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Legendary Bottlenose Dolphin at National Aquarium Dies

Nani, Bottlenose Dolphin at National Aquarium k
creative commons
Nani, Bottlenose Dolphin at National Aquarium k

BALTIMORE (AP) - The National Aquarium says its oldest Atlantic bottlenose dolphin has died.

The aquarium said in a statement Tuesday that 44-year-old Nani exhibited unusual behavior on Monday and died that evening despite emergency care from the animal care team. The aquarium says veterinarians are trying to determine the cause of death.

Aquarium officials say dolphins in human care often live to 30 years and older.

Nani, who was born in the wild, was the matriarch of the aquarium's colony. She came to Baltimore in 1990 from another institution that closed.

The aquarium is still home to seven other Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, including Nani's children, Beau and Spirit.

The aquarium plans to create the first North American dolphin sanctuary in Florida or the Caribbean, which is set to open in 2020.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.