In 1990, when Nanuq was just 6 years old, he was torn away from his home waters in Manitoba, Canada. In the wild, belugas live together in small groups known as pods. They are social animals and communicate with each other using a language of clicks, whistles, and clangs. But Nanuq was trapped and would never see or communicate with his pod again.
A beluga whale, Nanuq, who was on loan to under-fire SeaWorld has died after fracturing his jaw during an 'interaction' with two other whales and later contracting an infection, it has emerged.Moved to Orlando Seaworld in 1997 for breeding purposes
Nanuq, who was around 31 or 32 years old, entertained millions of visitors at the firm's Orlando, Florida, theme park while on a long-term breeding loan from Canada's Vancouver Aquarium.
But during a recent encounter with two of the three beluga whales he lived with, the 2200lbs marine creature suffered a fractured jaw. He later developed an infection and passed away on Thursday.
Although Nanuq had been undergoing treatment for the infection at the time of his death, a post-mortem examination has been arranged to confirm the cause. The results are expected in weeks.
Tragic: Nanuq the beluga whale has died after fracturing his jaw and later contracting an infection
Celebrity meeting: The marine creature, who was 31 or 32 years old, entertained millions of visitors at the firm's theme park in Orlando, Florida. He previously resided at SeaWorld San Diego
Deadly interaction? During a recent encounter with two of the three beluga whales he lived with, Nanuq suffered a fractured jaw. He later developed an infection and passed away on Thursday Feb 19th
It comes just a month after SeaWorld's chief executive resigned following low visitor numbers in the wake of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which criticized the firm's treatment of killer whales.
Jim Atchison, who had served as CEO and president since 2009, stepped down in January amid accusations that the company's treatment of killer whales may have led to the deaths of trainers.
For two years prior to 2010, Nanuq was part of an intensive experimental artificial insemination program at SeaWorld and was removed from the water approximately 42 times so that workers could collect sperm samples. He has seven living offspring—he fathered 13 babies, but six died at birth or shortly thereafter.
Many belugas at SeaWorld are forced to perform stupid tricks over and over.
While the official cause of Nanuq’s death is not yet known, one thing is clear: Humans took Nanuq’s life away from him on the day that they captured him 25 years ago and sentenced him to a stress-filled, lonely existence in concrete pools.
A beluga whale, Nanuq, who was on loan to under-fire SeaWorld has died after fracturing his jaw during an 'interaction' with two other whales and later contracting an infection, it has emerged.Moved to Orlando Seaworld in 1997 for breeding purposes
Nanuq, who was around 31 or 32 years old, entertained millions of visitors at the firm's Orlando, Florida, theme park while on a long-term breeding loan from Canada's Vancouver Aquarium.
But during a recent encounter with two of the three beluga whales he lived with, the 2200lbs marine creature suffered a fractured jaw. He later developed an infection and passed away on Thursday.
Although Nanuq had been undergoing treatment for the infection at the time of his death, a post-mortem examination has been arranged to confirm the cause. The results are expected in weeks.
Tragic: Nanuq the beluga whale has died after fracturing his jaw and later contracting an infection
Celebrity meeting: The marine creature, who was 31 or 32 years old, entertained millions of visitors at the firm's theme park in Orlando, Florida. He previously resided at SeaWorld San Diego
Deadly interaction? During a recent encounter with two of the three beluga whales he lived with, Nanuq suffered a fractured jaw. He later developed an infection and passed away on Thursday Feb 19th
It comes just a month after SeaWorld's chief executive resigned following low visitor numbers in the wake of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which criticized the firm's treatment of killer whales.
Jim Atchison, who had served as CEO and president since 2009, stepped down in January amid accusations that the company's treatment of killer whales may have led to the deaths of trainers.
For two years prior to 2010, Nanuq was part of an intensive experimental artificial insemination program at SeaWorld and was removed from the water approximately 42 times so that workers could collect sperm samples. He has seven living offspring—he fathered 13 babies, but six died at birth or shortly thereafter.
Many belugas at SeaWorld are forced to perform stupid tricks over and over.
While the official cause of Nanuq’s death is not yet known, one thing is clear: Humans took Nanuq’s life away from him on the day that they captured him 25 years ago and sentenced him to a stress-filled, lonely existence in concrete pools.
