Breaking News: Shamu Kills Trainer at Sea World

[exwdwcm]

it will not be separated from the other Orca's, it is used for breeding and companionship. they are going to keep human interaction to a bare minimum.

yep, if for nothing else, they need to keep him for breeding purposes. Killer whales are extremely social animals, so keeping him isolated is not a good idea. I think keeping the interaction minimal is the best solution. Care for him, but don't risk a life given his history.

Very sad all the way around.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I think the press has given people some false impressions regarding this story.

Please understand that I am not trying to make light of this story or to place blame on the trainer. I just think that the media is making it sound like this whale is some kind of human killing machine.

Tilikum has been involved in two other deaths, but there are extenuating circumstances involved.

I got the quote from this CNN story:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/26/florida.seaworld.death/index.html?hpt=T1

"Tilikum and two other whales were involved in the drowning of a trainer at a Victoria, British Columbia, marine park in 1991. The trainer fell into the whale tank at Sealand of the Pacific and was dragged underwater as park visitors watched.

In 1999, Tilikum was blamed for the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found floating in a tank at SeaWorld, the apparent victim of a whale's "horseplay," authorities said then.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said the man apparently hid in the park until after it closed, then climbed into the tank."

While I think this trainer's death is certainly tragic and I feel for her family and friends, humans have to be held accountable for this tragedy.

This whale did not come out of the ocean and grab a human. We have essentially caged a wild animal, rewarded it for doing what we want it to do to entertain us and now, are hurt and surprised when it did something unexpected but still well within in the realm of it's natural behavior.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I just watched the CEO of Sea World's news conference a little while ago and I have to say, the press really is spinning this story. They kept asking questions referring to the other two deaths and didn't seem to want to hear any clarification or further details regarding them. One reporter actually yelled at the CEO saying he wasn't explaining the rules or procedures in place for the trainers. The CEO tried to explain their SOP in dealing with the whales is extremely extensive, it isn't like the trainers just had a couple rules to go by, but the reporter accused him of refusing to answer.

I think this an awful tragedy and I'm so sad for Dawn the trainer and her family, friends and co-workers, but I also know that Sea World does many, many wonderful things for animals and are not just parading animals out there for the money.

 

[alebisi]

While I think this trainer's death is certainly tragic and I feel for her family and friends, humans have to be held accountable for this tragedy.

This whale did not come out of the ocean and grab a human. We have essentially caged a wild animal, rewarded it for doing what we want it to do to entertain us and now, are hurt and surprised when it did something unexpected but still well within in the realm of it's natural behavior.

My exact thoughts

 

[natale1980]

Very sad.

-nat

 

[Joshua_me]

While I think this trainer's death is certainly tragic and I feel for her family and friends, humans have to be held accountable for this tragedy.

This whale did not come out of the ocean and grab a human. We have essentially caged a wild animal, rewarded it for doing what we want it to do to entertain us and now, are hurt and surprised when it did something unexpected but still well within in the realm of it's natural behavior.

^ I didn't have the nerve to say that here, for fear of being eternally flamed, but I agree with you 100 percent on this...

 

[PrincessBelle39]

I think the press has given people some false impressions regarding this story.

Please understand that I am not trying to make light of this story or to place blame on the trainer. I just think that the media is making it sound like this whale is some kind of human killing machine.

Tilikum has been involved in two other deaths, but there are extenuating circumstances involved.

I got the quote from this CNN story:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/26/florida.seaworld.death/index.html?hpt=T1

"Tilikum and two other whales were involved in the drowning of a trainer at a Victoria, British Columbia, marine park in 1991. The trainer fell into the whale tank at Sealand of the Pacific and was dragged underwater as park visitors watched.

In 1999, Tilikum was blamed for the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found floating in a tank at SeaWorld, the apparent victim of a whale's "horseplay," authorities said then.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said the man apparently hid in the park until after it closed, then climbed into the tank."

While I think this trainer's death is certainly tragic and I feel for her family and friends, humans have to be held accountable for this tragedy.

This whale did not come out of the ocean and grab a human. We have essentially caged a wild animal, rewarded it for doing what we want it to do to entertain us and now, are hurt and surprised when it did something unexpected but still well within in the realm of it's natural behavior.

While I'm desparately sorry for Dawn's family and those in the stadium who saw the tragedy, I'm another that agree's wholeheartedly with Kevin's comments. I have to say my heart went out just as much to Tilly for the situation he was in. We met Tilly at our Dine with Shamu experience and were awestruck by him. While he behaved perfectly as the trainers instructed him, it can't be expected that he is always going to do just what they require. He is a wild animal.

