SeaWorld San Diego says Dolphin Dottie dies at 39

SeaWorld San Diego said the dolphin Dottie died at age 39 on Sunday, May 31. The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin had lived at the park since 1999 after arriving from SeaWorld Orlando in Florida.

In its Instagram post, SeaWorld San Diego said Dottie was “an extraordinary dolphin who lived to the impressive age of 39” and had been “deeply known to her care team and guests alike.” The park said she was the devoted mother of four calves and was known for her “strong personality and curiosity.”

Dottie's 2010 treatment

Dottie went into acute kidney failure in January 2010 because of complications from kidney stones. SeaWorld San Diego said she was the first dolphin to be put on dialysis and have her kidney stones removed, a procedure that led to her returning home later in 2010.

The park said those relationships with her care team supported the trust needed for voluntary diagnostic behaviors that helped maintain her health, particularly when she was diagnosed with kidney stones. SeaWorld also said Dottie “thrived” for another 15 years after the procedure by the SeaWorld veterinary team.

Dr. Roger Sur and Dottie

Dr. Roger Sur, then director at UC-San Diego Medical Center, said of the treatment in 2010: “I was really thrown. [The prospect] was challenging, exciting – and scary. If at any point she decided to kick me, I was right next to her fluke – 500 lbs. verses 160, but she didn't really fight me very much. She had nothing really left in her to fight.” He added: “She'll probably be the one I'll never forget — it's not every day you operate on a dolphin,”

SeaWorld San Diego said Dottie “will be deeply missed” by the team and the guests who connected with her over her life. Her death closes a long run at the park, but the reason she stood out was the treatment that kept her alive long enough to become one of its most familiar animals.