Orca Encounter Highlights: All Segments | SeaWorld Orlando | September 12, 2026

It's a brand new day, my head, let me show you a place, a brand new night. You're the one I've been waiting for, sunrise all the way. I'm singing out loud, it's a brand new day. I'm a star, I'm a star, a brand new day. You're the one I've been waiting for. I'm feeling down, sunrise all the way. I'm singing out loud, it's a brand new day. I'm a star, I'm a star, a brand new day. I'm an ocean, I'm an ocean, a brand new day. I'm feeling down, I'm a star, I'm a star, a brand new day. I'm a star, I'm a star, a brand new day. We spend days, weeks, months, and years building relationships with our whales. This creates trust, and that allows us to do some amazing things. For example, when you visit the doctor, you present your arm to draw blood, or you step on his heel to see how much you weigh. It's much the same with our whales. Today, you'll see the whales moving together in music. These synchronized behaviors strengthen social bonds and enable them to problem-solve as a group. Working together as a team is what makes them the ocean's top pet in Earth. Scientifically known, the whales are a cyanosauridae, commonly referred to as killer whales. Here in SeaWorld, we know them as Katina, Trua, and McWhale family. Trua is the youngest whale at just 14 years old. SeaWorld's animals meeting techniques to create the language between us and the whales are undertaken accurately, and they're very helpful. Here in SeaWorld, there are environments like urine samples, fecal samples, x-rays, and ultrasounds. We're even able to train the whales to brush their teeth twice a week. Here in SeaWorld, we also form very strong relationships with our whales. Everything that we do with them strengthens that relationship and that bond. The very first test we're doing for our healthcare behaviors that week is a position in which we would ask for a brain blood sample. The whales learn to roll their trunk bone upside down and present us with their tail fins. Now in just a moment, we're going to see Makaio demonstrate that behavior right here at the slide I'm handing. This position gives us a great look at their entire bodies and also gives us access to blood vessels that are easily taken outside of those tail fins. We're able to collect the blood sample at least once a month, and the whales are able to remain calm and relaxed throughout the entire test. Their trainers are frequently rubbing down on the soft tissues, whether on their backs, pectoral flippers, or tail fins. The whales have very sensitive skin, and this is just one way we can reward them for remaining calm during procedures like this, and a great way for us to strengthen our relationships with whales. Another important diagnostic is weighing the whales, which we can do by asking them to slide onto a killer whale-sized scale located in one of our adjacent pools. When the whales slide up, a portion of their body from their torso into their tail fin is called the peduncle, the still of the water. It's very heavy and very muscly. In fact, natural athletes have received multiple whales with the ability to lift that portion of their body with such force. So in this example, in order to get an accurate weight, we'll simply ask the whales to lift their tails up. Upgrading this posture enables us to ensure accuracy. So we know that the younger whales are burned properly, and the older whales are retaining a healthy weight. And the care isn't just physical. Mental stimulation and play are a surprise in a game with our whales. Play is how killer whales teach their young to hunt. For the adults, play is important too. It seems that they just enjoy having fun, making time for play for us. On the left side of the stadium down by the glass. Did you know that killer whales love to play? They actually learn a lot by playing, and there may be great observational learning. From a young age, killer whales learn important life skills by playing games such as following a leader with their mother and other whales. And we're going to put that to the test today with all of you in our camping! So on the count of three, you'll spin in a circle two times. Ready? So get ready to spin. Keep your arms down by your side. And one, two, and three, and spin! So right side of the stadium, go ahead and stand up. We're going to give Jeroen and Mikaio a big cheer when we see that spy hawk. Killer whales with spy hawks are a wide variety. Sometimes it's just a matter of making sure to surprise them right. And these stumblers play using their powerful tail fins. You're about to see a demonstration. For our whales, it's a high-energy activity session. But for all of you in the audience, our story is still being written. And there are simple things we all can do to make a difference. Together, we've got this.