It’s not every day you get to see a pygmy killer whale. The relatively reclusive animals live in deep water far away from land so you can imagine SeaWorld Orlando’s surprise when the pygmy killer whale was brought to the Orlando theme park in desperate need of medical attention.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sent the pygmy whale to SeaWorld’s rescue facility on July 26. She was immediately put in quarantine where SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue Team and vets gave her fluids and antibiotics.
According to SeaWorld, the female 255-pound pygmy whale, beached herself on a jagged oyster and was left exposed to the extreme heat for a long period of time, resulting in severe dehydration. 
Pygmy killer whales are a rare species of dolphin. The name “pygmy killer whale” is derived from their physical similarities to orcas. They are typically found in deep tropical waters and travel in groups of 10 to 30 so it extremely rare for one to beach itself.
“The animal is in guarded condition at this time,” said Jon Peterson, Assistant Curator of Animal Care for SeaWorld Orlando in a statement. “When an animal comes into our care this critical, the first 48 hours are crucial and we take every measure to stabilize the animal. We remain cautiously optimistic at this time for improvement.” The pygmy killer whale is the latest of the over 28,000 animals SeaWorld has rescued since its existence.
Orlando, FL – 8/10/16
By: Jena Pugh | 
