SeaWorld Trainer killed by Orca

[raulduke]

Thoughts and prayers to the family of the trainer Dawn Brancheau.

Here are a couple pics of this orca, Tilikum.



I'm no marine biologist but I feel pain looking at that dorsal fin laying to one side. There are many theories as to the cause, SeaWorld officials often comment that it isn't an accurate gauge of health, and that it occurs in free orcas as well, though they fail to mention that the rates are far far lower than in captivity. Most marine biologists think the dorsal fin laying flat is a result of these poor animals being confined for long periods of time to tanks the size of bathtubs (relative to humans) where the fin is always above water. Others have said the dorsal fin is a sort of barometer of mental health.

It's long past due for us to stop poking and prodding animals for our amusement. The enjoyment had by humans isn't worth the animal suffering any way you slice it.

[AscendingStarseed]

Thank you for posting this tribute to the whales, although it saddens me that a trainer was killed I can't help but feel it's a natural response to many years of confinement and being treated like a dog doing tricks.

I also wonder if the mammals aren't reacting to the different energies coming at the planet right now and if this some kind of growing awareness on the part of the whales, if it isn't there way of saying

"ENOUGH!! We can't take it any longer, WTF are you guys doing?!?"

On the news yesterday the park officials appeared very shook up and it was the right thing to suspend the shows, lets just hope they do the right thing for the animals and not for "the bottom line"

15 years ago, I saw the show in San Antonio with my family and it was a real treat to see, and must admit I really enjoyed the show. But, it's still wrong....if they can survive in the wild they should be set free and the parks should be shut down.

[skyrimirre]

My thoughts and prayers will be with Tilikum.

[bashi]

The trainer didn't follow protocol and dangled her pony in front of the mouth - the wale grabbed it as a toy...

[Clarityofawareness]

I've heard that this same whale was also responsible for killing a guy up north almost or maybe a decade ago? I guess the guy was a drifter and decided to craw into the whales tank one night? Also heard that the guy wasn't just "high" on life either. If all this is true why didn't Sea World let the whale go back into the wild? Oh, I know why! Because the average greedy businessman, the one who also had already invested so much money into such an animal, and who didn't want to loose his investment (a wild killer whale). Hmm.. I wonder if Sea World made back their initial investment on that poor killer whale before it had killed the first human back then?

This most recent Killer whale incident here in Florida happened about 30-40 miles from where I live. I don't know about where you all live but where I live, well, some of us here understand what wild life really is. It's almost so dam comical the ways that the majority treat wild life, no matter where we're all from.

Folks move to Florida into new homes that were once wet lands where alligators, snakes and other life lived but who were booted suddenly from their generational homes. Amazing how so many of the Florida retirement folks complain so much about the alligators and such being in their back yards. I am surrounded by such ignorance here everyday. Don't me started on the ever growing and ongoing pollution that the recreational boating industry continues here Florida.

I love nature sooo much that I rather die than continue being responsible for helping pollute nature and mother earth, for destroying or poisoning god knows how many different species of life here. I don't expect anyone to understand how I feel. It would at least be nice if most folks chose being more open mind and heart than just low frequency.

[no caste]

Originally Posted by Clarityofawareness

I've heard that this same whale was also responsible for killing a guy up north almost or maybe a decade ago? I guess the guy was a drifter and decided to craw into the whales tank one night? Also heard that the guy wasn't just "high" on life either.

One death also was a trainer. AND - another guy.
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Former B.C. whale Tilikum linked to three deaths, including two at SeaWorld Orlando

Annelise Sorg, spokesperson for No Whales in Captivity, told the Georgia Straight by phone that her organization raised the alarm after Keltie Byrne, 20, died in 1991 after ending up in the whale pool at Sealand of the Pacific in Oak Bay.... In 1999, a 27-year-old man was found dead draped over Tilikum's back after he snuck into the SeaWorld pen to swim with whales. http://www.straight.com/article-2937...aworld-orlando
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I guess they're not called killer whales for nothing. But the article does say that with the first trainer in 1991, the orcas may have thought she was a friend orca.

According to Sorg, Byrne tried to get out of the tank, and the whales grabbed her and pulled her back in with their teeth. She added that when her body was recovered, there were no teeth marks, indicating how gently the whales had handled her.

"They would try to swim with her," she said. "They would squish her between two whales, like they would do to an injured whale. They drowned her. It took two hours to get the body out."