News: New Arrivals at Six Flags Marine World

Posted at 8:06 PM EDT (0006 GMT)

Apr. 20th, 2004 -- Big, beautiful Shouka the killer whale is getting comfy in her new California home today (Tuesday, April 20), following yesterday's cross-country trip from Cleveland to Six Flags Marine World in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Shouka flew first class aboard a 747 transport jet, along with dolphins, anteaters, snakes, sharks, otters, sea lions, tarantulas and about 400 other animals - a veritable "flying ark" to make a modern-day Noah proud. Shouka and her mobile menagerie received a California Highway Patrol escort down the freeways from Mather Field in Sacramento to the Six Flags park in Vallejo.

The 4,000-pound, 16-foot-long orca seems to be settling into her new, bigger, two-million-gallon pool just fine and should be ready to meet visitors by the end of the week, according to whale trainers and veterinarians who accompanied Shouka on the five-hour flight. Shouka traveled in a custom-made, water-filled transport container, cradled in a supportive sling to keep her blowhole above water and allow her to breathe normally.

She takes up residence as the pampered diva among Six Flags Marine World's 3,000-member animal family, holding court in the chilled salt water of the former Pacific Stadium, now renamed "Shouka Stadium". The four-pool facility received more than $1 million in renovations in anticipation of Shouka's arrival.

The 10-year-old orca was born at Marineland Antibes, a marine life park in France, and has been placed on a long-term loan with the Six Flags organization, first at its Aurora, Ohio, park and now at Six Flags Marine World. Her name, pronounced "Shoo-ka", means "beautiful one." She is energetic, healthy and eats 125 pounds of fish each day - mostly herring, mackerel and smelt.

Beginning Friday, April 23, Six Flags Marine World visitors will get the opportunity to see Shouka and observe her feeding, care and informal interactions with her trainers. Rehearsals for a formal Killer Whale Show starring Shouka may begin in the next few weeks, with the new educational show debut likely by Memorial Day.

Elsewhere around the Park, the newly arrived dolphins and 400 other finned, furred, and feathered fellow passengers are resting up from their transcontinental flight, and will soon be meeting their resident Six Flags Marine World counterparts and Park guests.

Six Flags Marine World is an accredited member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (www.ammpa.org) and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (www.aza.org).

For video and photos, please visit PR Newswire.

Related: 'Beautiful One' is Bay area bound