Shamu

Shamu is the name used for several orca shows and is the stage name given to the "orca star" of those shows, beginning with the original Shamu in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The orca Shamu died in 1971, but the names Shamu (and "Namu" and "Ramu") were trademarked by SeaWorld and have been given to different orcas at different times when performing in Shamu shows.

Their impressive size and fierce hunting skills have earned killer whales the title of “top predator of the ocean.” Their distinctive black and white coloration — disruptive coloration — may enhance their hunting abilities. This type of color pattern contradicts the killer whale’s body shape and in the flickering filtering sunlight of the sea, other animals may not recognize a killer whale as a potential predator. Their diets vary from one region to another, but mostly consist of fishes, squids, seabirds (including penguins), and marine mammals.

Killer whales live in all the oceans of the world. They’re most abundant in the Arctic, Antarctic, and areas of cold water upwelling where the nutrient-rich water is full or marine life to feast on. They live in pods — cohesive long-term social groups primarily composed of matrilineal groups that include a female whale, her offspring, and often her grandchildren.