Kotar was one of the youngest orcas to be captured, barely one year old. He went to Saedyrasafnid first and then later was sent to SeaWorld San Diego. When he arrived at SeaWorld, he was put in the petting pool due to his young age and gentle personality. He enjoyed his time there, since he was really playful.

18 months after arriving at SeaWorld San Diego, Kotar was later sent to SeaWorld Orlando for perfomances; he was doing fine there and got along with everyone.

In 1987, Orlando got more orcas, one of them was a transient bull, called Kanduke*. Kotar didn't get along with him and attacked the much bigger male, causing a serious injury to Kanduke's* genitals. Decisions were made to send Kotar to the new park in Texas; there he met many females but no male he had to compete with.

Within 3 years, he fathered 4 calves. Sadly just one of them was born, his daughter Takara and soon he met his old friend from Florida, Kalina*. They got along well and Kalina* soon expected her first calf; Kotar had impregnated her at the early age of 6. He fathered even more calves, 3 of them are still alive to this day: Takara, Keet and Keto.

Kotar's death was one of the most tragic death in captivity. Over the years he learned how to open the gates and on April 1, 1995 he did it again, but this time the gate crashed down on his head causing a broken skull. Kotar was a very playful orca and his personality passed on his offspring, especially Takara and her children.

At San Diego, Robyn Waayers, a visitor to the park when Kotar was still in the petting pool noticed that "Kotar quickly learned to slide up on his side on the first ledge for petting, then started perching on it with his head out of the water. Got lots of fish and pets that way! Then he learned to swim fast and perch with head and flippers completely out of the water on the SECOND high ledge! He looked like he was jumping OUT of the pool when he would do this, and it was very startling, to say the least! When he was doing this, (and halfway out of the pool) people would of course get over their fright and come to pet him. THEN, when people were in range, he would squirt them with water that he had secretly stored in his mouth, seemingly loving the squeals and screams this brought on!
This was untrained behavior, and I thought it really showed how intelligent he was, AND that he had a sense of humor! He was the only whale that did this, by the way..."

- Kotar is a member of the Dravidian people living in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India
- Pronunciation of Kotar: " Koh-Tor"
- Blood Type: 100% Icelandic

Kotar's extended family is unknown due to the lack of information about Icelandic Orcas however we do know his captive family: