Bjossa - orca

Sex: Female

Location of capture: Reyðarfjörður, Iceland

Date of capture: 19th November 1980

Age at capture: Approx. 3 years

Date of death: 8th October 2001

Location of death: SeaWorld San Diego, California

Cause of death: Chronic Bronchopneumonia

On November 19, 1980, a young female Orca was captured off the coast of Reyðarfjörður in Iceland. She was immediately transferred to the Hafnarfjordur Aquarium where she met 4 other whales; Ulises, Finna, Vigga, and Benkei II.

A month later, Finna, Vigga, Benkei II, and Bjossa were purchased by the Vancouver Aquarium. However, Van Aqua was too small a facility, and already had a bull Orca known as Hyak II.  As a result, Vigga and Benkei II were sold, while Finna and Bjossa stayed behind to join Hyak II. The three performed together and got along well.

When Bjossa reached sexual maturity, she mated with Hyak II and became pregnant with her first calf. Born on November 13, 1988, the calf was a female, and appeared healthy. Unfortunately, she passed away 22 days later as Bjossa was unable to produce enough milk for the calf.

Not long after her loss, Bjossa and Hyak II mated again, resulting in her second pregnancy with another female calf, born on September 30, 1991. The calf was named K’yosha, but only lived for 3 months before meeting the same fate as Bjossa’s first calf. A month after K’yosha’s death, Hyak II died as well, leaving Bjossa and Finna alone at the park.

When Finna reached sexual maturity, he mated with Bjossa, resulting in her third calf. Unfortunately, due to a ruptured umbilical cord, the calf never took it’s first breath and lived for only a few minutes before sinking to the bottom of the tank.

After her third unsuccessful pregnancy, Van Aqua ended their breeding program and Bjossa was put on birth control. She was finally left alone at the park after Finna’s death in October 1997, and began to suffer respiratory problems.

In 2001, after spending 4 years with just smaller dolphins as companions, SeaWorld purchased Bjossa and she was finally reunited with her own species at the San Diego park. She first met Corky II, and then Sumar - a young male who’d been separated from his mother, Taima.

Sumar and Bjossa seemed to get along well, and Bjossa often looked after him, as she’d never been able to care for her own calf before. She even began performing in shows sometimes, and seemed to settle in well at the park.

However, despite her doing well at SeaWorld, she became ill again in August 2001. She stopped eating, and was moved to the medical pool for better care. When she showed no signs of improvement, she was moved to the animal care area of the park.

Bjossa died on October 8, 2001 after battling Chronic Bronchopneumonia.