WASHINGTON 鈥� Nani, the oldest bottlenose dolphin at the National Aquarium, in Baltimore, died Monday. She was 44 and had lived at the aquarium since 1990.
The aquarium said in a statement on Tuesday that she 鈥渂egan to exhibit unusual behavior鈥� on Monday, and that despite the emergency efforts of the animal care team, she died Monday evening. They鈥檙e still trying to determine the cause of her death.
鈥淲e all loved Nani dearly,鈥� said National Aquarium Chief Executive Officer John Racanelli. 鈥淪he was very much a member of the National Aquarium family, and we are heartbroken to lose her.鈥�
She was the mother of Beau and Spirit, two of the aquarium鈥檚 seven other bottlenose dolphins, the museum said; she was born in the wild and came to Baltimore in 1990 from another aquarium, which closed.
Nani means 鈥渂eautiful鈥� in Hawaiian, the museum said.
