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On Wednesday, Amaya, the 6-year-old orca, started showing signs of an illness so animal care specialists and veterinarians began treating her, SeaWorld said in a statement.
Almost 24 hours later, SeaWorld said, she died with her animal care specialists by her side.
“Despite her care team’s efforts, Amaya’s condition continued to decline rapidly. Her death was sudden and unexpected,” SeaWorld said.
The name Amaya means “night rain,” the website said, and credited the young whale with helping SeaWorld “gather and share critical information about calf development for researchers studying wild populations.”
The exact cause of death is unknown but a post-mortem exam is being done and results may take several weeks, according to SeaWorld.
SeaWorld San Diego now has nine orcas in its care. CNN has reached out to SeaWorld for more information on its captive orca program.