Namu (orca)

Namu (unknown – July 9, 1966) was the first captive orca to perform with a human in the water.[1] He was the subject of much media attention, including a "starring" role in the 1966 film Namu, the Killer Whale.

Namu
SpeciesOrca (Orcinus orca) from northern resident community
SexMale
BornUnknown
DiedJuly 9, 1966
Seattle Marine Aquarium
Years active1965-1966
Known forFirst captive orca to perform with humans
Named afterFishing port of Namu

History

In June 1965, William Lechkobit discovered a 22-foot (6.7m) male killer whale in his floating salmon net that had drifted close to shore near Namu, British Columbia. The whale was sold for $8,000 to Edward "Ted" Griffin, owner of the Seattle Marine Aquarium;[2][3] it ultimately cost Griffin much more to transport Namu 450 miles (720 km) south to Seattle.

While in captivity, Namu could eat 400 pounds of salmon a day.[4] Namu was a popular attraction at the Seattle Marine Aquarium, and Griffin soon captured a female killer whale to be a companion for Namu. The female, named Shamu, was quickly leased and eventually sold to SeaWorld in San Diego. Namu survived just over one year in captivity and died on July 9, 1966.[5]

Griffin expressed mixed feelings when Namu died, saying he wished Namu had succeeded in a supposed "break for freedom" which had resulted in his death. The necropsy actually evidenced that he had been ill with an "acute bacterial infection, likely contracted from sewage runoff in Elliott Bay" where Griffin had moved him.[6]

Nevertheless, thousands of local fans wanted Griffin to get another orca.[7][8] Aquariums all over the world also wanted Griffin to capture an orca for them.[9]

It was later discovered through preserved recordings of his calls that Namu was from C1 Pod,[10] one of the best known Northern Resident pods. He was thus given the alphanumeric code C11. It is suspected that the matriarch, C5, who died in 1995, was his mother.[11] As of February 2010, Namu's presumed sister Koeye (C10) is still alive.

The United Artists film Namu, the Killer Whale (a.k.a. Namu, My Best Friend) was released in 1966 and 'starred' Namu in a fictional story set in the San Juan Islands.[12] The name "Namu" was also later used as a show-name for different killer whales in SeaWorld shows.

See also

References
  1. The National Geographic, March 1966 (page 418-446)
  2. WGBH Frontline: "Edward 'Ted' Griffin, The Life and Adventures of a Man Who Caught Killer Whales". Accessed 28 March 2008
  3. Whitehead, Eric, "Conversation-starved Killer In A Salmon Net" Sports Illustrated 1965 July 12. Accessed 6 May 2020.
  4. Fisher, Ronald M., Namu: Making Friends with a Killer Whale, 1973, National Geographic Society
  5. M. L. Lyke, "Granny's Struggle: A black and white gold rush is on", Seattle P-I, Wednesday, October 11, 2006 Granny’s struggle Accessed 6 May 2020
  6. "Namu Takes Final Journey". The Seattle Times. 1966-07-11. p. 2.
  7. Patty, Stanton H. (1966-08-09). "Letters About Namu Still Arriving". The Seattle Times. p. 24.
  8. "Griffin Thanks Namu Fans, Reaffirms New Whale Plan". The Seattle Times. 1966-07-20. p. 13.
  9. Colby, Jason M. (2018). Orca: how we came to know and love the ocean's greatest predator. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 98. ISBN 9780190673116.
  10. OrcinusOrcas.nl
  11. Francis, Daniel and Hewlett, Gil, "Era of the Orca Cowboys" (The Tyee). Accessed 2 February 2010.
  12. "Namu, the Killer Whale". IMDb. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
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