World’s loneliest orca stares at tank for 24hrs

The tragic moment a lonely orca was forced to stare at the wall of a tiny concrete aquarium while lying motionless for 24 hours has been caught on film.

This is the tragic moment a lonely orca was filmed lying motionless for 24 hours in a concrete aquarium.

The heartbreaking footage shows the isolated killer whale trapped in a tiny pool at the Mundo Marino, Argentina’s largest aquarium.

A 24-hour time-lapse video filmed by non-profit organisation UrgentSeas on August 12 shows Kshamenk languishing motionless with his face pointed directly towards the enclosure’s gate.

The non-profit organisation is now advocating to free the lonely Kshamenk, who has been on his own for 24 years, The Sun reports.

This video was taken on June 17, 2024 above Mundo Marino in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kshamenk, their last surviving orca can be seen languishing in a tiny concrete tank as captive dolphins swim in circles. #FreeKshamenkpic.twitter.com/8BS8dbEW0p

— Phil Demers (@walruswhisperer) June 19, 2024

Kshamenk has been dubbed the world’s loneliest orca. Picture: SWNS

Tragic footage shows the orca lying motionless in the tank for 24 hours. Picture: SWNS

The organisation wants to take him to an open sanctuary with other orcas to socialise with.

A spokesperson from the organisation said: “We continue to work with Argentinian activists and members of Congress to try to highlight and address his cruel world.

“He needs to be removed from his tiny concrete tank and join other members of his species before it’s too late.”

Kshamenk, 35, was first brought to Mundo Marino in 1992 after being captured off the Samborombón Bay.

According to Mundo Marino, the then three-year-old orca was found beached by three fishermen along with three other killer whales.

He was taken to a concrete tank at the aquarium.

Initially, the killer whale had a companion when he was placed in a tank with another killer whale called Belen.

The pair hit it off until Belen died in 2000 after issues while giving birth.

He has since spent the last 24 years in total isolation in a cramped, shallow pool with significantly restricted movement.

Kshamenk is the last remaining captive killer whale in Argentina.

Last year, Kshamenk went viral after UrgentSeas co-founder Phil Demers posted a video of the depressed orca on social media.

Demers visited the attraction to bring awareness to the “world’s loneliest orca”.

The upsetting clip shows Kshamenk in a small, round pool, barely big enough to fit him in.

He floats in the middle of the water, almost lifeless as a dolphin swims around him.

Another dolphin can also be seen in a murky, green pool next door.

According to reports, his sperm has been sold several times to SeaWorld to impregnate other orcas.

The orca was captured in 1992 and has been on his own since 2000. Picture: SWNS

The Instagram post has over 13,135 likes and 1,300 comments from shocked and appalled people.

One said: “This is horrifying. No animal should live like this.”

As another commented: “Imagine being locked in a white padded room for 50 years since you were a baby.

“No education. This is a jail. Solitary confinement.”

Other posts called the treatment “so awful”, as he can’t even move around while some called it “so sad and heartbreaking”.

According to the Mundo Marino website, Kshamenk is in excellent health.

A statement dated June 27, 2024 said: “A team of three veterinarians and eight keepers, supported by seven external specialists, conduct monthly checks as part of a rigorous preventive medicine plan.

“These include blood tests assessing more than 32 parameters, as well as gastric content and respiratory flow samples monitoring 40 different parameters.

“All show normal ranges for his age. In addition, Kshamenk’s studies and general condition are constantly monitored, controlled and approved by the responsible provincial and national state bodies.”

A 24 hour time lapse of the orca showed him lying near motionless at a gate. Picture: SWNS

They further added that it would be impossible to release Kshamenk into the sea or into a sancturary.

They said: “That would be impossible without putting his life at serious risk.

“Orcas are highly social animals that live in complex groups and rely on their pod for hunting, food, and protection.

“Adapting Kshamenk (a geriatric animal who has already exceeded his life expectancy) to this dynamic would be impossible, as his survival would depend on both his acceptance by a new group of orcas and his ability to hunt independently, both highly unlikely.

“There are no sanctuaries, reserves or facilities in semi-natural environments equipped with the necessary capacity to care for an orca like Kshamenk.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and has been reproduced with permission.

Originally published as World’s loneliest orca stares at tank for 24hrs