Tilikum, the Killer Whale Featured in ‘Blackfish,’ Dies

Tilikum, the captive orca who killed a trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., in 2010 and later became the subject of the documentary “Blackfish,” died on Friday.

The whale had been suffering from a persistent infection from a bacteria found in wild habitats and natural settings, but the exact cause of death will be determined by a necropsy, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment said in a statement. The orca, a male estimated to be about 36 years old, had been kept by the organization for 25 years.

“While today is a difficult day for the SeaWorld family, it’s important to remember that Tilikum lived a long and enriching life while at SeaWorld and inspired millions of people to care about this amazing species,” the statement said.

“Tilikum had, and will continue to have, a special place in the hearts of the SeaWorld family, as well as the millions of people all over the world that he inspired,” said the president of SeaWorld, Joel Manby.

Tilikum’s caretakers had said in March that the whale was afflicted with the infection that was likely to lead to his death. The whale was at the center of an orca breeding program that SeaWorld ended last year.

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 Heartbreaking news. SeaWorld has announced the passing of Tilikum #RIPTilikum #Blackfish 

The company also ended its killer whale performances in San Diego, where state lawmakers had brought intense pressure on the company after the documentary’s release.

With the death of Tilikum, SeaWorld now holds 22 orcas at its three facilities in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego.

SeaWorld also noted that Tilikum was “inextricably connected” with the death of his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in 2010. “While we all experienced profound sadness about that loss, we continued to offer Tilikum the best care possible, each and every day, from the country’s leading experts in marine mammals,” the SeaWorld statement said.

Tilikum bit down on the ponytail of Ms. Brancheau, his 40-year-old trainer, before dragging her underwater and killing her. After her death, SeaWorld conducted an extensive review that resulted in trainers further isolating themselves from the animals for safety.

In 2013, the documentary “Blackfish” examined Ms. Brancheau’s death by looking at the mental state of whales that are taken from their pods in the wild and raised at marine parks. But SeaWorld pushed back against the film’s claims that the whales in captivity suffer physical and mental distress because of confinement.

Tilikum has also been connected with the deaths of two other people: Keltie Byrne, a 21-year-old student and part-time trainer who slipped into a pool containing Tilikum and two other orcas in 1991, and Daniel P. Dukes, a 27-year-old man who slipped into SeaWorld after hours in 1999.

Mr. Dukes was found dead, draped over Tilikum’s back.

Tilikum came to SeaWorld in 1991 from Sealand of the Pacific in Canada, and the organization said it had not collected a whale from the wild in nearly 40 years.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/science/tilikum-dead-seaworld-whale-blackfish.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=sectionfront