Another dolphin dies at Dolphinaris facility

A fourth dolphin has died at Dolphinaris Arizona, an aquatic facility off Loop 101 and Via de Ventura near Scottsdale.

Kai, a 22-year-old dolphin, died Thursday morning after his condition began deteriorating and he had difficulty swimming, eating and breathing, according to a Dolphinaris statement.

The dolphin had shown signs of declining health two weeks ago and was treated, according to a statement from Christian Schaeffer, general manager for Dolphinaris.

“Kai initially seemed to be responding, but his health suddenly declined (Wednesday) night,” Schaeffer said in the statement.

“We made the extremely difficult decision to humanely euthanize Kai ensuring he would pass peacefully,” Schaeffer’s statement read.

Kai’s death marks the fourth death since the facility opened in 2016, and comes just a month after Khloe, an 11year-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, died on Dec. 30 after a chronic illness.

“We recognize losing four dolphins over the last year and a half is abnormal,” Schaeffer said. “We will be taking proactive measures to increase our collaborative efforts to further ensure our dolphins’ well-being and high quality of life.”

Dolphinaris has hired an external pathologist to conduct a necropsy, or animal autopsy, to determine what caused Kai’s death.

Dolphinaris opened in October 2016 with eight bottlenose dolphins. Protests and concerns have followed each of the four dolphin deaths.

Beyond Kai and Khloe, the deaths were:

❚ Bodie, a 7-year-old bottlenose dolphin, who died of a fungal infection Sept. 23, 2017. Dolphinaris originally reported the cause of his death as a rare muscle disease, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report to activist Laurice Dee that said Bodie died of a fungal infection, prompting activists to speculate if desert conditions are appropriate for dolphins. Dolphinaris Arizona spokeswoman Jen Smith told The Arizona Republic in June that the “muscle disease was secondary to a fungal infection.”

❚ Alia, a 10-year-old bottlenose dolphin, who died May 22 of an acute bacterial infection that officials said “spread quickly throughout her body.”

The facility has faced opposition since its opening was announced, with many critics saying that dolphins do not belong in the desert.

A protest over Kai’s death is planned for 11 a.m. today, according to Dolphin Free AZ.