Tula - orca
Sex: Male
Pod: N/A
Place of Capture: Malcolm Island, British Columbia, Canada
Date of Capture: July 1968
Age at Capture: Approx. 3 years
In July 1968, a pod of 11 Orcas were captured in British Columbia off Malcolm Island. Only a young male was kept, later named Tula, while the remaining 10 whales were released.
A month after his capture, Tula arrived at Dolphinarium Harderwijk. He was the first Orca to cross the Atlantic after a 60 hour flight, and the first captive Orca in Holland.
Unfortunately, Tula died in October 1968 no less than 3 months after his capture. The cause of death was determined to be due to an external fungus and a growth in his heart.