Post by TillyxKy on Oct 30, 2010 21:55:35 GMT -7
Birthday: Estimated to be in 1965
Birthplace: Unknown
Current Age: 40's
Corky's name means hill hollow.
Mother: Supposedly A23/Stripe*
Father: Unknown
Full and half siblings: Possibly Orky II
History of Corky...
Corky II was born in the wild, around the year 1965. She is the longest orca kept in captivity and is also the second oldest (Lolita is the first). Her mother is thought be the now deceased A23/Stripe*.
On December 11th or 12th, 1969, Corky was captured from British Columbia, Canada with twelve other orcas. Only six of the orcas were kept while the other six were released. Corky was sold to Marineland of the Pacific (MLP) along with two of the other orcas. When they arrived, the other orcas at the park were Corky and Orky II*, making five orcas altogether.
By May 1972, all the orcas had passed away except for Corky II and Orky II. Orky is thought to be her cousin. For around eighteen years, they both lived in the small circular pool at MarineLand of the Pacific.
Corky has had seven pregnancies. Each of the calves were fathered by Orky and, sadly, none of them survived. On the afternoon of February 20, 1977, Corky went into labor with her first calf. The trainers hadn't even known that she was pregnant. After 3 hours or so, the calf had been born. It was a male and was the first orca to be conceived and born in captivity. Soon after his birth, the trainers noticed that the calf wasn't nursing. He and Corky never even made the effort. After a week, the trainers had to force-feed the calf, but after sixteen days the little male died. The cause was pneumonia and brain damage. Around 20 months later, on October 31, 1978, Corky went into labor once more. This time, her pregnancy was no surprise to the trainers, this time they were ready. Orky acted as 'Auntie' again and helped the calf to the surface for it's first breath. It was another little male. He tried to nurse, but in the wrong place. Corky would put her face between him and the wall so that he would not bang into it and the calf thought that her white eye patch was the white markings on her belly where her mammaries were. The round pool also seemed to be part of the problem because in order to let the calf nurse, Corky had to swim in a straight line, but the pool was far too small. After six days, the calf was put into another pool and force-fed. After eleven days, Corky's calf was no more. A bacterial contamination in the formula was probably the cause of his death. To prepare Corky for her third pregnancy, the trainers used a model of an orca calf to train her to present her mammaries to it. It didn't work, so all they could do was hope for the best. They were relying on a sound cue instead of a hand signal. On April 1, 1980, Corky had a stillborn. They soon prepared Corky for her fourth pregnancy. On June 16, 1982, Corky gave birth to a female calf. She was named Kiva. She is the most well known of all of Corky's seven calves. But she also did not nurse. After forty-six days, Corky and Orky drowned their own daughter. Kiva was Corky's longest surviving calf. Why they drowned her may have been simply to put her out of her suffering. Corky's fifth calf was born on July 22, 1985. It was second female. Again, the calf did not nurse. The trainers tried to save her, but she died after forty-one days. Twenty-four days after the calf's death a baby orca was born at SWF. It would be the first captive born orca successfully born and raised in captivity. On July 27, 1986, Corky's trainers found an aborted fetus at the bottom of the pool. Corky's sixth calf had been a miscarriage. In December, the SeaWorld bought out MarineLand of the Pacific and Corky and Orky were moved to SeaWorld San Diego, California on January 21, 1987. They were placed with three other female orcas, Kandu V*, Kenau*, and Nootka*. Not long after, Orky mated with Kandu and Kenau. Kandu, thought she was smaller and younger than Corky, was the more dominant whale. Cory had been the dominant whale at MLP, so she had to step down from her old status. In August of 1987, Corky had another miscarriage. It was her last, because she soon stopped ovulating. On September 26, 1988, Orky passed away. His only surviving calves are Orkid and Kayla, the offspring of Kandu and Kenau. One day, August 21, 1989 to be exact, Corky and Orkid were performing in the show pool. Kandu was in one of the back pools. At some time in the show, Kandu swam straight at Corky. Her mouth open, Kandu rammed into Corky, right behind her dorsal, at the speeds of thirty-five to forty mph. After the unexpected attack, Kandu returned to a back pool. In only a matter of minutes, Kandu exhaled blood when she spouted. The audience was quickly ushered out of the stadium as Corky gave a short performance. Kandu passed away forty-five minutes later. Many believe that Kandu was protective of Orkid and so tried to defend her from Corky, or that she was jealous, but we will never know. Corky then took on the role as a surrogate mother to Orkid, something she would do to many other orcas including the now deceased Splash* and Sumar*.
