Meet One Of The Last Baby Orcas Who Will Ever Grow Up At SeaWorld

On Thursday, SeaWorld announced that it will no longer be breeding orcas in captivity, starting immediately.

This news is huge, and means that no more whales will be forced to breed or be taken away from their babies too soon - and that the most recent orca born at SeaWorld was one of the very last.

That calf, Amaya, was born at SeaWorld San Diego on December 2, 2014. Her mother, Kaila, was also born in captivity, in December 2004. Amaya's name means "night rain," and was chosen because she was born during a rainstorm.

Amaya's arrival was highly publicized, and SeaWorld has since released updates about the young calf, including a video of her interacting with other whales.

Kamea at SeaWorld San Antonio and Makani at SeaWorld San Diego are the two other most recent whales to be born at SeaWorld. Amaya and Makani often interact with one another, and will grow up together and make history as two of the last orcas to ever live at SeaWorld.

But there might be one more arrival. Takara, a 24-year-old female who lives at San Antonio and was cruelly separated from her own mother, Kasatka, at a young age, is currently pregnant, and her calf will possibly be the last orca born into captivity at SeaWorld.

Of course, unless more progress is made, Amaya and the other calves will still have to live out their entire lives in captivity. But at least now we know that she will be one of the last orcas subjected to life at SeaWorld.