Necropsy to Determine Cause of SeaWorld Dolphin Death

A necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death of a 33-year-old Commerson's dolphin at the SeaWorld park in Orlando.

SeaWorld officials said in a statement that the dolphin named Betsy had recently been eating inconsistently and possibly had a gastrointestinal problem. SeaWorld had relocated Betsy from its San Diego theme park to join other Commerson's dolphins at its Aquatica water park last week.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that SeaWorld estimated that Commerson's dolphins typically have an age span of about 18 years, which would make Betsy on the older side. 

Commerson's dolphins are known for their distinctive black and white markings. The Aquatica park features a waterslide tube that goes through the Commerson's dolphin habitat and they can be viewed from a nearby lazy river.