This was one of the only times I've ever seen an animal performance where the animals refused 100% of what they were asked for! It started with the three whales leaving their trainers as soon as the gate to the show pool opened.
Whatever happened may have involved mother and daughter Katina and Nalani more since Malia did come to station at 15:24 while the other two chose not to. This also was on Katina's 46th birthday, so I wish I could have seen if anything special was planned for her! Later on, these same orcas did the 5:30 show no problem. Highlights below:
1:00 - Orcas come out but aren't in control, then a trainer comes out to explain at 1:17
5:58 - We hear that they tried to ask the whales to station in the back again which they refused to do
9:15 - The orcas come back out and some of the audience thinks the show is back on track, but they are still not in control
10:00 to at least 13:45 - You can see Trua at the gate watching and possibly interacting with the females
15:00 - Asking the three females to come to the stage instead of the back pool. Malia does show up at 15:22 but is definitely still wary of the other two, so they have no choice but to cancel the show from there
Malia, Nalani, and Katina (Killer Whales) at SeaWorld Orlando on June 1, 2023.
Official Instagram (Photos and Reels)
➤ Instagram: www.instagram.com/echo_beluga/
Flickr Trip Reports (Account Required)
➤ Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/echobeluga/
Do not use without permission.
EchoBeluga