How many whales are left at SeaWorld San Diego?

As of August 5, 2022, there are 8 orcas living at SeaWorld San Diego. Tilikum* (A.I.) Tilikum* (A.I.)



As of early 2026, there are eight orcas (killer whales) remaining at SeaWorld San Diego. The pod consists of Corky (the oldest female), Ulises, Orkid, Ikaika, Kalia, Keet, Shouka, and Makani. These whales are the last generation of orcas that will be housed at the park, as SeaWorld officially ended its orca breeding program in 2016 following intense public pressure and the "Blackfish" controversy. This means that the current pod will not be replaced, and the park has shifted its focus from theatrical "Shamu" performances to more educational "Orca Encounters" that highlight natural behaviors and conservation. Corky is of particular note, as she is approximately 60 years old and is the last surviving orca from the original "capture" era of the 1960s. The whales live in a multi-million gallon complex of interconnected pools. While activists continue to call for their release into sea pens, SeaWorld maintains that these whales are "acclimated to human care" and would not survive the transition to the wild, meaning they will likely spend the remainder of their lives at the San Diego facility.

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Approximately 131 of these marine mammals are now dead. Orcas are continuously stripped from their home in the wild for commercial entertainment. As of March 2023, 54 Orcas are being held in captivity, and 29 were born into captivity. The infamous SeaWorld currently houses 19 orcas in just three parks.

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Since Blackfish's release, what has happened to orcas at SeaWorld? Seven orcas have died at SeaWorld parks since 2013. Unna, Kasatka, Kyara, Kayla, Amaya, Nakai, and Tilikum all died in the abusement park's small tanks.

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SeaWorld apparently did not see it that way, and the killer whale shows have continued as before, only now the trainers do not perform any water work with the orcas. This of course saves trainers from being attacked but does nothing to relieve orcas from the frustrations and anxieties of incarceration.

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“Most of our orcas were born at SeaWorld, and those that were born in the wild have been in our parks for the majority of their lives,” he wrote. “If we release them into the ocean, they will likely die. In fact, no orca or dolphin born under human care has ever survived release into the wild.

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On February 24, 2010, toward the end of a Dine with Shamu show at SeaWorld Orlando, the orca Tilikum pulled down an experienced trainer. Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old with extensive training experience, drowned as at least two dozen tourists looked on from above a whale tank and from an underwater viewing area.

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The study reports that the average life expectancy for SeaWorld's orca is 41.6 years of age, as compared to studies of two wild whale populations, reported as 29.0 and 42.3 years of age respectively.

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Because of his involvement in two previous deaths and his unpredictable temperament, no trainers were allowed to get in the water with him. As an unrelated male among matriarchal females he was bullied and shunned by the other orcas and was usually kept separate from them.

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The 2013 documentary Blackfish sparked public outcry over SeaWorld's treatment of orcas, also known as killer whales, and the theme park has been suffering ever since: The loss of $1.7 billion in market capitalization the year of the film's release, plummeting attendance, and the loss of corporate partnerships.

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