Katina, the ‘beloved’ killer whale of SeaWorld, passed away at the age of 50.
The animal theme park, SeaWorld Orlando, announced the death of their 50-year-old orca on social media on Sunday, December 21.
SeaWorld wrote in a post on Facebook, “Our SeaWorld family is mourning the loss of one of our beloved killer whales, Katina. Her health had begun to significantly decline as she entered her geriatric years. Over the last several weeks, our animal care and medical teams have worked around the clock to closely monitor her declining health.”
“As her condition worsened, the decision was made to prioritise her comfort and welfare. Despite everyone’s extraordinary efforts, she passed away while surrounded by animal care and medical teams who have worked closely with her for nearly 40 years,” it added.
As per the park, Katina was a fun-loving orca who loved sticking her tongue out and creating huge water cyclones with her “speed swims.”
SeaWorld said, “For many wonderful years, Katina awed and inspired millions of our guests to appreciate and learn more about this amazing species. This is an incredibly difficult time for those who knew and loved Katina. We appreciate the support of the community as we grieve her loss together with her loyal fans everywhere.”
Katina was captured near Iceland in 1978 when she was just 3 years old. She went on to become the most successful breeding orca in captivity at SeaWorld Orlando.
