Trainer dies at SeaWorld...

[fav_is_tink]

really sad news

my thoughts are with the trainer & her family

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Quote:
Originally Posted by orlandothebeagle
I missed your post first time, re seals, thats exactly what I thought, these animals must be demented
In captivity, trying to display normal behaviour.
i don't think it's demented when a whale kills a seal....
that's the circle of life and all that...
whales are predators of seals and they kill them.....
whales are animals....animals act like animals..

i can't blame the animal for acting like an animal...
we're the ones to blame for putting them into conditions that they shouldn't be in...
they shouldn't be living in captivity...

but bottom line, that poor women was killed in a horrifically violent manner....
and by an animal that she no doubt loved dearly...
how very very very sad....and awful for her family to know that she died in that way...and for those who witnessed it....


Quote:
Originally Posted by jharrowell
Here's the BBC's take on it:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8535618.stm

they are saying the official line is the trainer slipped and fell but that feels like corporate spin to me.

This is so sad...

i heard the slipped and fell line on the news last night...definitely sounds like corporate spin, given the eyewitness reports....

very very sad....

 

[PoppyAnna]

Very very sad, RIP Dawn.

Like others have said Seaworld hasn't "felt right" for me for since I last visited in 2007. We decided then that we probably wouldn't visit again and I certainly wouldn't visit Discovery Cove. It is my preference to go whale watching in Vancouver or elsewhere. Its the performing aspect of Seaworld that I'm not comfortable with and although many make the argument for Seaworld's conservation program and the "rescue" aspect of their captivity, I'm not so convinced. It's one thing to have small fish and other sea creatures in a well run aquarium, it's another to see these majestic creatures being trained to perform on demand and spending the rest of their time swimming around and around in what is to them a bathtub.

 

[mushumadness]

poor woman, rip

seaworld isnt a place I would ever take my boys, I just dont like it

 

[wilma-bride]

Just copying and pasting my post from the Trip Planning board;

I've posted a reply on the Seaworld board thread. This is the third time Tilikum ( the biggest whale in capitivity and the one who splashes everyone when they chant "Shamu") has been involved in the death of a human including the awful death of Keltie Burn, a trainer at Sealand Pacific. SeaWorld should have seen this coming, it makes me mad and I feel so sad for the trainer.

No, Les its the third time this particular whale had been involved in a death (although he doesn't know he is doing any wrong), also the second death was attributed to hypothermia and drowning but the man who died had been dragged along the bottom of the tank. There have been numerous dangerous incidents with whales/orcas. I love them but there is no way they should be kept as entertainment, they don't realise humans are not toys and lots of humans don't seem to realise that the whales aren't toys either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orca_attacks_on_humans

I wasn't going to comment on this thread because I feel, sadly, it has gone completely away from the point and turned into a debate/zoo bashing thread. However, I couldn't let the second quote here go without saying that, although what you say is true, you didn't mention that the second man who was 'allegedly' killed by this whale had actually broken into the enclosure and shouldn't have been there. While that doesn't take away from what happened to him and the sadness of the situation, it's like someone climbing into a cage with a lion and expecting not to be eaten

I think the fact that most people are forgetting here is that these are wild animals and should always be treated with respect. I very much feel that complacency can be a contributing factor in any incident such as this and I think that, regardless of what your thoughts are about Sea World or similar places, you are forgetting that, with the exception of those whales/dolphins/creatures who were born there, the remainder have been rescued and many would not be able to survive in the wild for whatever reason.

For those who said you would never go there, does that mean you feel the same about Animal Kingdom then?

 

[oceanscape]

This was such a sad story to read. I really hope the trainer's family are able to get through this difficult time.

I'm another who has never, and will never, visit SeaWorld. I honestly can't see the attraction.

For those who said you would never go there, does that mean you feel the same about Animal Kingdom then?

The majority of the animals at AK have more than 100 acres of space to enjoy and they are not forced to perform at will. I think people also feel a stronger emotional connection with dolphins/whales given their high intelligence and complex behavioural patterns.

