Dolphin Dies At SeaWorld Orlando's Aquatica
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
ORLANDO (CBSMiami) - A Commerson dolphin from SeaWorld Orlando's Aquatica has died.
On the park's Facebook page, they say Betsy was recently relocated from SeaWorld San Diego, along with two long companions, to Orlando to be with more of her own species.
The park said Betsy had been under 24-hour veterinary care for the last few days as she was eating inconsistently and "appeared to have a gastrointestinal issue." She died in an off-exhibit medical pool. A necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Aquatica features a waterslide tube that goes through the Commerson's dolphin habitat. Visitors can also see the dolphins as they float on the Loggerhead Lane lazy river, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
According to the theme park's website, "a Commerson's coloration consists of mainly black on the head, fin and flipper regions and mostly white in the other areas of the body. The dorsal fin is small and rounded at the tip and the beak is small or unnoticeable."
One of the smallest dolphin species in the world Commerson's are found in shallow, coastal waters from the tip of South America, through the Strait of Magellan, around the Falkland Islands and the Kerguelen Islands.
Betsy died at the age of 33. The published life span for Commerson's dolphins is up to 18 years, SeaWorld said, citing the Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World and Walker's Mammals of the World.
