broadcasting locally on channel 11 as a PBS member station. Founded in 1969, the station is owned by Redwood Empire Public Television, Inc...
, KetoKetoKeto can refer to:* The Keto people, an ethnic group of the Siberian North.* Ceto or Keto, a sea goddess in Greek mythology.* Ketone or keto group, the functional group in the chemical compounds ketones....
, and Tuar - Great-Granddaughters: KaliaKaliaKalia may refer to:* Kalia, Bangladesh* Kalia, Chad* Kalia, Democratic Republic of Congo* Kalia, Faranah, in Guinea* Kalia, Gaoual, in Guinea* Kalia, Indonesia* Kalya, Israeli kibbutz* Kalia, Liberia* Kalia, Nigeria* Kalia, Pakistan...
and Halyn* - Possible relatives: Lil Nooka*, Jumbo*, Chappy*, Clovis*, and Ramu IV*
- Breed: 100% Southern Resident
(Asterisk indicates a deceased relative)
See also
- Shamu (SeaWorld show)Shamu (SeaWorld show)Shamu is the stage name given to the SeaWorld orca shows and to the "star" of those shows, beginning with the original Shamu in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
- SeaWorldSeaWorldSeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
- KeikoKeiko (orca)Keiko was a male orca / actor who starred in the film Free Willy and was perhaps the most famous of captive orcas.- History :...
, star of the 'Free Willy' trilogy of films. - Windsor Safari ParkWindsor Safari ParkWindsor Safari Park was a popular family attraction built on St. Leonards Hill on the outskirts of the English town of Windsor in Berkshire; it has since been converted into the site of Legoland Windsor...
- Captive orcasCaptive orcasCaptive orcas, or killer whales, are large predatory marine mammals that were first captured live and displayed in exhibitions in the 1960s, and soon became popular attractions at public aquariums and aquatic theme parks due to their intelligence, trainability, striking appearance, playfulness in...
- List of captive orcas