Tilikum, SeaWorld's Legendary Orca and Star of 'Blackfish,' is Dying

SeaWorld published a statement Tuesday, saying the health of Tilikum, the legendary Orca whale, is seriously deteriorating as he battles an incurable bacterial infection in his lungs.

In a post on SeaWorld's official blog, officials said Tilikum has so far been resistant to treatment as veterinarians and trainers attempt to control the infection. According to staff veterinarian Dr. Scott Gearheart, treatment is proving extremely difficult.

“I wish I could say I was tremendously optimistic about Tilikum and his future but he has a disease that is chronic and progressive and at some point might cause his death," said Gearheart.

However, the SeaWorld veterinarian expressed confidence the famous whale is receiving the best possible attention at SeaWorld. “If Tilikum would have shown up with this disease in the wild, there’s no doubt in my mind that he would have been gone a long time ago," he added.

The animal, which is 35 years old, has already reached the upper end of the life expectancy scale for male orcas in the wild.

Tilikum has been at SeaWorld Orlando for 23 years and was responsible for the death of three people while in captivity. In 1991, a part-time trainer slipped into the pool in which Tilikum and two other orcas were held. The animals then dragged the woman around in the water until she died.

Killed by a whale, Tilikum's trainer Dawn Brancheau. | Photo: Reuters

Eight years later in 1999, a man that trespassed into SeaWorld after the park's official opening hours, was found dead in Tilikum's pool the next day. The last time the whale struck was in 2010, when he killed his trainer Dawn Brancheau by grabbing her after a show and pulling her into the pool.

The documentary "Blackfish" was released in 2013 and explores Tilikum's aggressive behavior, claiming that the animals experience in captivity causes high levels of stress which is to blame for their dangerous behavior.

After the documentary's release several entertainers withdrew from planned performances at SeaWorld parks, while the company suffered serious financial loss.

In a recent statement, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claims that Tilikum has been suffering "by confining him to a small concrete tank for decades, causing him to succumb to mental illness that has resulted in aggression and now to some incurable illness."