We are devasted to report that Toa the young orca calf, thought to be between four and six months old has passed away after his health rapidly deteriorated and vets on site were unable to save him. He had been under human care for nearly two weeks after getting separated from his pod north of Wellington, New Zealand, while they were hunting stingrays.
Marine mammal experts and volunteers went to extraordinary lengths to keep the orca alive whilst a search got underway to try and find his pod, which to date, was unsuccessful. Poor weather over the past week had also hampered efforts. Toa captured the hearts of many around the world and the outcome is not the one we all had hoped for but sadly the longer he was away from his mother, the more likely it was that his health would deteriorate.
