Killer whale show at Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyu, Argentina. Thats the only Orca in captivity at Latin Amarica.
Kshamenk, also known as Sharmenk or Shamenk, is a male orca, or killer whale, held at Mundo Marino. Kshamenk is estimated to have been around 4 years old when captured in 1992. He has been without the company of other orcas since 2000, when Mundo Marino's female killer whale, Belén (also known as Bethlehem), died. Mundo Marino claims to have rescued him after he stranded, and kept him for public display when its staff determined he could not be released. However, Kshamenk may have been force-stranded (driven ashore on purpose) and retained to circumvent Argentine laws against the commercial capture of wild marine mammals.[1] Six Flags Marine World park in Vallejo, California, had been trying to acquire Kshamenk from Mundo Marino as a companion for their female orca, Shouka (she now lives at SeaWorld California). But Mundo Marino does not own Kshamenk. The orca is legally being held in trust by Mundo Marino for the people of Argentina. This means that Mundo Marino cannot sell Kshamenk because the orca isn't its property. Furthermore, Argentine Law forbids the export of live native wildlife, including orcas.[1] On February 14, 2013, Kshamenk became a father for the very first time when Kasatka, a killer whale from SeaWorld San Diego, gave birth to a healthy male calf named Makani.
Size: 4928px × 3263px
Location: San Clemente del Tuyu, Argentina
Photo credit: © Leo Francini / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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