Ramu III - SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego

As a fully grown male, Winston now dwarfed even his pool mates, his size distinguishing him almost as much as his dorsal fin, which flopped over to his left hand side and made him instantly recognizable to visitors to the park. He courted and mated with several females at the park, impregnating Kandu V, Kenau and Katina. Katina was the first to give birth, on September 26, 1985, to a healthy young female Orca named Kalina (the first of the 'Baby Shamu' generation of whale calves). In January 1986, both Kenau and Kandu V lost their babies, Kenau's dying of a heart defect 11 days after birth and Kandu's being stillborn.

Winston was not a failure by any means though. Kalina was the first calf conceived and born in captivity successfully, and the success ushered in a generation of numerous Orca births in captivity around the world. Kalina's mother Katina is still alive at SeaWorld Orlando in Florida, along with Kalina's own calves, Keet, (the first 'grandbaby' Shamu), Keto, Tuar and Skyla, as well as a stillbirth in 1997. In 2004, Keet had his first offspring, a female called Kalia, the first great grandbaby Shamu, making Winston a great grandfather. In 2005, Keet sired Halyn, his second offspring thus making Winston a great grandfather again. Sadly, Kalina died in October 4, 2010, from septicemia, at 25 years old.

Winston died on April 28, 1986 of chronic cardiovascular failure. At the time of his last health checkup, Winston had been 7.4 metres long and weighed in at 5,443 kg. His age at death has been estimated as between 15 and 20 years of age.