Kshamenk beaches himself while his trainers look on at Mundo Marino.

Kshamenk supporters celebrated a victory of sorts in August of 2002 when Argentinean authorities refused to allow the export of this killer whale to Six Flags' Worlds of Adventure Park in Ohio. This decision set an important precedent concerning the trade of wild animals whose origins are in question. Yet for Kshamenk, nothing has really changed over the past year. He is still an unwilling participant in Mundo Marino's marine mammal exhibit, swimming in circles, alone in his tank. The Free Kshamenk Foundation is fighting for the orca's permanent retirement from performing and hopes that soon they will be able to celebrate another victory by releasing Kshamenk back into his ocean home. While it is too early to tell if Kshamenk will be able to completely adapt to life in the wild or will require some assistance, the Foundation has pledged its continued support to Kshamenk, regardless of how far his journey takes him.

Kshamenk, an approximately 16-year-old male killer whale, was captured along with three other orcas by the amusement park Mundo Marino off the coast of Argentina in 1992. While Mundo Marino continues to claim that they "rescued" Kshamenk from a local beach, evidence has come to light that proves that Kshamenk, along with three of his pod members, were violently captured through a forced stranding. Mundo Marino caused the four orcas to beach themselves by tying a net between to boats and driving them to shore. One whale, who was too large for the capture crew to handle, was released. A second whale died while being transported to Mundo Marino's facilities and the third rammed into the concrete walls of his tank repeatedly until he died. Kshamenk was the sole survivor.

For a time, Kshamenk shared his small tank with a female orca named Belen, but has lived in isolation following her death in 2000. For killer whales, a highly social marine mammal that spends its life traveling and interacting with its pod, being kept in isolation is perhaps the cruelest aspect of captivity. After several years spent alone in his tank, Kshamenk is known as uncooperative, sexually frustrated, angry and depressed.

Kshamenk supporters are calling for Argentinean authorities to confiscate this orca on the grounds that he was illegally captured. They are requesting custody of Kshamenk so that he can be retired from the rigors of performing. And they hope that he might even be able to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild off the coast of Argentina.

Advocates argue that Kshamenk may be a potential candidate for release as he was at least five or six years old when caught, which means he is well equipped with the natural survival skills of a killer whale, such as foraging, navigating and communicating with other orcas. Furthermore, Kshamenk has proven to be hostile to his trainers and has demonstrated time and time again that he wants nothing to do with people. This means that Kshamenk is highly unlikely to seek out human contact once he is released.

WSPA encourages its members to support the efforts of the Free Kshamenk Foundation by sending a letter to the newly elected president of Argentina, Sr. Nestor Kirchner, urging him to support the Foundation's efforts to retire Kshamenk and assess his candidacy for release. Argentina has the unique opportunity to right the injustice that has been done to Kshamenk and your letters can make a difference.

Please send your letter to: ceciliao@fibertel.com.ar or, to learn more about the efforts to free Kshamenk, visit: http://www.geocities.com/freekshamenk/