2nd December 2024
Got to Loro Parque for 10am-ish. I signed up to the VIP tour, as it was only 15 euros! I went around the park like the aquarium, the research/rehab center and the penguins etc, then headed over for the first orca show. Morgan and Tekoa were in the showpool doing laps. Morgan would do a high tail dive everytime she got to the far lefthand side of the pool. Tekoa then went to the backpool. Adan just stayed in the back seemingly inactive. Then during the show Tekoa was the main star. They used Adan a little and Morgan only at the end. I noticed Adan had a rake mark on the left side of his jaw, poor boy. However you could see the changes in the show where they tried to make it more informative. After the show the orcas pretty much went back to the habits and places they were at before the show.
After lunch I did the 1pm VIP tour. The guide took us around several areas of the park such as the rehab center, penguins and gorillas. But the orcas were the best. We got access to the underwater viewing area which was really cool. Adan was in the backpools still, but Tekoa and Morgan went between the showpool and backpools. Then we were let into the stadium to watch Tekoa and Morgan lapping whilst a film played on the show screen. Very strange though, the guide gave some random stories such as in the 60/70s orcas had been captured from the Ross Sea but they were very aggressive and killed 7 trainers.. This is not true, I am sure. To my knowledge no orcas have ever been taken from Southern Hemisphere waters, so I don't know why the guides script would have told him to say that lol.
After the tour I went around other parts of the park until the second orca show. There was enrichment in the pool which Tekoa had a play with. He was very squeaky and singing a lot. The three orcas were used in equal parts in the second show - Morgan was much more involved in this one. Then at the end again, Morgan and Tekoa were lapping in the showpool and Adan was in the backpool again. I wonder if there are social issues between them, and Adan is picked upon... Such a shame I just missed Keto before he passed :(
