Killer whale dies at SeaWorld park in San Antonio

Unna, an 18-year-old, 4,600-pound killer whale, died at SeaWorld in San Antonio after a months-long battle with a fungal infection.

‘Unna suffered from a resistant strain of a fungus called Candida, and the team had developed a novel treatment plan in consultation with leading medical experts around the country.

Unna is the second whale to die at SeaWorld San Antonio in as many months.

“This is an extremely hard day for the SeaWorld family and all of Unna’s many fans”, Chris Bellows, vice president of zoological operations, said in a statement.

SeaWorld has been the object of intense scrutiny for over a year, following the release of the documentary “Blackfish”. However, another orca death at such a young age goes to show that no amount of publicity can save SeaWorld from the truth – whales don’t belong in captivity.

SeaWorld, which first announced Unna’s illness in September, has sought to portray candida as a natural part of a wild orca’s life, describing it as “pervasive in the environment” and saying it is found in wild whales and other animals. A necropsy will be performed.

Producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite recently claimed her film about a captive orca called Tilikum had plunged SeaWorld into crisis, with falling attendances and profits. There is also a park in Orlando.

SeaWorld said the attendance dip was due to “brand challenges and is being addressed through the company’s reputation campaign, which is created to share facts and correct misinformation”.

SeaWorld is also planning new attractions and changes to its pricing.