Keiko.com: Action Alerts and Other Things You Can Do

Lea en español [Read in Spanish]

Kshamenk History

In 1992, while "Free Willy" was being filmed in Mexico, Kshamenk was being captured in Argentina.

The orca "Mel", after missing an attack. This time, the sea lion pup could escape. Not all the attacks by intentional stranding are successfull. Researchers believe that only 4 of 10 attempts end with the capture of a sea lion pup, although Mel's performance is higher. ©Juan Pablo Pereda
Kshamenk was between four and six years old at the moment of his taking from the wild. After his transfer to the facility Mundo Marino with "rehabilitation purposes", Kshamenk was held in a pool that he shared with a female orca named "Belen," with whom he performed the orca's show for eight years.

Kshamenk reached sexual maturity in 1997 and impregnated Belen in 1998. After 16 months of pregnancy Belen gave birth to a dead calf during 1999 dying herself soon after in February 2000, because of a kidney's serious infection. Since Belen died, WEF started to request the releasing of Kshamenk to avoid him the same sad destiny of his female companion and of many other orcas victims of the captivity industry.

In March 2000, Mundo Marino received the holding of the orca issued by a national authority that regulates oceanaria in Argentina. According to WEF, this was a clear attempt to block the organization's efforts to free the whale. Since then, the foundation started to collect evidence to prove that Kshamenk was not rescued from a stranding but forced to strand illegally by the oceanarium.

Orca practising intentional stranding. The technique is learnt by the youngsters from the adults and both use to practise in some beaches along Valdes coast. ©Juan Pablo Pereda
In November 2001, the amusement park Six Flags World of Adventure requested to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) an authorization to import Kshamenk to the company's facility in Aurora, Ohio. Latest December of the same year, Mundo Marino S.A. requested in Argentina a permit to export the whale that was filed at the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development of this country.

In April 2002, the second public comments open-period by NMFS, regarding this application, closed. More than 35 organizations and scientists worldwide sent comments stating their opposition to Kshamenk's transfer, among them the Humane Society of the United States, Cetacean Society international, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, the Argentinean Museum of Natural Science and OrcaLab, WEF and EII.

In May the 17th NMFS authorized Kshamenk's import to US, without paying attention to the doubtful and possible illegal origin of the whale. Also, the Agency issued the permit ignoring that there was a ban in Argentina to export wild local fauna that is in force since 1986.

In July, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) filed a lawsuit against NMFS for having authorized Kshamenk's import no waiting for the decision of CITES Argentinean authority which, in end, had to determine if such export was possible or not. Cetacean Society International, Earth Island Institutes International Marine Mammal Project and Wild Earth Foundation also signed up.

Young orca whale practising intentional stranding at the beach in Punta Norte, north of Valdes Peninsula. The adults use to watch closely the practise of this hunting technique, passed from one generation to another. ©Juan Pablo Pereda
July the 29th 2002, the Argentinean 800 pages proceeding opened in the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development was closed with the decision of Victoria Lichtschein, CITES authority, not to allow Kshamenk's export to US. The authorization requested by Mundo Marino was denied by CITES Argentina and by the Secretary of Environment of Argentina.

3 years later, in July 2004, Mundo Marino and Six Flags are reopening the application to get Kshamenk transferred to Marine World Vallejo (CA) where many orcas had died during the past years.

The export of the Argentine orca is illegal and only would take place if the environmental authorities of the country ignore the national Law. According to the statement of the former Secretary of Environment, Kshamenk is not property of the oceanarium Mundo Marino, but belongs to the Argentine people.

In Argentina, the wildlife is of public interest and Kshamenk, as a wild born orca is a commonweal.

FWK and WEF thank the photographers:
Juan Pablo Pereda, Argentina, www.pereda.com.ar
Amos Nachoun, USA, www.biganimals.com

©Juan Pablo Pereda

©Amos Nachoun

See the orca camouflated in the surf? Using the waves as cammouflage, they become almost "invisible" to the preys! ©Juan Pablo Pereda

This is the big male called "Mel", the star of all the documentaries about the Patagonic orcas. He is known as being the best hunter of Valdes orcas population. About 40 years old. ©Juan Pablo Pereda

More information

The orcas in Argentina are not well studied. It seems that this population is similar to the transients described in the Northern Hemisphere: their diet is based mainly in marine mammals (pinnipeds, dolphins and big whales) and they also eat fish, ray, shark and marine birds.

The most studied population is the one shared by Chubut and Rio Negro Argentine Provinces, in Patagonia. In the north of Valdes Peninsula they are known worldwide by the spectacular technique of intentional stranding to capture sea lions pups. This method is taught from one orca to others, the youngsters use to practice the intentional stranding in some beaches along the coast of Valdes.

In Valdes island, the orcas population has remained stable (30 individuals) during the last 10 years.

Those orcas have a big territory. Mel, one of the most famous males of Valdes has been sighted along 1500 km of the Argentinean Atlantic coast (southeast point: Camarones, south of Chubut; northern point Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province's coast)

Kshamenk doesn't have strong bonds with humans and he uses to show an aggressive behavior against his trainers, fortunately without serious consequences yet. We know that he also has attacked a bottlenose dolphin that was seriously injured and keeps the marks of Kshamenk's teeth all along his body. This attack was an irrefutable proof that he keeps his predator instinct intact.