Spinnaker the dolphin died Thursday morning at the Vancouver Aquarium after a long illness.
The Pacific white-sided dolphin had been under close observation and was receiving care for several months before he died.
“He would have lived a full life,” said Andrew Trites, director of the marine mammal research unit at UBC.
“If everything goes well, a dolphin should live well into their late 20s. Very few dolphins out in the wild will live past the age of 26.”
Spinnaker was about 25 years old and was rescued in 1991, off the coast of Japan, after he was caught in a fishing net. He arrived at the aquarium in 2001.
Martin Haulena, veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium, conducted a necropsy on Thursday at the provincial animal health centre. Results are expected on Friday.
The remaining two dolphins at the aquarium are 14-year-old Hana and 21-year-old Helen, who were also rescued from fishing nets.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
About The Reporter
