A KILLER whale that spent its whole life in captivity and fatally attacked its trainer in 2009 has died at a Gran Canaria zoo.
Keto, a 6,600-pound orca, was forced into incest and “chewed concrete out of insanity” before he died aged 29 at Loro Parque in Tenerife.
The zoo confirmed Keto’s death in a statement, saying a team of 21 vets conducted a necropsy over the weekend to determine the cause, though the results are not yet available.
The orca, originally born at SeaWorld Orlando in 1995, had been transferred to Loro Parque in 2006, where he performed for crowds and was used for breeding.
Keto’s life began in captivity, born as part of SeaWorld’s controversial orca breeding programme.
His mother, Kalina, was the first orca successfully born in a SeaWorld park, while his father, Kotar, died tragically when a tank gate crushed his skull.
Keto was torn from his mother at just four years old and shuffled between several SeaWorld parks before being loaned to Loro Parque.
At Loro Parque, Keto was bred with his niece, Kohana, in an unnatural pairing that resulted in multiple calves.
Only one, Adán, survives today. His daughter, Vicky, died at just 10 months old.
Keto’s captivity is said to have taken a severe toll on his mental and physical health.
Animal rights groups documented him engaging in unnatural and harmful behaviours, such as chewing on concrete out of frustration, which severely damaged his teeth.
The Sun has contacted Loro Parque for more information.
Like many captive orcas, he was often seen floating aimlessly, a sign of boredom and distress.
On Christmas Eve 2009, Keto killed his trainer, 29-year-old Alexis Martinez, during a rehearsal for a Christmas show.
Keto pulled Martinez underwater, inflicting fatal injuries, including fractured bones and organ damage.
Martinez had expressed concerns to his girlfriend before the incident, saying he feared “something could happen at any time.”
The attack occurred under the supervision of a SeaWorld trainer and came just two months before another orca killed trainer Dawn Brancheau in front of an audience at SeaWorld Orlando.
These tragedies highlighted the dangers of keeping orcas in captivity and prompted SeaWorld to briefly suspend water work with whales.
PETA and other animal welfare groups have long condemned the captivity of orcas, pointing to Keto’s life as a stark example of exploitation.
They criticised both SeaWorld and Loro Parque for subjecting him to a life of confinement in small tanks, depriving him of the ability to swim vast distances or form natural social bonds.
PETA also noted that Keto’s mixed genetic background—75% Icelandic and 25% Southern Resident orca—would never occur in the wild, as these populations are separated by vast distances and have distinct social structures.
Keto’s unnatural breeding and life in captivity, they argue, robbed him of a natural existence.
Loro Parque mourned Keto as a “beloved ambassador” who “captivated everyone with his unique personality.”
However, the zoo made no mention of the 2009 trainer death in its statement.
Instead, it emphasised the challenges of providing veterinary care for large orcas and highlighted Keto’s life expectancy, noting that 29 years is average for male orcas in the wild.
Critics, however, argue that captivity was the true cause of Keto’s early death. In the wild, male orcas can live up to 60 or 70 years.
