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Amateur video captured the moment a SeaWorld killer whale beached itself on concrete at a Tenerife tourist park.

The orca named Morgan was filmed lying still for about 10 minutes by concerned onlookers after a show at Loro Parque in Spain’s Canary Islands.

Its unusual actions sparked fears on social media the animal may be trying to take its own life, and prompted calls for captive killer whales to be freed back into the wild.

The footage, shared online by animal rights group The Dolphin Project, has attracted widespread criticism.

The whale lives at the park with five other orcas owned by SeaWorld, which has come under scrutiny for its treatment of whales in captivity.

If a killer whale is beached for too long out of the water, the weight of its body can crush its internal organs and muscles.

One viewer of the footage, Efrat Cybulkiewicz, wrote online: "Looks to me as if she's trying to take her own life, I don't blame her."

Another said: “Free the orcas. Their place is in the ocean. Shame on humans who exploit whales.”

A Dolphin Project spokesman said: “While we cannot explain the reason for her behaviour, the juxtaposition of a previously-wild orca against the stark backdrop of the park’s performance area is unsettling, to say the least.

“Some people took selfies with Morgan in the background. Sadly, Morgan was still out of the water by the time the videographers had to leave.”

Footage taken just weeks earlier appeared to show the orca repeatedly striking its head against a metal gate in an apparent attempt to escape a small medical pool.

The Standard has contacted SeaWorld for comment.