Chimo - orca
Chimo was a young female orca captive at Sealand of the Pacific at The Oak Bay Marina in British Columbia, Canada from 1970 to 1972. She was notable for being the only partially albino orca ever in captivity.
| Breed | Pacific Transients |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Died | November 2, 1972 Sealand of the Pacific, Canada |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia, Streptococcal Septicaemia, Chediak Higashi Syndrome |
| Captured at | Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada |
| Capture age | Approx. 2 years |
| Capture date | March 1970 |
In March 1970, a pod of five orcas was captured in Pedder Bay. Among them was a young white female named Chimo, who was caught with her presumed mother, Scarredjaw Cow. Chimo quickly became the subject of interest for numerous parks, and Sealand of the Pacific ended up paying a large sum of money for her and another female named Knootka.
On March 25th, Chimo was separated from Scarredjaw and introduced to the resident bull, Haida, when she arrived at Sealand of the Pacific with Knootka. Initially, all three orcas seemed to get along well. However, as time went on, Knootka began to harass Chimo.
As a result of both stress and Knootka’s aggressive actions, Chimo became ill with several skin diseases. It was soon decided that Knootka had to go, leaving Chimo and Haida alone at Sealand. It was hoped that the two would mate and produce offspring when Chimo reached sexual maturity.
In October 1972, Chimo developed pneumonia and streptococcal septicemia. She also suffered from Chédiak–Higashi Syndrome (C-HS), which causes partial albinism, peripheral neuropathy, and recurrent pyogenic infections. Chimo died on November 2nd of that year due to her infections caused by C-HS.