Killer whale calf born at SeaWorld Orlando

[October 11, 2010]  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A killer whale has given birth to her seventh calf at SeaWorld Orlando.

A 34-year-old killer whale named Katina gave birth Saturday night.

Park officials say the baby is 7 feet long and weighs 350 pounds. It's the 16th born at SeaWorld Orlando.

Park spokesman Nick Gollattscheck says the sex of the calf won't be known for some time. Veterinarians are monitoring the whales to make sure both are healthy.

The calf's birth is good news for the central Florida theme park. Necropsy results are pending for the first of Katina's calves, Kalina, which died suddenly at age 25 on Monday.

The new calf's father is Tilikum, a 12,000-pound whale that drowned a SeaWorld trainer in February.

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Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

[Associated Press]

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