Members of a SeaWorld Orlando Facebook fan page had asked why Katina hadn’t been performing recently in the park’s signature killer whale show, One Ocean.
SeaWorld Orlando posted on the park's blog Sunday morning it was because Katina had sustained an injury to her dorsal fin while interacting with the other whales.
"On Saturday, March 17, the matriarch of the SeaWorld Orlando orca pod, Katina, sustained an injury at the base of her dorsal fin as the result of interactions with other members of the orca pod," the post read.
“The SeaWorld veterinary and animal care teams responded immediately to conduct a full exam on Katina, where they determined the injury was isolated to the base of her dorsal fin.”
SeaWorld officials said they aren't sure exactly how Katina sustained her injury, though said she was near 12-year-old male Trua at the time of the injury.
“She was interacting with several members of the orca pod, so it’s not clear exactly how she sustained that injury,” SeaWorld officials wrote.
SeaWorld officials said the park's veterinarians believe Katina's dorsal will have permanent changes as a result of the injury.
The aggressive behavior demonstrated by the whales is natural, according to the park, but officials said it is not clear if Katina’s injury was sustained as a result of it.
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