Aiwha/Legends

Aiwha were flying cetacean creatures that lived on the planets Kamino and Naboo. They could use their wing-fins to either propel themselves through water or to soar through the skies. Majestic cetaceans that could take to the air, aiwhas could be found in the churning oceans of the planet Kamino, where they had been domesticated as mounts by the native Kaminoans. The creatures were strong swimmers, able to launch themselves from the cresting waves and then continue their momentum in flight.



Aiwhas and similar creatures could be found on several worlds, including the planet Naboo. There, they lived in medium-size "pods," feeding on surface-dwelling krill and the fishes found in the huge Naboo lakes. Like other cetaceans, aiwhas filtered food through the sieve-plates in their baleen. The Gungans of Naboo had domesticated aiwhas to accept mounts and provide airborne transportation. Aiwhas employed a water-vascular system that allowed them to control their relative density. When they needed to swim underwater, their spongy tissues absorbed water. When flight was required, they expelled this water and shed it to lighten themselves.

While some believed the aiwhas on Kamino to have been imported from Naboo, others speculated that this particular breed was entirely the result of cloning technology.

Behind the scenes

 * The word "aiwha" is a deliberate corruption of "air whale".
 * The aiwhas have existed, in one form or another, for over 20 years, but they've only recently been incorporated into a Star Wars movie. Concept illustrator Ralph McQuarrie drew flying whales to populate Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back, but they were a casualty of budget and effects limitations. They resurfaced as transports in Return of the Jedi, but were ultimately replaced with the more practical sail barge and skiffs. For The Phantom Menace, the aiwhas returned as Gungan mounts, but were again dropped from the finished film. For Attack of the Clones, they were also to be possible mounts for the Geonosians before finally finding a home on Kamino.
 * The aiwha bears a striking similarity to the thrantas of Alderaan, but the two species share no known in-universe relation.

Appearances

 * Republic Commando: Triple Zero
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Republic 50: The Battle of Kamino
 * Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Odds
 * Bloodlines