LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
An orca at SeaWorld in San Diego gave birth to a healthy little killer whale yesterday, and her labor was captured on video.
The orca's 37-year-old mother Kasatka had been gestating for 18 months until she went into labor on Valentine's Day, according to the Union-Tribune. She went into labor for a little over an hour, and she gave birth at 6:33 am to a calf that weighed around 300 to 350 pounds and spanned about 6 or 7 feet. It's not obvious yet whether the calf is a he or she. The calf is Kasatka's fourth, and it's the sixth successful birth since SeaWorld opened in the 1960s.
SeaWorld now has 10 killer whales as "cast members." Their status as performers has draw criticism from animal rights advocates, including PETA and Tommy Lee. There have been several incidents in which trainers were injured or killed. Last year terrifying footage was released that showed Kasatka dragging her trainer underwater and ignoring commands to let him go. There was speculation that she was responding to being separated from one of her calves.
But here's Kasatka in a happier moment doing laps around the pool while giving birth to her yet-unnamed orca: