Photo: Getty Images
The youngest orca at SeaWorld San Diego has suddenly died from an illness, reports CNN.
Amaya, the 6-year-old orca, started showing signs of an illness on Wednesday, August 18.
Animal care specialists and veterinarians began treating her, according to a statement from the theme park.
"Despite her care team's efforts, Amaya's condition continued to decline rapidly. Her death was sudden and unexpected," said SeaWorld.
The exact cause of death is still unknown but a post-mortem exam is being and done and results are expected to take several weeks.
The name Amaya means "night rain" and they credited the whale with helping SeaWorld "gather and share critical information about calf development for researchers studying wild populations."
Amaya lived at the theme park with her mother and father Kalia and Ulises. The park said she was one of the most playful whales in the pod and enjoyed interacting with her aminal care specialists.
Her death comes years after SeaWorld announced it would be ending its orca breeding program in 2016 after it came under fire for how it treated orcas in captivity.
They said they would be moving away from theatrical killer whale shows and toward educational programs.
SeaWorld San Diego currently has nine orcas in its care.