From The Orlando Sentinel (via Canada.com):
A 9-year-old killer whale at the center of an international custody dispute between a Canadian marine park and industry giant SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment was transferred to SeaWorld San Diego over the weekend.
The overnight transport took place Saturday evening, just 24 hours after a U.S. judge denied a request from Niagara Falls, Ontario-based Marineland for an injunction that would have blocked SeaWorld from taking the whale, which is named “Ikaika” but nicknamed “Ike.”
SeaWorld had loaned Ike to Marineland about five years ago as part of a breeding exchange in which SeaWorld received four beluga whales. But Orlando-based SeaWorld informed the smaller park late last year that it intended to cancel the agreement once its initial term was up. Marineland had refused to relinquish the animal, arguing that SeaWorld did not have the authority to unilaterally cancel the agreement and that the two parties always intended Ike to remain long-term at the Canadian park.