Freyja - orca
| Sex | Female |
|---|---|
| Died | June 20, 2015 Marineland Antibes |
| Cause of death | Undisclosed |
| Captured at | Stokkseyri, Iceland |
| Capture age | Approx. 1 year |
| Capture date | October 1982 |
Freya was a female orca who lived at Marineland Antibes.
In October 1982, a pod of five orcas was captured off the coast of Stokkseyri, Iceland. They were transported to the Hafnarfjordur Aquarium, where they underwent training and were made available for sale.
By March 1983, a young female whale, later named Freya, and her companion Kim II, a male, were acquired by Marineland Antibes in France. Upon their arrival at the park, they encountered Betty, a resident female who asserted dominance over Freya, displacing her. Over time, however, their relationship improved, until Betty's death in 1987, resulting in Freya becoming the dominant whale at the park.
In 1986, Freya developed pleurisy, an inflammation of the tissues lining the lungs and chest cavity. While undergoing X-rays for her condition, she endured a radiation burn that required three years to heal and left a permanent circular white scar.
In 1990, Marineland acquired two additional orcas named Sharkan and Tanouk. Prior to their arrival, Freya had conceived offspring with Kim II. However, she delivering a stillborn calf in 1991. The loss recurred in 1993, leading to concerns of potential depression in Freya, for which she received medication. In the same year, Sharkan gave birth to a female calf named Shouka.
In February 1996, Freya successfully gave birth to her first and only surviving calf, a male named Valentin. The bond between Freya and Valentin was particularly strong. Freya suffered two more stillbirths, one in 2001 and another in 2003.
Following these events, Freya was placed on birth control and received ongoing medication to address her depression. Later, the decision was made to discontinue birth control in the hope of achieving artificial insemination, yet she never became pregnant.
In 2008, she was involved in an incident with a trainer. During this encounter, Freya repeatedly attempted to submerge the trainer underwater and push him around the tank. A park guest captured a video in which the trainer can be seen with his hands inside Freya's mouth, though he managed to exit the tank without sustaining serious injuries.
On June 20, 2015, Freya died suddenly after a prolonged battle with an undisclosed illness. Four months later, on October 12, Valentin, Freya's sole surviving calf, also succumbed to intestinal volvulus, a condition characterized by twisted intestines.