Blackfish orca Tilikum dies at SeaWorld Orlando

Tilikum, an orca whale.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The SeaWorld theme park announced Friday that Tilikum, the orca featured in the Blackfish documentary in 2013, has died.

In 2013, CNN released the documentary Blackfish, in which Tilikum was heavily featured. The film turned popular opinion against keeping orcas in captivity, prompting heavy backlash against the SeaWorld parks; in March 2016, SeaWorld announced the end of its orca breeding program, meaning the current generation of whales under the park's care at its three U.S. locations will be the last.

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Tilikum was estimated to be 36 years old and had sired 14 calves in his 23 years in Orlando. While the cause of death is yet to be determined, he had been battling a persistent lung infection. With his death, there are now 22 orcas remaining under the care of SeaWorld parks.

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Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.