(Post new info and discuss below!)
Birthplace: Unknown
Current Age: 40's
Corky's name means hill hollow.
Mother: Supposedly A23/Stripe*
Father: Unknown
Full and half siblings: Possibly Orky II
History of Corky...
Corky II was born in the wild, around the year 1965. She is the longest orca kept in captivity and is also the second oldest (Lolita is the first). Her mother is thought be the now deceased A23/Stripe*.
On December 11th or 12th, 1969, Corky was captured from British Columbia, Canada with twelve other orcas. Only six of the orcas were kept while the other six were released. Corky was sold to Marineland of the Pacific (MLP) along with two of the other orcas. When they arrived, the other orcas at the park were Corky and Orky II*, making five orcas altogether.
By May 1972, all the orcas had passed away except for Corky II and Orky II. Orky is thought to be her cousin. For around eighteen years, they both lived in the small circular pool at MarineLand of the Pacific.
Corky has had seven pregnancies. Each of the calves were fathered by Orky and, sadly, none of them survived. On the afternoon of February 20, 1977, Corky went into labor with her first calf. The trainers hadn't even known that she was pregnant. After 3 hours or so, the calf had been born. It was a male and was the first orca to be conceived and born in captivity. Soon after his birth, the trainers noticed that the calf wasn't nursing. He and Corky never even made the effort. After a week, the trainers had to force-feed the calf, but after sixteen days the little male died. The cause was pneumonia and brain damage. Around 20 months later, on October 31, 1978, Corky went into labor once more. This time, her pregnancy was no surprise to the trainers, this time they were ready. Orky acted as 'Auntie' again and helped the calf to the surface for it's first breath. It was another little male. He tried to nurse, but in the wrong place. Corky would put her face between him and the wall so that he would not bang into it and the calf thought that her white eye patch was the white markings on her belly where her mammaries were. The round pool also seemed to be part of the problem because in order to let the calf nurse, Corky had to swim in a straight line, but the pool was far too small. After six days, the calf was put into another pool and force-fed. After eleven days, Corky's calf was no more. A bacterial contamination in the formula was probably the cause of his death. To prepare Corky for her third pregnancy, the trainers used a model of an orca calf to train her to present her mammaries to it. It didn't work, so all they could do was hope for the best. They were relying on a sound cue instead of a hand signal. On April 1, 1980, Corky had a stillborn. They soon prepared Corky for her fourth pregnancy. On June 16, 1982, Corky gave birth to a female calf. She was named Kiva. She is the most well known of all of Corky's seven calves. But she also did not nurse. After forty-six days, Corky and Orky drowned their own daughter. Kiva was Corky's longest surviving calf. Why they drowned her may have been simply to put her out of her suffering. Corky's fifth calf was born on July 22, 1985. It was second female. Again, the calf did not nurse. The trainers tried to save her, but she died after forty-one days. Twenty-four days after the calf's death a baby orca was born at SWF. It would be the first captive born orca successfully born and raised in captivity. On July 27, 1986, Corky's trainers found an aborted fetus at the bottom of the pool. Corky's sixth calf had been a miscarriage. In December, the SeaWorld bought out MarineLand of the Pacific and Corky and Orky were moved to SeaWorld San Diego, California on January 21, 1987. They were placed with three other female orcas, Kandu V*, Kenau*, and Nootka*. Not long after, Orky mated with Kandu and Kenau. Kandu, thought she was smaller and younger than Corky, was the more dominant whale. Cory had been the dominant whale at MLP, so she had to step down from her old status. In August of 1987, Corky had another miscarriage. It was her last, because she soon stopped ovulating. On September 26, 1988, Orky passed away. His only surviving calves are Orkid and Kayla, the offspring of Kandu and Kenau. One day, August 21, 1989 to be exact, Corky and Orkid were performing in the show pool. Kandu was in one of the back pools. At some time in the show, Kandu swam straight at Corky. Her mouth open, Kandu rammed into Corky, right behind her dorsal, at the speeds of thirty-five to forty mph. After the unexpected attack, Kandu returned to a back pool. In only a matter of minutes, Kandu exhaled blood when she spouted. The audience was quickly ushered out of the stadium as Corky gave a short performance. Kandu passed away forty-five minutes later. Many believe that Kandu was protective of Orkid and so tried to defend her from Corky, or that she was jealous, but we will never know. Corky then took on the role as a surrogate mother to Orkid, something she would do to many other orcas including the now deceased Splash* and Sumar*.
(Post new info and discuss below!)