 

[wishspirit]

While I think this trainer's death is certainly tragic and I feel for her family and friends, humans have to be held accountable for this tragedy.

This whale did not come out of the ocean and grab a human. We have essentially caged a wild animal, rewarded it for doing what we want it to do to entertain us and now, are hurt and surprised when it did something unexpected but still well within in the realm of it's natural behavior.

I completely agree Kevin!

It has also made me think if I really want to visit Seaworld again. Should we be using wild animals for our entertainment?

This has been sparked by my recent visit to Monkey World here in the UK, where all kinds of monkeys (although mainly chimps) are cared for after being taken out of the wild, mistreated or bred in captivity. Although you are able to see the monkeys, and they have some level of human interaction, they are encouraged to go back to instinctive ways of being monkeys and chimps, using toys and treats only to keep them mentally alert using natural behaviours or treat them for medical conditions. Only a few types of monkeys/apes are allowed to breed, and that is because they are endangered in the wild and they are trying to start up breeding programmes. Plus they are not bred for financial gain.

These monkey's have come from terrible environments, but are now given enough space and activities to allow them to behave normally as possible.

Places like SeaWorld aren't like this (although are more so when it comes to manatees). They are breeding and cooping up animals for financial gain, which up 'till now hadn't struck me. Now I am wondering if I should give them my money and allow this practice to continue.

Anyone else feeling torn too?

 

[DisneyKevin]

I am a fence sitter on this issue.

These animals are also an amazing teaching tool. How many kids are more aware of not throwing trash in the water after seeing Shamu and being exposed to Sea World's environmental programs.

Nature shows are great at exposing kids to this things....but having six tons of whale actually get them wet is something else all together.

Wild animals spend pretty much all of their time trying to meet there own needs.....food and safety. Those needs are met at Sea World...but at a price.

The point I have a really hard time with is when people blame the animal for a catastrophe when a human is hurt interacting with them.

I can certainly see taking out a wolf that's destroying a herd of cattle or a bear that is attacking campers or an aggresive alligator that's grabbing neighborhood pets.

I'm not a vegetarian. I have no problem eating meat. I'd rather the animal was raised humanely (and I'm much more aware of that at this point in my life) but I see this as part of the life cycle. Big animals eat smaller animals. It's part of life.

That being said.....it bothers me when we cage an animal, train it to "entertain" us and then are hurt and angry when the animal acts like an animal.

12,000 pound whales are not house pets and we have to rememeber that

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

I am feeling the same way as Kevin and alot of others. I am seeing the media spin down here and they are not telling people the man who was killed got drunk, stripped and tried to ride the whale after sneaking into the park. That is human stupidity. Not the whales fault. I dont like the fact we are blaming the whale for doing what it instinctively does. Humans shold not have any contact with an animal this big. I like SeaWorld but the animals are held there for profit. If there was not profit there would not be environmental programs that they offer. I think there is a very fine line here. But blaming the whale or calling it a killer is just not right IMO. I do feel bad for the trainer but unfortunately that is a risk she took when she decided to make this her career.

 

[Julie*]

Such a tragic story for everyone involved.

My co-workers son was there having lunch when it happened and he saw the whole thing. He was in Orlando with family friends who had taken him on vacation with them. He's 13 years old and having pretty bad nightmares right now. Poor kid.

 

[Justin Jett]

This has been a very hard time for me, as I love SeaWorld and the animals there. My thoughts are with Dawn Brancheau's family, as well as the people at SeaWorld.

I agree that the media has put their own spin on this, as they do with anything.

While I dont feel like I have enough facts to comment on this particular situation. I would like to note the very special relationship that developes between animal and trainer. Kevin is correct in saying that Orcas are not house pets. That said....they do have feelings and emotions. A bond delevopes between the animal and trainer.

Yes, they are trained, not tamed. All the natural instincts are there, but love is a natural instinct too. When the show ends the love and friendship between animal and trainer continues.

There have been a few possible scenerios talked about in the media. I personally believe one over the others....but I do not want to comment on the scenerio until I know more. That is only fair to SeaWorld and Tilikum.

 

[natale1980]

I was in shock last night when I heard that he was still going to be used in shows in future.

-nat

 

[challer]

I am torn on the issue as well. I think the exposure of these beautiful creatures to adults and children alike increases awareness of their needs and our responsibility to protect their habitats and species. However, these creatures are not built to live under these conditions, no matter how humane we perceive them to be.

After hearing this story, I couldn't help thinking of the documentary, The Cove, which is nominated for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards. I brought it up on the boards last September, but I assumed not many people saw the film. Here's the (brief) thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2273516&highlight=cove

If this killer whale was captured and not born and bread in SW, I become more disappointed.

