(CNN) -- A 12-year-old male killer whale, who showed signs of being ill only the day before, died Tuesday afternoon at SeaWorld in San Diego, California, the park announced.
The cause of death for Sumar won't be known until a necropsy is complete, SeaWorld said. Results may not be known for several weeks.
"It's a very sad day," spokesman Dave Koontz told CNN. "He was a great young killer whale. He was sharp".
Sumar, who weighed about 5,000 pounds, had been at SeaWorld San Diego since 2001, coming from an Ohio park. He was one of seven killer whales at SeaWorld and was able to exhibit about 100 "behaviors," Koontz said.
The killer whale had no medical history or problems with behavior, the spokesman said, adding that there was no evidence of communicable disease. "He had a great disposition".
"Trainers had noticed that Sumar was acting lethargic yesterday (Monday) afternoon. Park veterinarians began a regimen of antibiotics to help try to stabilize his condition while they attempted to determine the cause of his illness," a SeaWorld statement said.
CNN
