Protest planned as fourth dolphin dies at Dolphinaris Arizona

A fourth dolphin has died at Dolphinaris Arizona, an aquatic facility off Loop 101 and Via de Ventura Boulevard near Scottsdale. 

Kai, a 22-year-old dolphin, died Thursday morning after his condition began deteriorating and he had difficulty swimming, eating and breathing, according to a statement from Dolphinaris.

The dolphin had shown signs of declining health two weeks ago and was treated, according to the statement from Christian Schaeffer, general manager for Dolphinaris.

"Kai initially seemed to be responding, but his health suddenly declined (Wednesday) night," Schaeffer said in the statement.

"We made the extremely difficult decision to humanely euthanize Kai ensuring he would pass peacefully," Schaeffer's statement read.

Kai's death marks the fourth death since the facility opened in 2016, and comes just a month after Khloe, an 11-year-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, died on Dec. 30 after a chronic illness.

"We recognize losing four dolphins over the last year and a half is abnormal," Schaeffer said. "We will be taking proactive measures to increase our collaborative efforts to further ensure our dolphins' well-being and high quality of life."

Dolphinaris has hired an external pathologist to conduct a necropsy (animal autopsy) to determine what caused Kai's death.

Details on other deaths

Dolphinaris opened in October 2016 with eight bottlenose dolphins. Protests and concerns have followed each of the four dolphin deaths. She claims Kai was in good health when at Dolphin Quest Hawaii.

Beyond Kai and Khloe, the deaths have included:

• Bodie, a 7-year-old bottlenose dolphin, who died of a fungal infection Sept. 23, 2017. Dolphinaris originally reported the cause of his death as a rare muscle disease, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report to activist Laurice Dee that said Bodie died of a fungal infection, prompting activists to speculate if desert conditions are appropriate for dolphins. Dolphinaris Arizona spokeswoman Jen Smith told The Arizona Republic in June 2018 that the “muscle disease was secondary to a fungal infection.”
• Alia, a 10-year-old bottlenose dolphin, who died May 22, 2018, of an acute bacterial infection that officials said “spread quickly throughout her body.”

The facility has faced opposition since its opening was announced, with many critics saying that dolphins do not belong in the desert.

Laurice Dee, an activist who has advocated for the closure of Dolphinaris, has been monitoring the dolphins with concern.

"Four is enough!" Dee wrote. "We must end dolphin captivity here in Arizona for the sake of the remaining four Bottlenoses."

A protest over Kai's death is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at the west corner of Via de Ventura and Pima Road, according to Dolphin Free AZ.

Check back with azcentral for updates.

Reach the reporter at lorraine.longhi@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @lolonghi.