I often get asked what the deal with the name "Kasatka" is, and why I picked it as my handle on the web. Well, here's everything you wanted to more about Kasatka, and probably a whole lot more than you wanted to know.

First off, pronounciation. It's Kah - SAHT - kah. The SAHT part rhymes with bought or fought or lot... you get the picture. The kah part rhymes with um... er... It's like you're saying "car" but without the R. Got it? Goodies, let's move on.

Kasatka at Sea World of California, with her 4 1/2 month old son, Nakai.

Kasatka is the Russian word for "killer whale." Well, okay, no, it isn't. As my Russian friend explained to me, "Kasatka" is technically the word for "darling" and it's also the name of a type of bird. "Kosatka" is the proper name for "killer whale" in Russian. But he said most Russians don't even understand the difference, so kasatka is just fine because people will know what you're talking about. The Russian military even has a helicopter named the Kasatka - whether they're referring to the bird or the whale is beyond me.

So where did I hear about it? I was watching TV once when I was 12, just as I began my orca obsession. There was a show about animals and the people that worked with them. Trainer Sharon Veitz was on there featured with Kasatka, who was giving birth to her daughter Takara. That's the first time I ever heard the name, and I thought it sounded so pretty. Of course, at the time, I thought it was spelled "Kasadka," but I figured it out a year or two later.

Kasatka (L-82), as a calf.

So, Kasatka number 1 is an orca at Sea World of California. She has two offspring. Her first is a daughter named Takara, born in 1991. Her second is a son, named Nakai, born in 2001. Kasatka recently became a grandmother with the birth of a female calf in 2002 to her daughter Takara. She is the third captive orca grandmother in history, but probably what she is most famous for is that she is the first marine mammal to become pregnant via artificial insemination. That procedure resulted in the birth of Nakai.

There's another Kasatka. She is a wild orca born on July 11th, 1990 and techinically referred to as L-82. She lives off the coast of Washington state and British Columbia, one of the three resident pods there. Currently she does not have any siblings. Her brother, Bernardo (L-96), died when he was only 2 years old.

Kasatka (L-82), as a juvenile.

Kasatka (L-82) is rather special because she is one of the few orcas observed shortly after birth, and therefore researchers can confirm a definite birthdate for her. After she was born, the other pod members roughed her up and tossed her into the air a few times before swimming off. Researchers speculate that she may have been lethargic after birth and needed stimulation. I suppose this is like spanking a baby when it is born.

Since Kasatka is the name I go by on the internet, I decided to adopt this orca from the Whale Museum. So she's pretty special to me.

Why did I pick this name? I honestly don't have any really good reasons. I got on the 'net back in, oh, I guess it was around 1995 or so. I needed a name to go by, and I liked the way Kasatka sounded. I've always had a fascination with names that were unusual. And it was cool because it also meant "orca," and I wanted to associate myself with orcas. As most people think, however, I didn't pick it because Kasatka is my favorite orca at Sea World or in the wild.