In 1990, when Nanuq was just 6 years old, he was torn away from his home waters in Manitoba, Canada. In the wild, belugas live together in small groups known as pods. They are social animals and communicate with each other using a language of clicks, whistles, and clangs. But Nanuq was trapped and would never see or communicate with his pod again.
A beluga whale, Nanuq, who was on loan to under-fire SeaWorld has died after fracturing his jaw during an 'interaction' with two other whales and later contracting an infection, it has emerged.Moved to Orlando Seaworld in 1997 for breeding purposes
Nanuq, who was around 31 or 32 years old, entertained millions of visitors at the firm's Orlando, Florida, theme park while on a long-term breeding loan from Canada's Vancouver Aquarium.
But during a recent encounter with two of the three beluga whales he lived with, the 2200lbs marine creature suffered a fractured jaw. He later developed an infection and passed away on Thursday.
Although Nanuq had been undergoing treatment for the infection at the time of his death, a post-mortem examination has been arranged to confirm the cause. The results are expected in weeks.
Tragic: Nanuq the beluga whale has died after fracturing his jaw and later contracting an infection
Celebrity meeting: The marine creature, who was 31 or 32 years old, entertained millions of visitors at the firm's theme park in Orlando, Florida. He previously resided at SeaWorld San Diego
Deadly interaction? During a recent encounter with two of the three beluga whales he lived with, Nanuq suffered a fractured jaw. He later developed an infection and passed away on Thursday Feb 19th
It comes just a month after SeaWorld's chief executive resigned following low visitor numbers in the wake of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which criticized the firm's treatment of killer whales.
Jim Atchison, who had served as CEO and president since 2009, stepped down in January amid accusations that the company's treatment of killer whales may have led to the deaths of trainers.
For two years prior to 2010, Nanuq was part of an intensive experimental artificial insemination program at SeaWorld and was removed from the water approximately 42 times so that workers could collect sperm samples. He has seven living offspring—he fathered 13 babies, but six died at birth or shortly thereafter.
Many belugas at SeaWorld are forced to perform stupid tricks over and over.
While the official cause of Nanuq’s death is not yet known, one thing is clear: Humans took Nanuq’s life away from him on the day that they captured him 25 years ago and sentenced him to a stress-filled, lonely existence in concrete pools.
A beluga whale, Nanuq, who was on loan to under-fire SeaWorld has died after fracturing his jaw during an 'interaction' with two other whales and later contracting an infection, it has emerged.Moved to Orlando Seaworld in 1997 for breeding purposes
Nanuq, who was around 31 or 32 years old, entertained millions of visitors at the firm's Orlando, Florida, theme park while on a long-term breeding loan from Canada's Vancouver Aquarium.
But during a recent encounter with two of the three beluga whales he lived with, the 2200lbs marine creature suffered a fractured jaw. He later developed an infection and passed away on Thursday.
Although Nanuq had been undergoing treatment for the infection at the time of his death, a post-mortem examination has been arranged to confirm the cause. The results are expected in weeks.
Tragic: Nanuq the beluga whale has died after fracturing his jaw and later contracting an infection
Celebrity meeting: The marine creature, who was 31 or 32 years old, entertained millions of visitors at the firm's theme park in Orlando, Florida. He previously resided at SeaWorld San Diego
Deadly interaction? During a recent encounter with two of the three beluga whales he lived with, Nanuq suffered a fractured jaw. He later developed an infection and passed away on Thursday Feb 19th
It comes just a month after SeaWorld's chief executive resigned following low visitor numbers in the wake of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which criticized the firm's treatment of killer whales.
Jim Atchison, who had served as CEO and president since 2009, stepped down in January amid accusations that the company's treatment of killer whales may have led to the deaths of trainers.
For two years prior to 2010, Nanuq was part of an intensive experimental artificial insemination program at SeaWorld and was removed from the water approximately 42 times so that workers could collect sperm samples. He has seven living offspring—he fathered 13 babies, but six died at birth or shortly thereafter.
Many belugas at SeaWorld are forced to perform stupid tricks over and over.
While the official cause of Nanuq’s death is not yet known, one thing is clear: Humans took Nanuq’s life away from him on the day that they captured him 25 years ago and sentenced him to a stress-filled, lonely existence in concrete pools.
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