Trainer Killed By Whale at Seaworld (Orlando)

[SandrA9810]

But he was in the tank with two others, he wasn't the "sole" cause of death of that trainer.

It still goes back to what I said first. The trainers know it's a dangerous game they play when they get into that tank every day with whales. Every trainer, every animal educator will tell you the same thing. It's a risk of life and death to do their jobs that they love. They even tell you this during the Believe show... do you think they say this for their own humor or something? Did you not believe it when they said it? Or have you ever been to Sea World?

 

[Jennasis]

I might have gotten the country wrong but my info. about him being a previous killer is right.

"Around six months before Tilikum came to SeaWorld Orlando, the whale was involved in an incident that resulted in the trainer’s death"

From the article.

You seem to know more about his past than the restof us. So how did Tili KILL this other trainer? ALl the article says is that the whale was involved in an incident that resulted in the trainer's death. Never says the whale "murdered" the trainer. Ditto for the fool who snuck into the tank at night.

 

[SandrA9810]

Thanks Lisa. I guess people think animals can understand and think like humans do.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

So sad.

 

[luvsJack]

That's like blaming a train for someone's suicide on the track.

One of the deaths was by an idiot--and these are wild animals that are called..."Killer whales". I'm sure marine biologists didn't come up with that nickname b/c they were cute and cuddly and would not harm a fly.

http://www.dolphintrainer.com/killer_reputation.htm

this will tell you why they are called killer whales and it has nothing to do with being consider a "killer" except for hunting. The term is thought to come from "whale killer" being misinterpeted. They killed larger whales for food.


This is a very, very sad tragedy. But I think that most people that do work with wild animals know the risk (that doesn't make the trainer's death any less tragic).

 

[C.Ann]

Terribly sad for the victim and family members - not to mention horrifying for anyone who witnessed it..

Not sure there's any "blame" here though.. As someone else mentioned, whales can't and don't "think" like humans - and the trainers know the risks involved when they sign on.. Nothing more than a very tragic event..

 

[palmtreegirl]

(CNN) -- A killer whale killed a trainer Wednesday afternoon at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium in Orlando, Florida, a public information officer for the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

The woman, 40, was in the whale holding area about 2 p.m. when "she apparently slipped or fell into the tank and was fatally injured by one of the whales," Jim Solomons said.

But a witness told CNN affiliate WKMG-TV that the whale approached the glass side of the 35-foot-deep tank at Shamu Stadium, jumped up and grabbed the trainer by the waist, shaking her so violently that her shoe came off.


A SeaWorld employee who asked not to be identified confirmed the description of the attack and added that the whale involved is named Tillikum. SeaWorld uses "Shamu" as a stage name for any of the male or female orcas in its shows.

Rest of the article- http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/24/killer.whale.trainer.death/index.html?hpt=T1

The audio interview with the witness is in that link.

 

[PaulaSB12]

My sister is a whale fanatic and is siding with the whale!!! I hung up on her. I have compassion for the trainer and the family of the trainer. Wild animals are misunderstood. Its just a sad situation. Any well trained wild animal can turn on a dime. Look what happened to Ziegfried and Roy. Or the chimp lady.

Why hang up on your sister? I have compassion for the trainer and her family my sympathy is with the whale. This seemingly is the second trainer death in so many months there was this one

http://www.janetanscombe.com/news/tragedy-in-loro-parque-as-whale-kills-trainer.html

While we keep these intelegent animals in captivity this is going to happen. As someone on one of the other part of the board said these animals are not designed to be our friends or celebraties.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I wouldn't put it past someone to talk.

I hope no video is released though. ERASE ERASE ERASE the tape (public only--Seaworld needs to maintain their evidence to properly sort out what happened.)

I'm not a SeaWorld fan, and while I'm not taking this into account, we have to remember these are wild animals that are trained. But that training doesn't eliminate the possibility for a tragedy to occur.

It's like when kids ask if an animal bites. I have coached my children that anything with teeth can bite..including a sibling.

Never assume that even the best trained animal will never not "bite" or in this Whale's case--react in a way that will cause severe injury. I'm not saying the trainer did that. But it is naive to believe that something like this will never occur (or never occur again as the case may be).

So sad and may the trainer RIP and Tili be given a place to live out (his/her) life.

This is not the whale's fault though.

