Shamu / ʃæmuː / (c. 1961[1] – August 16, 1971) was a female orca captured in October 1965 from a southern resident pod. She was sold to SeaWorld San Diego and became a star attraction.

SeaWorld’s first “Shamu” was a female orca who was captured in the wild in 1965 when she was just 3 years old. Whalers harpooned and killed her mother and the young orca refused to leave her dead …

Shamu (pronounced sha-MOO) was an approximately 10-year-old female Southern Resident killer whale who lived at SeaWorld San Diego. She was captured on October 31st, 1965 from Henderson …

Aug 21, 2023 · The original Shamu was a female orca held in captivity from 1965 to 1971, when she died just months after attacking a SeaWorld San Diego employee.

SeaWorld’s first “Shamu” was a female orca who was captured in the wild in 1965 when she was just 3 years old. Whalers harpooned and killed her mother and the young orca refused to leave her dead …

Nov 6, 2025 · The name “Shamu” has become deeply embedded in popular culture, instantly conjuring images of killer whale shows and SeaWorld’s iconic brand. However, the history of Shamu, the …

Few animals have achieved as much fame as Shamu, the killer whale. Initially brought into the spotlight by SeaWorld in the late 1960s, Shamu was the stage name given to several orcas in their …

Feb 28, 2024 · “Shamu” has been used as a moniker for practically every orca held at SeaWorld. However, this name derives from the very first healthy orca intentionally captured and trained as part …

Shamu is the name used for several orca shows and is the stage name given to the "orca star" of those shows, beginning with the original Shamu in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Shamu was the fourth killer whale ever captured for display. She was also the second female orca caught for this purpose. She was caught in October 1965 and passed away in August 1971. This …