Ferdinand the Beluga Whale
Our Amazing Adventure
Ferdinand (1969 – 15 December 2023), a whale at SeaWorld San Diego — who was said to have been the oldest beluga in any zoo around the world — has died, park officials announced on social media. He was believed to be about 53 years old.
Ferdinand came to San Diego from Germany in 2004.
In 2017, Mark and I won a silent auction item that included an experience with Ferdinand in the icy waters of his SeaWorld enclosure.
It was magical.
SeaWorld provided all the necessary gear - wetsuit and booties - to plunge into the 55-degree water.
Hold up. “55 degrees?!”
The trainer informed us that we would hardly feel the cold as soon as we met Ferdinand.
The trainer was right. As soon as we stepped into the water and saw Ferdinand, a feeling of joy swept over us and we paid no mind to the cold
If it can be said that a 2,000-pound creature is cute, it was certainly the case with Ferdinand!
I noticed a few scrapes along his body. The trainer said they were teeth marks from females as a way of saying “come hither.” Apparently Ferdie had quite a bevy of female admirers. He was a wild and sexy guy!
He patiently posed with us and was a bit rubbery to the touch.
He even planted a kiss on us.
This one-ton sweetheart stole our hearts.
We were saddened to hear of his passing. But we feel fortunate that we had a chance to frolic with him in the water.
RIP Ferdinand.