As Sakari gets closer to her eight month birthday she continues to learn and develop new skills daily. She grows more and more independent each day, too! Having a very curious nature, she will often swim away from her mother, Takara, to explore environmental enrichment devices- toys and water sprayers- or even the other whales. During sessions, Sakari will stay with her own trainer to learn and play while her mom interacts with a trainer in a different location.
With each show, we laugh and applaud as our little one “takes her first steps.” Sakari has learned several new behaviors by simply following her mother. She seems to have a grasp on bows, jumping right next to her mom, but in other scenarios Sakari just leaps from the water, twisting, splashing, and evoking smiles from every onlooker. She is learning to turn upside down and wave her tail with Takara, too, but watch out! Sakari is learning to splash with that tail! If you haven’t been to a show recently, come on out and see her fun antics!
Sakari has demonstrated an interest in the trainers as well. Often the first one to come over at the start of a session, she seems eager to interact with us. She has learned to line up in front us to receive a good back rub. 
More importantly, this behavior allows us to examine her more closely. We are also teaching her to roll over. Once she learns to lay out with her belly to the sky, we will be able to teach her to lay her tail fluke in our laps. This is an essential behavior known as a fluke present which enables us to easily (and for her, voluntarily) collect blood samples that provide valuable information regarding her health and help us care for her more effectively.
While still nursing and receiving daily nutrition from her mother, Sakari now eats a steady diet of capelin. Initially she would play with pieces of fish that Takara would share with her. Where fish-smashing was once her interest, swallowing the fish whole like the big whales is the new norm. Sakari is our little ray of sunshine. Every day with her is an adventure as she discovers new things she can do, experiments with new vocalizations, learns from her mom and learns with us.