Rip for the trainer and give ALL whales and dolphins a place to live their lifes in peace stop treating these beautiful animals as toys to entertain us.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

http://www.dolphintrainer.com/killer_reputation.htm

this will tell you why they are called killer whales and it has nothing to do with being consider a "killer" except for hunting. The term is thought to come from "whale killer" being misinterpeted. They killed larger whales for food.


This is a very, very sad tragedy. But I think that most people that do work with wild animals know the risk (that doesn't make the trainer's death any less tragic).

I never implied that they killed people.

They do kill things even if it is their food. Like lions. If a "trained" lion were to suddenly decide its trainer was dinner by accident or on purpose, it doesn't change the fact that the lion is and will always be a hunter and has to kill its food b/c it eats meat and not broccoli.

 

[dolphinrescuegirl]

That's like blaming a train for someone's suicide on the track.

One of the deaths was by an idiot--and these are wild animals that are called..."Killer whales". I'm sure marine biologists didn't come up with that nickname b/c they were cute and cuddly and would not harm a fly.

I wasn't talking about the idiot that decided he wanted to swim with the whales. He died of hypothermia. I'm talking about the trainer in Canada he killed!

 

[bumbershoot]

In defense of the tiger, Siegfried claims that the tiger was attempting to protect Roy. The tiger saw something hinky in the audience that he didn't like and wanted to take Roy away from the situation. Unfortunately, the tiger didn't realize that Roy wasn't a big cat too and his efforts could actually hurt him.

I say it all the time, you can't fault a shark for being a shark. It is really unfortunate that this trainer died but I'd like to think the whale did this for a reason - a reason sensible to the whale. What WE need to understand is that the animals we interact with may not be able to deny their instinct. I would think that the trainer accepted this and knew the risk. Do whales know that humans can't breathe under water? I doubt it.

I don't think the whale thought they were doing anything wrong. If the whale attacked the trainer, it probably perceived a threat (where there may have been none). If the whale held the trainer under water until they drowned, perhaps he was just playing and didn't realize he might be harming the trainer.

I don't think we'll ever know what the whale was thinking.

I agree. I too read S&R's feelings about it, and since they know the tiger (as well as someone can know an animal) I'd go with their ideas on it. And it reminds me of the dog biting incident last week that killed a baby...the dog could very well have been trying to move the baby, not realizing that baby humans are incredibly fragile, more fragile than their own young would be.

Animals have their own logic, their own instincts.

Terribly sad for the victim and family members - not to mention horrifying for anyone who witnessed it..

Not sure there's any "blame" here though.. As someone else mentioned, whales can't and don't "think" like humans - and the trainers know the risks involved when they sign on.. Nothing more than a very tragic event..

I like the way you said that.



That clickorlando article is very poorly written. The title says "killed", the body says it's being considered an accident. There's a one liner about a '91 incident, then a '99 incident saying Tillikum bit the person, then two unrelated incidents from '04 and '06. Confusing, and for someone skimming makes this whale seem like a serial killer! Horrible writing.

 

[chisnpeke]

And the said thing is the whale is going to be put down. It's a KILLER WHALE!!! I enjoy watching the shows at SeaWorld but people need to realize that any animal in captivity is still an animal and can turn at any time. Yet the animals continue to be punished just for doing what makes sense to them.

That poor woman and her family, I can't imagine what they are feeling right now.

 

[krcit]

Terribly sad for the victim and family members - not to mention horrifying for anyone who witnessed it..

Not sure there's any "blame" here though.. As someone else mentioned, whales can't and don't "think" like humans - and the trainers know the risks involved when they sign on.. Nothing more than a very tragic event..

I agree. So sad. I can't even imagine the poor people who saw it. I know if my middle dd saw something like that she would need therapy

 

[RadioNate]

If you're going to post about the other killings, at least get your facts straight. You post it like it's something he's done several times, like it's nothing new.

He was new whale at the aquarium, with two other female whales in the same tank. One of them being pregnant. When the accident happened, and the trainer fell into the tank.

The second death was the cause of the person's stupidity. He got into 55 degree water at night. There was nothing to show that Tili did anything to the guy to cause his death. I hope that was the last thing on his "life's to do list"... because it sure was a stupid one (to fulfill in that way).

This death is right now considered an accident. They're not releasing much information. And no one gets into the tank with Tili like the other whales. It happened during Dine with Shamu, so I'm sure there's witnesses to it, but don't expect them to be talking or to see video of something like this.

Frankly, the fact is that this is the 3rd person to die in Tillikum's tank. The trainer at Sealand was drowned by the whales, which included Tilly.

