Killer Whale Dies At SeaWorld

Wednesday, April 6, 2005
SAN DIEGO, CA - A killer whale named Splash who became ill last week died yesterday at SeaWorld. Veterinarians at the park were scheduled yesterday to perform a necropsy – the name given to an autopsy performed on an animal – on the 15-year-old male orca to determine the cause of death, said SeaWorld public relations manager Dave Koontz.

"The whole park is very sad," Koontz said.

Splash has been at SeaWorld since 1992. He was born in captivity in 1989 at a marine park in Canada.

For most of its life, the whale suffered from epilepsy and was given medication daily to treat the ailment, Koontz said.

Late last week, the whale's health began to deteriorate and his appetite dramatically dropped. The orca was subsequently treated with antibiotics, but his condition worsened.

"It was a slow deterioration," Koontz said. "He passed quietly."

Results of lab tests done as part of the necropsy won't be known for at least a few weeks, he said. Splash is the first killer whale to die at SeaWorld since Bjossa, a 25-year-old female died in October 2001 from complications of a lung infection.

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune