SAN DIEGO — An 11-year-old killer whale injured during a show at SeaWorld in San Diego continues to recuperate but is currently not performing in the Shamu Show, SeaWorld said Wednesday.
Nakai, a male, suffered a deep gash to his lower jaw during a show with two other orcas Sept. 20.
The injury occurred when the animal accidentally scraped his jaw on the side of the pool, SeaWorld officials say. But the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has suggested it was the result of a fight with other killer whales. A blogger at GrindTV.com posted graphic photos of the injured whale on Monday.
“The lives of orcas at SeaWorld consist of privation, stress, injury and premature death,” said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. The group has called for an investigation by the Department of Agriculture, which inspects animal parks.
But in a statement, SeaWorld said that its methods of care “exceed standards set by the (federal) Animal Welfare Act. There is no organization more passionately committed to the physical, mental and social care and well-being of animals than SeaWorld.”
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