 

[wideeyes]

For those who said you would never go there, does that mean you feel the same about Animal Kingdom then?

Not so much no, the whales and dolphins have been removed from the ocean and more or less been put on land in a bath tub and are put on show like circus animals. This is not animal conservation. I am not that sure about the dolphins at epcot however I haven't seen humans ride them like a surf board.

I have stayed at AKL & the Animals are wondering around on land, grazing etc not putting on a show, people often complain about not seeing Animals at AKL and on the safari ride at AK. Also the work that Disney does for animal conservation is more evident. I felt my DD was more educated by this subject at Disney, however not so much at seaworld.

 

[Head_in_the_clouds]

I wasn't going to comment on this thread because I feel, sadly, it has gone completely away from the point and turned into a debate/zoo bashing thread. However, I couldn't let the second quote here go without saying that, although what you say is true, you didn't mention that the second man who was 'allegedly' killed by this whale had actually broken into the enclosure and shouldn't have been there. While that doesn't take away from what happened to him and the sadness of the situation, it's like someone climbing into a cage with a lion and expecting not to be eaten

I think the fact that most people are forgetting here is that these are wild animals and should always be treated with respect. I very much feel that complacency can be a contributing factor in any incident such as this and I think that, regardless of what your thoughts are about Sea World or similar places, you are forgetting that, with the exception of those whales/dolphins/creatures who were born there, the remainder have been rescued and many would not be able to survive in the wild for whatever reason.

For those who said you would never go there, does that mean you feel the same about Animal Kingdom then?

Sorry, Wilma_Bride, that I didn't say that Daniel Dukes had stayed in the park after closure and snuck into the tank but it did say that in the link I had posted underneath. The official line of course, as I said, was that he died of hypothermia and drowning but he had been bitten and/or dragged along the bottom of the tank by Tilikum. It is not Tilikum's fault, he doesn't know what he is doing but people were aware of the risk he posed with his size and the fact that he saw humans as toys when they were in the water.

I'm really sorry if my comments offended anyone but I had the privilege of seeing Dawn perform on a few occasions and I was naturally very upset that this has happened when Tilikum was known to pose a greater risk to humans than other orcas. As I have said on other threads, which I appreciate not everyone reads, I do not believe Tilikum should be destroyed or released into the wild now (this would be a sure death for him) but I do not believe he should have been used in Believe or Dine With Shamu as he got too close to the trainers.

If anyone has any memories of Dawn, it might be a nice idea to leave a message on the tribute thread on the SeaWorld board.

Can't comment on AK, as I don't really visit there anymore.

Once again, I apologise if I've upset anyone.

 

[irisheyes123]

I wasn't going to comment on this thread because I feel, sadly, it has gone completely away from the point and turned into a debate/zoo bashing thread. However, I couldn't let the second quote here go without saying that, although what you say is true, you didn't mention that the second man who was 'allegedly' killed by this whale had actually broken into the enclosure and shouldn't have been there. While that doesn't take away from what happened to him and the sadness of the situation, it's like someone climbing into a cage with a lion and expecting not to be eaten

I think the fact that most people are forgetting here is that these are wild animals and should always be treated with respect. I very much feel that complacency can be a contributing factor in any incident such as this and I think that, regardless of what your thoughts are about Sea World or similar places, you are forgetting that, with the exception of those whales/dolphins/creatures who were born there, the remainder have been rescued and many would not be able to survive in the wild for whatever reason.

For those who said you would never go there, does that mean you feel the same about Animal Kingdom then?

I totally agree with your point

Also I don't think its fair to compare the tank to a bathtub I know I can't swim in my bathtub sorry just had to say that...

 

[mandymouse]

As this thread seems to have gone off topic, I am going to close it, but just to point out a couple of other threads on the SeaWorld forums

General discussion http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2405346

Tribute to Dawn http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2406346