SeaWorld is facing outrage from the public after disturbing photos of an orca with a deep laceration on it's lower mandible were made public by a visitor of the park in San Diego, California.

Peta, (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) released disturbing photographs of an 11-year-old male orca named Nakai from SeaWorld in San Diego on its website, showing the animal with a laceration that exposed his bone.

The orca sustained a laceration "a dinner plate-sized chunk of his lower mandible [has been] sheared off, exposing underlying tissues and bone," Peta claims, citing it's whistleblower's accounts.

"The flesh cut from him "Was big enough and intact enough for SeaWorld to retrieve it from the bottom of the pool," the whistleblower said.

According to the whistleblower's report, Nakai's injury was a result of "a major altercation" between Nakai and two other orcas, Keet and Ikaika. The AWA makes it clear that "marine mammals that are not compatible must not be housed in the same enclosure."

According to media reports online, it happened last week during a night show during a major altercation involving Nakai, Keet and Ike, according to journalist Tim Zimmermann.

"It's not clear if there was an aggressor or instigator, or if they all suddenly went after each other. In response to the altercation, Nakai split to the back pool. The onstage trainers, not realizing how badly injured he was, continued the show with the other whales. It was only when they called Nakai over later that night that they realised he was seriously hurt," Zimmermann reported.

Reports suggest that Nakai could have been bitten or smashed into the pool.

SeaWorld said Nakai's injury was caused when "it came into contact with a portion of the pool environment," according to the Daily Mail.

Peta submitted a complaint asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take disciplinary action against SeaWorld for housing orcas incompatibly in violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).