Q&A Recap: Killer Whale Calf at SeaWorld San Diego

On Thursday, December 11 Awesome Ocean hosted an amazing live Q&A with the killer whale training team at SeaWorld San Diego.

Hosts Eric Davis and Erin McKinney spoke live with Senior SeaWorld San Diego Killer Whale trainer Kristi about thew new orca calf.

Eric and Erin discussed various topics with the trainer like the pregnancy, birth, and how mom and baby are doing. Kristi shared with the viewers some cute stories about the babies first few breaths and how ecstatic the training team was to witness it.

Kastaka, the grandma to the new born calf, assisted the newborn in taking it’s first breath, something that has been observed in wild whales and with other dolphins. This important moment solidifies why SeaWorld does not separate whales from it’s offspring.

Awesome Ocean fans participating in the Q&A got to ask their own questions, and observe the new mom and baby swimming in the background. It was truly an amazing experience, and we are grateful to SeaWorld San Diego for taking the time to share the newborn calf with us.

After Kristi signed off from SeaWorld San Diego, former SeaWorld trainer Bridgette Pirtle-Davis joined the Awesome Ocean team to share her experiences working with killer whale calfs at SeaWorld San Antonio.

Bridgette shared story after adorable story about the calfs and the joy that trainers experience as they get to know a baby whale, watch its personality develop, and help it learn and grow.

What did you think of the Awesome Ocean Live Q&A from SeaWorld San Diego? Let us know on Facebook or send a tweet to @1AwesomeOcean.

Our next Awesome Ocean Live Q&A will be in January so stay tuned, and keep reading Awesome Ocean.