40-year-old rescue dolphin Calamity has passed away at her home in the Dolphin Marine Conservation Park at Coffs Harbour.

The park’s managing director Terry Goodall told Deborah Knight the staff were devastated by the “unexpected” loss.

Calamity passed away on the operating table during a procedure to remove a cancerous growth on her tongue.

“She had cancer in her lungs, in her lymph nodes, and her spleen wasn’t in good shape, which was mainly to do with age.”

The Coffs Harbour marine park has been closed due to COVID-19, but Mr Goodall says they plan to reopen to the public on June 16 minus the human-to-animal interaction.

“The staff are pitching for the customers to come back, and I think the animals are as well!”

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Image: Getty