A heartbreaking timelapse video has shown Kshamenk, a captive killer whale, trapped in a small pool at Argentina’s largest aquarium. Often called the “world’s loneliest orca,” Kshamenk was filmed staring at a water gate for 24 hours straight at the Mundo Marino oceanarium.
Kshamenk is now 35 years old, and he has been at the aquarium since 1992. Mundo Marino claims they found him stranded on the bay when he was three years old, along with three other whales. He was quickly moved to a small concrete tank, where he has spent the last 32 years.
For a time, Kshamenk shared the tank with a female orca named Belen, but she sadly passed away in 2000. Kshamenk has been alone ever since, with no other whales to interact with. In fact, he lived with Belen through multiple pregnancies, including the stillbirth of their calf in 1998, and her death while pregnant in 2000.
Currently, Kshamenk lives in a shallow, cramped pool, which has led to calls from animal rights organizations to move him to a more open sanctuary. The Whale Sanctuary Project has advocated for his relocation, saying he should be with other orcas in a more natural environment. Recently, a 24-hour timelapse video showed Kshamenk barely moving in his small space, which has drawn attention to his condition.
Activists, including UrgentSeas, are working with Argentine lawmakers to raise awareness of his situation. They believe Kshamenk should be relocated to an open space where he can be with other whales. However, there are concerns about reintroducing him to the wild. A study from the Dolphin Project warns that Kshamenk may struggle to adapt, as there is no data on orca populations along Argentina’s northern coast.
Some animal protection groups have raised doubts about the aquarium’s story of how Kshamenk ended up in captivity, suggesting he may have been captured illegally. Despite these concerns, many continue to call for better conditions for Kshamenk before it’s too late.
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