Pilot whale passes away at SeaWorld Orlando, faced persistent health concerns
ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - SeaWorld Orlando announced that on Saturday, one of their rescued pilot whales passed away.
The pilot whale, who was named Fredi, was a part of a mass stranding of 23 pilot whales that the SeaWorld Rescue Team and partners responded to in 2011 near Cudjoe Key, SeaWorld said in a blog post. Their team was on site for two months assisting with the rescue operations.
During this operation, Fredi was deemed non-releasable by NOAA Fisheries due to her young age. SeaWorld then provided her with a permanent home and outstanding care for the past eight years. Unfortunately though, SeaWorld said that full recovery is not always guaranteed. Fredi continued to face health issues since her initial stranding.
SeaWorld continued, saying that veterinarians recently found that she had an infection. She was treated with an aggressive anti-microbial treatment, but her health and quality of life declined nonetheless. She eventually was no longer responding to treatment and passed away.
There are three other pilot whales at SeaWorld Orlando. They were rescued and rehabilitated from a stranding that occurred a year after Fredi's mass stranding.
To learn more about Fredi, visit the SeaWorld Orlando blog.
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