SeaWorld orca euthanized

Photo: The Canadian Press

SeaWorld euthanized one of the entertainment company's last killer whales to come from the wild, marking the third orca death this year at one of its marine parks.

Kasatka died Tuesday evening "surrounded by members of her pod, as well as the veterinarians and caretakers who loved her," after battling lung disease for years, the company said in a statement. Veterinarians at its San Diego park made the difficult decision to euthanize her after her health started to decline in recent days despite treatment, which included a custom-built inhaler that allowed the medicine to go directly to her lungs.

She was estimated to be 42 years old — SeaWorld's second-oldest orca after Corky, which is believed to be 53. Female orcas typically live about 50 years, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration figures.

Kristi Burtis, an orca behaviourist, spent years working with Kasatka.

"Although I am heartbroken, I am grateful for the special time we had together and for the difference she has made for wild orcas by all that we have learned from her," Burtis said in a statement. "I adored Kasatka and loved sharing her with millions of people. I will miss her very much."

SeaWorld has not collected a wild orca in nearly 40 years, and most of its orcas were born in captivity. Kasatka was captured near Iceland in 1978.