Kiska, ‘World’s Loneliest’ Orca And Last Captive Whale dies after 40 years of captivity

Kiska, ‘World’s Loneliest’ Orca And Last Captive Whale dies after 40 years of captivity

Kiska, the last captive killer whale in Canada, died Thursday at MarineLand, a theme park in Ontario, according to CBC. She was believed to be about 47 years old.

Kiska was captured in Icelandic waters in 1979 alongside Keiko, the orca seen in the 1993 movie “Free Willy.” The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals described Kiska as “the world’s loneliest orca,” per Reuters. The organization said her life was characterized by “tragedy after tragedy,” as all five of her calves died before the age of 7.

“It is heartbreaking to know that Kiska will never have the chance to be relocated to a whale sanctuary, and experience the freedom that she so deeply deserved,” Camille Labchuk, executive director of the Canadian nonprofit group Animal Justice, told CBC.

As per the animal rights organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), “Kiska the orca has died from a bacterial infection at Marineland of Canada in Ontario.”

The group further added that “she spent her final years isolated in a cramped tank, swimming in endless circles or sometimes floating listlessly. Like all orcas and other dolphins held prisoner in marine parks and exploited for entertainment, she deserved to stay in the ocean with her family, where she could have experienced a natural life.”

Kiska outlived all five of her calves, who sadly died before even reaching five years of age. In the wild, orcas, on average, have a life expectancy of 30 to 50 years. For males, the maximum life expectancy is 60 years, while for females it is 80 years.