Kamea the Youngest Orca at SeaWorld Dies — What Happened?

A Texas SeaWorld park has announced the death of an orca. The sad news came out of SeaWorld San Antonio, where park officials posted an official statement on the company's Facebook page. According to the Jun. 19, 2025 post, an 11-year-old whale named Kamea died after a brief illness.

Fans and critics alike were saddened by the news, sharing their grief and thoughts on the social media post documenting the whale's death.

What happened to Kamea, the orca who died at SeaWorld? Continue reading to learn more, including how many killer whales are left in captivity at the controversial theme park.

Handlers from the theme park shared the sad news, saying that the whale had contracted an illness of undeclared origin.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved orca, Kamea," the Facebook post began. "Despite the round-the-clock, tireless efforts of our animal care and veterinary teams, she succumbed to an illness surrounded by those who loved and cared for her deeply."

The post went on to gush over the 11-year-old, saying that she had brought so much happiness to all of those millions of people who got a chance to meet her during her stay at the park. "Her playful spirit and unique personality touched the hearts of all who knew her," the post continued. "This is an incredibly difficult time for our SeaWorld family, especially those who worked closely with her. We are grateful for the support of our community as we remember and honor Kamea together."

SeaWorld's website claims that the orca was born at the San Antonio location, and that she was the youngest of her entire pod. Her mother and sister both remain at the park, as do two other male orcas who also joined the pod.

According to a Wikipedia entry, there are currently 54 orcas held in the various SeaWorld locations around the world. The oldest of which is believed to have been held captive since the 1960s.

SeaWorld has earned a negative reputation for the handling of the animals in its care over the years, and was even the subject of an explosive documentary called Blackfish in 2013, which followed the life of the orca Tilikum.

For those who may not remember, Tilikum was blamed for the deaths of multiple people while being held captive by the park.

The filmmaker also addressed other orcas during the creation of the documentary, highlighting how the stress of captivity could cause aggression and unwanted behavior in the massive mammals.

While we don't yet know the cause of death for Kamea, it's safe to say that many people will be mourning her loss. Hopefully, whatever she had doesn't spread to her mother or the other orcas that she lived alongside in her captive pod.

GreenMatters doesn't endorse the practice of keeping animals like Kamea in captivity of entertainment purposes. Instead, it's recommended that these animals be allowed to live in their natural habitats whenever possible.