The orca Morgan, who arrived at the park on the 29th of November by decision of a Dutch Court, has begun her process of integration with the rest of the group, and after getting used to the facilities she has joined the two females Skyla and Kohana. This socialization process is coordinated by the trainers and veterinarians of the park and it is done gradually and progressively, all the while studying vocal behaviours to ensure her welfare. In fact, during these first 3 weeks with the group her vocal behaviour is getting more natural and she is increasing her vocalizations underwater, while reducing the emission of sounds above the water.
During her firsts days in Tenerife, Morgan has also shared time with the baby orca Adán and she will be gradually united with all the specimens of the orca family of Loro Parque, with whom she is establishing the social bonds essential for her proper development. This process includes different steps of approach and social adjustments that will be more common as the animals settle and organize the hierarchy according to their positions. This hierarchical organization is a natural process which constantly occurs In social animals, such as the orcas, dolphins or primates. “Her change of behaviour has been remarkable from the first moment she began to be in contact with the others, and in fact she is constantly playing and swimming with them, and anyone who sees her with the rest of group will realize how happy she is and how important it is for orcas to establish social bonds” explained Dr. Javier Almunia, Deputy Director of Loro Parque Foundation.
The orca Morgan currently weighs more than a ton and eats more than 30 kilos of fish per day. This amount of fish is higher than before and it has been increased to meet the energetic needs that she has now, as a result of the improvement of her physical activity and social interaction.
