Ai - orca
Ai was a 7 year old female orca who was caught at Hornafjördur, Iceland and captive at Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan.
| Sex | Female |
|---|---|
| Died | August 25, 1995 Nanki Shirahama Adventure World |
| Cause of death | Candidiasis |
| Captured at | Hornafjörður, Iceland |
| Capture age | Approx. 1 year |
| Capture date | October 1989 |
Sometime in October 1989, a group of four orcas were captured in Iceland. These would be the last orcas to be taken from Icelandic waters. Whalers applied for permits to continue capturing orcas in 1990 and 1991, but the Minister of Fisheries denied them.
As a result, when these 4 orcas were transferred to the Hafnarfjordur Aquarium, they had to wait before their transfers could be authorized.
When the transfers were finally authorized, two females - known as Ran and Ai - were purchased by Nanki Shirahama Adventure World. Here they met the orcas Goro and Ruka.
It is believed that Ai got along well with her tankmates and performed daily alongside them, though not much is known about her time at Nanki Shirahama Adventure World.
Ai died on August 25, 1995 due to an infection known as candidiasis.