People of today’s
generation will probably be shocked to hear that the UK used to hold captive
orcas. However our parents’ generation may remember visiting them, such as my
aunt who recalls seeing Winnie at Windsor Safari Park. Over a 23 year span
(1968 to 1991), the UK held eight captive orcas in five different facilities
around England.
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The first
orca to arrive was a young male named Cuddles. He arrived at Flamingo Land in
1968 from Seattle Marine Aquarium. He lived there for three years, before being
transferred to Dudley Zoo where he died in 1974. Within his time at Flamingo
Land, Cuddles' sperm was used to artificially
inseminate the UK's second captive orca Calypso, however it was unsuccessful. Calypso’s
resided briefly at Cleethorpes Zoo. Within the same year, 1970, Calypso was transferred out of the UK to
Marineland France where she died the same year.
In 1970, the
UK acquired its third orca, a male named Ramu 3. Ramu lived at Windsor Safari
Park between 1970 and 1976. He was then transferred to SeaWorld California
where he was renamed Winston.
Hoi Wai was
a young female orca that arrived in 1977. Over two years within the UK she lived
between Windsor Safari Park and Clacton Pier. Hoi Wai was transferred to Ocean
Park in Hong Kong where she was renamed Suzie Wong. Whilst at Windsor Safari
Park, she had a tank mate called Winnie, also known as Frya. Winnie spent her
entire time within the UK at Windsor Safari Park. She was loaned to SeaWorld
and left in 1991. She was the last orca remaining in the UK. However, upon her
death at SeaWorld 10 years later, the autopsy revealed she had many foreign
objects in her stomach, which she ate whilst she was in the UK.
Our final UK
orcas touched down at Clacton Pier in 1981. A trio of boys, including an
unnamed male who died after two months in captivity. Neptune survived for two
years at the pier, whilst Nemo outlasted them. Nemo lived at the pier until
1985, however due to his growing size, he was transferred to the Windsor Safari
Park. A year alongside Winnie, Nemo died at the Safari Park.
Facilities
-Flamingo
Land, North Yorkshire (1968 to 1971)
-Cleethorpes
Zoo, North East Lincolnshire (1970)
-Windsor Safari Park, Berkshire (1970 to 1991)
-Windsor Safari Park, Berkshire (1970 to 1991)
-Dudley Zoo,
West Midlands (1971 to 1974)
-Clacton Pier
Dolphinarium, Essex (1978 to 1985)
The Orcas
-Cuddles - 1968
to 1971 Flamingo Land, 1971 to 1974 Dudley Zoo
-Calypso – 1969
Flamingo Land, 1970 Cleethorpes Zoo
-Winston - 1970
to 1976 Windsor Safari Park (Ramu)
-Hoi Wai - 1977
Windsor Safari Park, 1978 to 1979 Clacton Pier, 1979 Windsor Safari Park
-Winnie - 1977
to 1991 Windsor Safari Park (Frya)
-Unnamed –
1981 Clacton Pier
-Neptune –
1981 to 1983 Clacton Pier
-Nemo – 1981
to 1985 Clacton Pier, 1985 to 1986 Windsor Safari Park
