Facebook / SeaWorld San Antonio
A mother dolphin and her calf swim alongside one another at a SeaWorld park.
On Wednesday, SeaWorld San Antonio released a Facebook statement revealing that a Pacific white-sided dolphin calf had died in its captivity.
"Despite our round-the-clock care and attention, and the tremendous efforts of our dedicated animal care team, she did not survive," park officials wrote in the post.
Park officials added that the newborn's mother, Piquet, is "acting normal" despite the loss and being closely monitored by an animal-care team to ensure her well-being.
Both dolphins and whales have been known to show signs of depression following the death of a loved one. Sometimes have been spotted carrying a deceased family member for days on their back, according to a 2018 study published in academic journal Zoology.
In a Thursday statement, PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman slammed SeaWorld, San Antonio, blaming the park for the dolphin's untimely death.
"With this baby's death, SeaWorld has added one more extinguished life to its tally of more than 500 dolphins and whales who have died, many prematurely, deprived of any opportunity to dive deep, swim free in the ocean, or see anything outside the dismal concrete prison cells they're confined to," Reiman said.
PETA also called on the aquatic marine park to end its breeding program and release its cetaceans into seaside sanctuaries.
SeaWorld San Antonio didn't elaborate on the infant dolphin's cause of death. Even so, it's not the first time PETA has directed ire at the park following the death of an aquatic mammal.
In 2022, PETA demanded SeaWorld San Antonio end its breeding program after Helen, a 33-year-old disable white-sided dolphin, passed away prematurely.
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