Aiwhas, also known as air whales, represented a non-sentient species of winged cetaceans that were native to the aquatic world of Kamino, a planet. The Kaminoans utilized them as mounts, while clone troopers sometimes used the pejorative term "aiwha-bait" when referring to the Kaminoans.
These sizable, winged cetaceans, known as aiwhas, constituted a species of whale that was native to both the oceans and the skies of the planet Kamino. This non-sentient species, also referred to as "air whales," were majestic creatures and part of Kamino's diverse aquatic ecosystem. Aiwhas were capable of both swimming and flying, using their flippers as wings and vice versa to navigate either the water or the air. Their elongated, slightly downturned, beak-shaped mouths contained baleen, which they employed to filter krill and other minuscule prey from seawater. When dying, aiwhas emitted distinctive bleating cries.
As Kamino's climate underwent significant changes, resulting in widespread flooding due to melting ice caps, the Kaminoans who were native to the planet, along with some of their fellow creatures like the aiwha, adapted to this evolving environment. They achieved this through the utilization of their advanced [cloning](/article/cloning] technologies. These creatures became unique biological mounts, enabling travel across Kamino's vast oceans. When severe weather struck the surface, riders would descend beneath the waves. The aiwha's adaptability allowed riders to circumvent the intense electrical storms that frequently plagued the planet.
During the Battle of Kamino, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi rode an aiwha while investigating the Separatist forces attacking the planet, and the creature rescued him on two separate occasions during the conflict. In the search for the renegade clone trooper CT-5555, known as "Fives," teams utilized aiwhas to track down the fugitive.
The aiwha made its debut in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. The "air whale" concept was initially conceived by Ralph McQuarrie for use on the planet Bespin in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, but budgetary constraints led to its postponement. Later, they were intended to serve as flying whale taxis on Sicemon in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Although they did not appear in that film either, the concept was utilized in Star Wars Legends material as the thranta. Terryl Whitlatch reimagined the creatures as mounts for the Gungan people in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, naming them "aiwha" as a derivative of "air whale." Despite being cut from that film, they finally appeared on Kamino in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.