Video appears to show SeaWorld killer whale in distress

A video has been posted online of an orca in a medical pool.

The video has been shared by the Dolphin Project, a group formed by Ric O'Barry that says its mission is to "put an end to dolphin exploitation and slaughter once and for all."

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People.com reported that the Dolphin Project believes the orca in the video -- which was taken at Loro Parque, a water park in Spain's Canary Islands -- is Morgan, a killer whale rescued from the ocean and sent to live in the park rather than be released.

"The orca is obviously in huge distress and rams its head forcefully against the metal gate in what seems to be an attempt to escape," the website said. "Loro Parque is the largest tourist attraction in Spain. SeaWorld owns all six orcas at the park, including Morgan, who was captured off the coast of the Netherlands in June of 2010."

The orca can be heard banging its head against a gate enclosure separating it from another orca.

In the video, the orca appears to repeatedly splash the surface of the water.

SeaWorld announced in March that it would cease breeding programs at its U.S. parks.

It has not responded to claims made about the circumstances of the video.

The International Business Times reported that Loro Parque posted a statement to its blog Wednesday, saying that the orca was expelling pent-up frustration when it was unable to enter a pool with an orca of the opposite sex.

The park said that "the interpretation that Morgan is suffering a panic attack is completely incorrect and malicious," according to translated text in the post.

The video, which the Dolphin Project said was recorded by an "anonymous activist," can be seen below.

Cox Media Group