| Tillikum was captured in November, 1983 from Iceland. He was moved from Canada to SeaWorld Orlando, who needed a reproductive male, in 1992. Tillikum has fathered many killer whale calves, including Kalina's new baby, born February 9, 2004. Trainers do not get into the water with Tillikum. He has been involved in two accidents where people were killed in his tank, and SeaWorld trainers do not want a third. Ironically, Tillikum's favorite companion is Taima, who the trainers also avoid getting into the water with most of the time. Tillikum is the largest orca in captivity. He measures 23 feet long and weighs in at 12,000 lbs.- 6 tons! |