Now, former Flipper trainer and "The Cove" producer Ric O'Barry, along with Earth Island Institute Executive Director David Phillips, have put out an article calling for a federal investigation into SeaWorld's possible negligence and violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. I'm not sure how much I would demand that, but I do feel that episodes like this should give us pause in terms of human's belief that we know what's best for these creatures.

A link to the O'Barry/Phillips statement: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-phillips/seaworlds-actions-represe_b_481067.html?fbwall


If you have not seen this film, I recommend it highly. I believe this film should win the Oscar this year.

My thoughts are with the friends and family of the trainer.

 

[8lovesmickey]

I am also torn on this one - in general I hate to see wild animals in captivity, but if not for Seaworld most people would never even know what a killer whale is, not to mention see one in person. For me personally, seeing a killer whale up close in captivity has made me want to protect the wild ones.

That said, I feel like the Seaworld staff members really love these animals and treat them as well as they can be treated given the circumstances.

On the other (other?!) side, even domesticated pets turn on their owners or neighbors sometimes; why should a whale be different? It just happens that this particular animal weighs thousands of pounds. Just because they look cute and behave like pets doesn't make them gentle.

In any case, my thoughts and prayers are with the trainer and her family and friends.

 

[challer]

People keep saying that without SW, people wouldn't be exposed to killer whales, dolphins, etc. I disagree. I have taken my family to Sea World (San Diego) and my kids felt like they were in a theme park. 6 months later, I took my family on a whale watching day trip from Vancouver. We saw killer whales in their habitat, and my kids truly felt that they were seeing nature in action. We also saw plenty of sea lions. Guess what: a day on a boat watching killer whales is much cheaper than a day at Sea World. When I compare the two experiences, Sea World loses hands down on multiple levels. Excitement, education, understanding, uniqueness, etc. Yeah, you don't see whales jumping up to touch a red ball on a string or sea lions dancing to music, but that goes back to the question of whether we should be training these animals to do tricks for our applause.

(Two weeks ago, I got back from Mexico when my kids rescued leatherback sea turtle eggs and helped to release the babies back into the ocean. Another unique natural experience my children shall never forget.)

People ask, "Who takes their families on vacation to do that?" First of all, experiences like that are all over the Pacific coast. If you can go to Disneyland, you can do this. Secondly, if you make it a priority to give your family/children unique and enlightening experiences, especially related to nature and/or wildlife, it can easily be planned and done (on a budget less than a theme park ticket).

But I guess if the only family vacations one plans are theme park related, then, yes, Sea World is the only way to give these beautiful creatures the exposure they deserve.

 

[8lovesmickey]

I agree that the best way to see wild animals in the wild - whale watching in Hawaii gave me a much better appreciation than seeing belugas at the zoo. Unfortunately I can't afford to take my kids to Hawaii at this point...

For better or worse there are hundreds of thousands of people filtering through Sea World every year and I think of their whales as ambassadors for the species - if one whale in captivity can save hundreds in the wild it seems a reasonable thing to me.

 

[challer]

One doesn't have to go to Hawaii. You can go to northern Cali, Oregon coast, or Seattle. If you can fly to Disneyland, you can get to see this.

All I'm saying is that Sea World is not the only place or best place to get this exposure, nor is it close to being as inspring as experiencing natural wildlife in its undisturbed splendor.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I'm fustrated by the number of news people talking about releasing these animals back into the oceans. They make it sound like you could just dump them back in the ocean and they would be fine. That is not the case though. To my knowledge that has never been done successfully. I remember the whole Free Willy thing and he ended up dying I think a year or two later. Right or wrong, most of the whales at SW were born in captivity and you cannot just set them free in the ocean, they would not survive. Even Tilly, who was not born in captivity, could not just be released. It's a nice image, but it is not as simple as some in the media are making it out to be.

 

[dalt01]

I'm fustrated by the number of news people talking about releasing these animals back into the oceans. They make it sound like you could just dump them back in the ocean and they would be fine. That is not the case though. To my knowledge that has never been done successfully. I remember the whole Free Willy thing and he ended up dying I think a year or two later. Right or wrong, most of the whales at SW were born in captivity and you cannot just set them free in the ocean, they would not survive. Even Tilly, who was not born in captivity, could not just be released. It's a nice image, but it is not as simple as some in the media are making it out to be.

it has been proven with humans that you are indeed a product of your environment.....in simple terms you dont miss what you are unaware of. they have done experiments with small fish and put a glass divider in the tank for a period of time and then took it out.............the fish went to the point where the glass had been and no further. this orca would spend the rest of his shortened life looking for the corners of the tank and the person with the food.