Yes, the official cause of the death in the 2nd incident was hypothermia however, there was evidence that the body was dragged against the bottom of the tank and the body was found on Tilly's back.

There is a reason that trainers do not swim with this whale.

They will show the video, if they get it. They showed Nodar Kumaritashvili's death last week all over the news. What makes you think they won't show at least part of this video.

When Ky (Tillikum's son) attempted to drown his trainer at Sea World San Antonio, that video was all over the news.

I do have to credit the Orlando news right not for NOT releasing the trainers name even though I believe they know it.

 

[chisnpeke]

In defense of the tiger, Siegfried claims that the tiger was attempting to protect Roy. The tiger saw something hinky in the audience that he didn't like and wanted to take Roy away from the situation. Unfortunately, the tiger didn't realize that Roy wasn't a big cat too and his efforts could actually hurt him.

I say it all the time, you can't fault a shark for being a shark. It is really unfortunate that this trainer died but I'd like to think the whale did this for a reason - a reason sensible to the whale. What WE need to understand is that the animals we interact with may not be able to deny their instinct. I would think that the trainer accepted this and knew the risk. Do whales know that humans can't breathe under water? I doubt it.

I don't think the whale thought they were doing anything wrong. If the whale attacked the trainer, it probably perceived a threat (where there may have been none). If the whale held the trainer under water until they drowned, perhaps he was just playing and didn't realize he might be harming the trainer.

I don't think we'll ever know what the whale was thinking.

When I visited the tiger habitat at the Mirage, the woman at the gift shop was VERY defensive and careful to say that the tiger did not attack in any way but noticed that Roy was having a problem and tried to grab him, unfortunately a lion does not know that they are very strong and would do further damage.

 

[chisnpeke]

My sister is a whale fanatic and is siding with the whale!!! I hung up on her. I have compassion for the trainer and the family of the trainer. Wild animals are misunderstood. Its just a sad situation. Any well trained wild animal can turn on a dime. Look what happened to Ziegfried and Roy. Or the chimp lady.

I don't understand why you would hang up on your sister. I side with the whale too.

I feel bad for the people involved in these attacks but I absolutely hate when people make WILD animals out to be terrible creatures. WE brought them into captivity. It doesn't matter how trained they are or that they were bred into captivity, they are still wild at heart.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

Frankly, the fact is that this is the 3rd person to die in Tillikum's tank. The trainer at Sealand was drowned by the whales, which included Tilly.

Yes, the official cause of the death in the 2nd incident was hypothermia however, there was evidence that the body was dragged against the bottom of the tank and the body was found on Tilly's back.

There is a reason that trainers do not swim with this whale.

They will show the video, if they get it. They showed Nodar Kumaritashvili's death last week all over the news. What makes you think they won't show at least part of this video.

When Ky (Tillikum's son) attempted to drown his trainer at Sea World San Antonio, that video was all over the news.

I do have to credit the Orlando news right not for NOT releasing the trainers name even though I believe they know it.

But the whale is a WILD animal. As someone said upthread said, we have no idea what he was thinking...he may have been trying to protect the trainer for all we know. And in the incident where the guy snuck in after hours that's no different than someone breaking into a house and getting mauled by a dog...they shouldn't have been there.

My heart goes out to the trainer's family, but you really can't blame the whale...this is the risk you take when keeping wild animals in captivity.

And yes, I hope no video is released, but I wouldn't put it past anyone.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Frankly, the fact is that this is the 3rd person to die in Tillikum's tank. The trainer at Sealand was drowned by the whales, which included Tilly.

Yes, the official cause of the death in the 2nd incident was hypothermia however, there was evidence that the body was dragged against the bottom of the tank and the body was found on Tilly's back.

There is a reason that trainers do not swim with this whale.

They will show the video, if they get it. They showed Nodar Kumaritashvili's death last week all over the news. What makes you think they won't show at least part of this video.

When Ky (Tillikum's son) attempted to drown his trainer at Sea World San Antonio, that video was all over the news.

I do have to credit the Orlando news right not for NOT releasing the trainers name even though I believe they know it.

The fault lies with SeaWorld--not the whale!

Unless you can produce a contract with his flipper signature that he wished to be captive and work with humans and promising to be nice in the face of two human deaths.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I can't imagine a creature as large as an Orca could live happily in a tank. We used to have Sea World here in Ohio and I used to go every summer. As beautiful as they are and as much as I love looking at them up close, I now think it's just wrong to keep them in captivity. Accidents like this are bound to happen.