Benkei II - orca
Benkei II, also known as Ushiwaka, was an Icelandic male orca.
| Sex | Male |
|---|---|
| Died | July 1983 Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, Japan |
| Cause of death | Malignant lymphoma |
| Captured at | Alvidra, Iceland |
| Capture age | < 1 |
| Capture date | October 1980 |
In October 1980, a lone male orca was captured off the south coast of Iceland. He was later named Benkei II and became the first capture of the 1980 season. He was taken to the Hafnarfjordur Aquarium in Iceland.
By November, four more whales joined him at the aquarium. Eventually, the Vancouver Aquarium purchased four out of the five whales: Benkei II, Vigga, Bjossa, and Finna. However, a male named Ulises, who now resides at SeaWorld California, was left behind at Hafnarfjordur.
Despite issues with Greenpeace trying to obstruct the transfer, all four whales arrived at the Vancouver Aquarium on December 20.
However, the Vancouver Aquarium already had an adult male named Hyak II, and the facility was too small to accommodate five whales. As a result, it was decided that Vigga would be sent to a park in California, while Benkei II was purchased by Nanki Shirahama Adventure World in Japan.
In January 1981, Benkei II arrived at Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, where he encountered the park's resident bull, also named Benkei. It is unclear whether the two whales got along or performed together during their time at the park.
In July 1983, Benkei II died due to malignant lymphoma.