SeaWorld is saddened by the death Wednesday, June 10, of Obie, a 28-year-old male walrus. Obie was a member of the SeaWorld San Diego family for 18 years. He lived with other walruses at the park’s Wild Arctic attraction.
Obie, who was rescued as an orphan in 1987, came to SeaWorld San Diego in 1997. As an ambassador for arctic animals, Obie helped enhance the awareness of walruses for the more than 40 million guests who have visited Wild Arctic. “The passing of any animal is sad for the SeaWorld zoological team,” said SeaWorld San Diego curator of mammals Keith Yip. “We are grateful for the many years that Obie was here to educate our guests and to inspire them to conserve and appreciate all animals. We will all miss Obie, but are thankful for the joy he has brought us and our guests.”
A necropsy will be performed on Obie to help determine the cause of death. It will be several weeks before all the results of the necropsy are received.