Pilot Whales Find A New Home In The Shamu Stadium

Four Pilot whales at SeaWorld Orlando have been moved to a new home in the Shamu Stadium, allowing guests to see them.  The move took place on Friday, where they had performed in the Blue Horizons show in the Dolphin Stadium.  The whales will have much more room in their new location.

SeaWorld spokeswoman Aimee Jeansonne-Becka spoke with the Orlando Sentinel and said:.

Three of the whales — Ava, Ace and Piper — were part of a mass stranding in South Florida in 2012. Fredi was rescued after being stranded in the Florida Keys in 2011. NOAA has deemed the whales unreleasable.

Since they’ve been at SeaWorld, they’ve gained a lot of weight — 1,000 pounds apiece. They tip the scales at between 1,400 and 2,000 pounds each.

The pilot whales can be seen by gusts in an underwater viewing area and there will be an eduction ambassador there to share their story with guests.

There are no immediate plans to make them part of the killer whale show and Jeansonne-Becka said the water at Shamu Stadium was temporarily gradually adjusted over several days to a safe water temperature for both species to help with their acclimation. Both orcas and pilot whales are found in overlapping habitat areas in the wild, with similar temperature ranges.