Reuters: Angie Gyllenhammer swims with month-old orphan killer whale Pascuala at the Vallarta Adventure Park in Nuevo Vallarta in Mexico's western state of Nayarit, on Thursday. Pascuala was found when she was only days old stranded on a beach 100km (62 miles) north of Nuevo Vallarta and brought to the park to be looked after.

NUEVO VALLARTA, Mexico (Reuters):

A newborn killer whale found bleeding on a Mexican beach has become the centre of an international controversy over whether she should stay in Mexico or be sent to a United States marine theme park.

Mexican aquarium workers have been feeding the baby, named Pascuala, around the clock with milk from a tube inserted in her mouth since she was found beached in a Pacific fishing village in April.

Pascuala, just over a month old and weighing 403 pounds (183kg), is still recovering, but if she survives, the aquarium's owners want to send her to the Sea World park in San Diego, California.

Her caretakers say there is no tank in Mexico big enough to keep her when she grows and she will die if put back in the sea or kept in an aquarium that is too small forher.

Greenpeace adamant

Some environmentalists oppose transferring Pascuala to Sea World, however, because it could set a precedent that might enable animal traffickers to export more killer whales, also known as orcas.

"It hurts us that this animal might die, but we cannot set a negative precedent," said Alejandro Olivera, head of ocean campaigns for Greenpeace in Mexico.

Transfer blocked

The Mexican Government's environmental protection agency has so far blocked a transfer to San Diego, saying Mexico's wildlife should not leave the country.

Sea World said it would be happy to accept Pascuala, where she could learn from the park's seven existing orcas. Those killer whales live in a sevenmillion-gallon (26.5 million-litre) tank and perform tricks for legions of visitors.

Unaware of the controversy surrounding her, the baby orca spends her days swimming and playing with her trainers, who have grown attached to her while acting as surrogate mothers.

"It is more than a job or a work experience. This will be one of the most important parts of my career," said Fernando Miranda, who has worked at the Dolphin Adventure park in the Nuevo Vallarta resort city for 10 years.