Haida II - orca

In October 1982, five orcas were captured in Icelandic waters and taken to the Hafnarfjordur Aquarium to be prepared for sale.

Among them, three whales named Nootka IV, Haida II, and an unnamed male, were sold to Sealand of the Pacific in May 1983. The male died shortly after the transfer, leaving only the two females.

Sealand wanted to breed their whales in the future, so they needed a male for breeding purposes. In 1984, they purchased a young male named Tilikum from Iceland. The three whales were then trained for shows, and by 1990, both Haida II and Nootka IV became pregnant with Tilikum's calves, generating excitement among the park staff.

On February 20, 1991 Keltie Byrne, a part-time trainer, fell into the pool after finishing a show. Haida II allegedly grabbed her and dragged her into the middle of the pool, where all three whales repeatedly submerged her underwater. Despite numerous attempts to rescue her, Byrne drowned, marking the first human fatality in the history of captive orcas.

As a result of the incident, Sealand sold Nootka IV, Haida II, and Tilikum, along with their future offspring, to SeaWorld.

On Christmas Eve in 1991, Haida II gave birth to her first calf, a male named Kyuquot. The females were fiercely protective of him and would attack Tilikum if he came too close.

Due to this aggression, Tilikum was the first to be relocated to SeaWorld Orlando in January 1992. The park closed its doors for good after the final season in 1992, and all remaining whales were moved by 1993.

Haida II and Kyuquot were transferred to the San Antonio park, where they interacted with other whales. Haida II established herself as the dominant female in the park and later became pregnant by an adult male named Kotar, who was captured from Iceland in 1978. The female calf survived for only about a month before passing away.

Haida II continued to perform with the other whales for many years. When another dominant female named Winnie arrived in 1999, there were concerns about their compatibility. However, they got along well and often performed together in shows.

On July 30, 2001, Haida II started displaying unusual behavior and was closely monitored around the clock. Despite receiving antibiotics, her condition did not improve.

Haida II died on August 1, 2001, due to a brain abscess. At the time of her death, she was in the fifth month of her third pregnancy.