Tilikum, one of SeaWorld’s most famous killer whales, has died. The marine park announced the orca’s death on its website Friday morning.
The cause of death is still unclear, but his veterinarians and caretakers were treating him for a bacterial lung infection before he died. He was about 36 years old.
Tilikum was captured off the coast of Iceland in 1983. He was moved to SeaWorld in 1991 from another marine park in Canada.
He had been involved in the deaths of three people, including one of his trainers in 2010. In 2013, he was featured in the documentary “Blackfish,” which amplified the controversy surrounding SeaWorld’s care for its animals.
SeaWorld has not brought in a whale from the wild in decades and announced the end of its orca breeding program last year.
