Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
Shouka
Shouka is a 8 year old female whale, born at Marineland of France. Her mother, Sharkane, is a 16 year old Icelandic female, captured in 1989. Her father, Kim, is a 25 year old Icelandic male, captured in 1982. She has 2 full-siblings, Inouk, a brother born in 1999, and Wiki, a sister, born in 2001. She also has 4 half-siblings, 3 stillborn (in 1991, 1993, and 2001), and one surviving brother, named Valentin. These calves were born to her father and an Icelandic female named Freya.

A few years after her birth, it became apparent that Shouka was an unusually dominant and interactive whale. She could stop any whale from eating or performing, and would not hesitate to teach an offending whale a lesson. With people, she was extremely sweet, and loved to perform little tricks just for the applause of guests.

She did, however, have unusually fragile health. Not unhealthy, Shouka none the less was not unhealthy, and was able to perform as a normal whale. Shouka spends a lot of time with her mother and younger siblings, but seems to prefer the company of her father to all other whales.

Sadly, in the Spring of 2002, Shouka will be flown to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, in Aurora, Ohio. The park hopes that Shouka and Shamenk, a whale from Argentina, will produce a calf. Marineland, using the excuse of preventing inbreeding, will be ripping Shouka away from her family.