‘Dying at 30 is not normal:’ SeaWorld announces death of Kayla the orca

Kayla didn’t make it.

The 30-year-old orca at SeaWorld Orlando has died, theme park officials announced Monday.

The killer whale died early Monday.

Officials said she had been “showing signs of discomfort” starting Saturday.

“Although animal care specialists and veterinarians devoted around the clock attention to Kayla, she did not survive,” read a statement. “While today is a difficult day for all of us at SeaWorld, Kayla inspired generations of guests and employees to care and learn more about this amazing species.”

Kayla was born at SeaWorld San Antonio and spent about two years there before moving to now shuttered SeaWorld Ohio, ending up in Orlando in 2006.

According to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, female orcas live an average of 50 years but can live up to 90 years.

Dr. Naomi Rose, a marine-mammal scientist at the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute told The Orlando Sentinel Kayla was in the “prime of life.”

“That’s like literally being a 30-year-old woman,” Rose told the news outlet. “Dying at 30 is not normal.”

The enormous mammal will undergo a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death.

SeaWorld has been under a microscope since the 2013 documentary “Blackfish,” which focused on orca Tilikum who died in captivity in January 2017 after being associated with the 2010 drowning death of trainer Dawn Brancheau.

Soon after the movie’s backlash, the theme park stopped breeding killer whales in 2016.

Five orcas remain at the Central Florida park.

This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 4:26 PM.