chinaorcanews

[chinaorcanews]

Jade, one of Chimelong’s killer whales, gave birth to a calf at Chimelong Killer Whale Holding Facility on October 6, 2023. The calf is a boy and has since been named "Jingxi" which means "surprise" in Chinese. Jade and Jingxi moved to Chimelong Spaceship on May 22, 2024 and are now together with the other females and calves. The mothers and calves are now regularly in the main exhibit pool, and in these two photos Jade and Jingxi are in the front closer to the glass.

[chinaorcanews]

Haichang is moving forward with plans for an orca show at their original aquarium, Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park (大连老虎滩海洋公园). The site has already been selected and preliminary project concept design is already complete. No images or designs have been released yet. Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park is already home to Haichang’s killer whale temporary holding facility, which was used to hold the original four orcas before moving them in 2018 to Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park. Haichang has wanted an orca show at Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park since at least 2017: https://www.tumblr.com/chinaorcanews/170134553478/haichang-ocean-park-holdings-is-the-developer-of

[chinaorcanews]

Construction of Zhengzhou Haichang Ocean Park’s killer whale show could be complete as soon as July 2024.

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EDsUs381s3ZKfQsW5rp6Cw

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Opdk1G8kqyc_vjyvq7Yjrw

[chinaorcanews]

This week Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park officially announced the birth of Dora's calf. The yet-to-be-named male calf was born on December 5, 2023 and weighed 196 kilograms and was 2.43 long. The park says that after giving birth Dora became very weak due to excessive physical exertion. The care team immediately went into the water to assist in adjusting the swimming direction of the calf to prevent him from hitting the walls of the tank. Now the calf is healthy and lively, and weighs 273 kilograms and is 2.8 meters long.

https://weibo.com/5553190582/5011609231818878

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/S_WStRZFQgbvTVy6zJMq9A

[chinaorcanews]

Earlier today Chimelong Spaceship for the first time uncovered the underwater viewing window looking into Pool C, one of the orca exhibit’s back pools, for the public debut of Katenka and her calf, together with Katniss and Loki. However, a curtain has been installed in front of that window, so it can be closed off to give the whales rest and privacy if needed.

http://xhslink.com/cLOsoy

http://xhslink.com/dgnSpy

https://weibo.com/2131427820/4984753261122203

[chinaorcanews]

Chimelong has announced that Katenka gave birth to a male calf on December 1, 2023. At birth the calf was about 2.3 meters long and weighed about 200 kilograms. The calf is naturally breastfeeding, has a "lively and active personality", and is in good health.

https://h.xinhuaxmt.com/vh512/share/11824631

[chinaorcanews]

At Chimelong Spaceship, trainers/whales window interactions, combined with educational talks, take place at the main underwater viewing window.

[chinaorcanews]

Construction progress on Zhengzhou Haichang Ocean Park’s orca show and exhibit

[chinaorcanews]

The record breaking waves at Chimelong Spaceship’s main tank are turned on randomly throughout the day, not only during shows. The whales enjoy the waves very much, and the trainers let them express themselves in the waves (surfing, fast swimming, sliding, etc.). So far, the whales have not been trained to do any particular behaviors with the waves, mostly with regard to the safety of the whales and staff.

[chinaorcanews]

The official names of all twelve of Chimelong’s orcas are:

Tyson

Nukka

Bandhu

Chad

Kaixin

Katenka

Nakhod

Jade

Sonya

Yilong

Loki

Katniss

[chinaorcanews]

Public trial operations of Chimelong Spaceship begin September 16, 2023.

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/waPzQTz1OnHFSdkgMcKp7w

[chinaorcanews]

Ahead of Chimelong Spaceship's grand opening, Chimelong has officially released new photos and details about their killer whales (paraphrased):

Over the past ten years, Chimelong has carried out scientific research of and successfully cared for 12 killer whales.

The three killer whales born at Chimelong are Yilong 一隆 (the first killer whale to be born at a Chinese aquarium), Loki 洛基 (the first killer whale calf to be hand-raised at a Chinese aquarium), and Katniss 凯特尼斯 (the first "second child" killer whale calf to be born at a Chinese aquarium).

Chimelong is emphasizing their dedication to conservation and research, and they are touting the revolutionary size and design of their killer whale exhibit.

[chinaorcanews]

Chimelong Spaceship’s orca exhibit is almost ready

[chinaorcanews]

The main underwater viewing window at Chimelong Spaceship’s killer whale exhibit

[chinaorcanews]

Zhengzhou Haichang Ocean Park, which is under construction, has updated its design to now include a killer whale show.

[chinaorcanews]

The wave machine is now testing at Chimelong Spaceship's upcoming killer whale exhibit.

[chinaorcanews]

A recent look at the partially built SunAsia Beluga Whale World Coastal City in Yingkou, China. The killer whale exhibit is the building with no roof yet in the first photo and the building on the far right in the second photo. Work on this project is mostly nonexistent right now due to the developer's financial issues.