Shamu kills a trainer

[luvDaMouse]

Just saw on cnn that one of the killer whales in Sea World Orlando killed one of the trainers It happened before a show so no one saw it happen they said that they evacuated the park.
So sad...

[Lakin]

Aww, the poor trainer!! Prayers go out to both him and his family/friends.

[Mickey'sGirl]

While I would never wish such a thing on anyone -- and I am so sorry for the trainer's family and friends -- this is exactly why we have no business creating entertainment from these titans of the seas. These are great, wild creatures who are not loving, tame pets, and we tend to lose sight of that when we humanize them and give them cute names and make them into adorable stuffed animals.

Captivity for conservation, not for capitalization.

[mouseketeer mom]

This is awful!!

[BrerGnat]

I have to agree with Jennifer. Going to sea world last year made me realize that I do not find those shows entertaining. I didn't enjoy myself and thankfully my kids didn't either so we won't be going back. It just felt very wrong to me and I hardly consider myself an environmentalist or anything. While this is sad news for the trainers family and friends, this type of wild animal behavior should never come as a surprise to anyone.

[SBETigg]

I read that it happened during a show and the audience had to be evacuated? So sad, in any event. I just wonder what exactly happened, with conflicting reports out there. The article I saw also named the whale and said they had had issues with this particular whale in the past.

[Patricia]

Very sad..

I think it's long overdue that these types of shows are stopped all together.

[BrerGnat]

I have read a few conflicting news stories as well. From the most reliable, it seems like there wasn't a show going on, but there were people in a viewing area, and the trainers were giving some sort of lecture about the whales. So, there were witnesses. However, witness accounts differ from Sea World's "official statement", which is extremely vague (something to the effect of "a trainer slipped and fell into the tank and drowned"). Sea World is denying "foul play", whatever that means, but then goes on to say that there has never been an incident of this nature at their park. Figures...

[EeyoresBestFriend]

How tragic! My heart goes out to the team that cares for them.

I am of two minds of the shows, though. I don't think that we need to see them doing 'tricks' like a dog. But I think being able to observe them in a semi natural environment and watch them is a good thing. It makes them 'real'. Unfortunately, we seem to need be able to see and touch things to care for them and be alerted to the plights that the creatures have in our world. I feel that it's easier to dismiss them and their existence if we haven't seen how magnificent they are in real life.(and no, a TV documentary doesn't cut it).

Just my opinion though ~ not trying to start something.

[2Epcot]

I read that it happened during a show and the audience had to be evacuated? So sad, in any event. I just wonder what exactly happened, with conflicting reports out there. The article I saw also named the whale and said they had had issues with this particular whale in the past.

Watching the news right now, they had some interviews from witnesses who said it happened just before the show, and the trainer was grabbed by the whale, pulled underwater and shook around. Very sad. We were at Sea World San Diego a few months ago taking my in-laws to see the show for the first time. They were really amazed to see such a show.

[ibrowse17]

How horrific. Our thoughts are with everyone that was there.

[Joannelet]

I highly agree with some of the previous posts.
Went to Sea World San Diego in 2008 and I was just so upset watching the show...I felt awful for going. To see these animals doing tricks just isn't right Its one thing to study these animals and another to make them perform.
I am so sorry for the trainer that died and their family.

[BigRedDad]

Just saw on cnn that one of the killer whales in Sea World Orlando killed one of the trainers It happened before a show so no one saw it happen they said that they evacuated the park.
So sad...

It was not Shamu. It was another whale that has killed others already.

[NJGIRL]

I agree with Jennifer and BrerGnat and this is why I haven't been to Sea World since my parents took me as a child. These are wild animals and no matter how much their trainers love them (which I really do believe they form a bond with them) they will always be wild and unpredicable. Plus, it is really cruel to put them in those tanks instead of them being out in the open sea. I know if I was never able to leave my house again I would go stir crazy and I think that's what happens to some of these animals. Especially the ones in circuses that are beaten while being "trained".

Wild animals belong in the wild and not doing tricks for our entertainment (that includes circuses) and I am hoping one day these kinds of shows are no longer in demand.

[doombuggy]

Our prayers go out to Dawn's family & her Seaworld family. The park has no plans to put the whale down at this time.

The whale's name is Tilly (which is a shortened version of the whale's name) and while there has been 2 other incidents with this whale, you have to take each incident on its own. For example, in 1999 a man broke into Seaworld in Orlando and was found in the tank with Tilly. his death was ruled from hypothermia. I am going to guess that he ended up in the tank somehow and couldn't get out.

[Melanie]

It was not Shamu. It was another whale that has killed others already.

Shamu is a stage name many of the whales have used.

[BrerSchultzy]

It was not Shamu. It was another whale that has killed others already.

And this is a pretty harsh statement. The whale in question has not "killed others"... it just so happened that a man snuck into the park ten years ago, stripped down to his skivvies, and was eventually found dead in Tilly's tank, officially due to hypothermia.

I am extremely saddened to hear of this news, and the fact that we don't hear about these incidents every week, or more than once every decade, proves that these trainers and animals have great relationships. I am interested to hear the final report...the eyewitness accounts are all over the place (which, I suppose, is to be expected considering the traumatic nature of the event).

Either way, my prayers go out to the family, and to all those who had to witness this.

[Dulcee]

This event is such a tragedy in many respects.

As a keeper in an aquarium it is so hard to watch the animal, Tilly, villanized in this case. Within the captive animal field it is always the case that the animals are never responsible, we the keepers are . As an animal trainer I can't help but feel that the trainer in this story would be horrified that an animal she loved and respected was being turned into a monster. We go into this field for the love of the animals we work with and we understand every single day the risk we take in working with them.

In working on a daily basis with sting rays and introducing them to human visitors I constantly have to defend a peaceful animal due to the tragedy with Steve Irwin, a legacy he too would have been horrified to find linked to himself.

For the "witness" accounts that the animal was agitated or acting out, I can only say that animal behavior is so easily misconstrued in one's mind when you have not been trained on that particular animal. Tilly's trainers would have picked up on any outward behavior that was unusual, as a trainer and a keeper that is a constant thought. I'm sure this will be found to be a tragic accident or mistake on the part of the trainer.

My thoughts and prayers go to her family, Sea World employees and those who are left with the task of defending Tilly.

[CanadianWDWFan]

And this is a pretty harsh statement. The whale in question has not "killed others"... it just so happened that a man snuck into the park ten years ago, stripped down to his skivvies, and was eventually found dead in Tilly's tank, officially due to hypothermia.

Actually this particular whale has killed another trainer. It was up in at a park in British Columbia a quite few years ago. Tilikum has had a history of other issues as well.

While it is a VERY tragic event, these animals are still wild. You can take every precaution but when you are dealing with intelligent beings, anything can happen.

[BigRedDad]

And this is a pretty harsh statement.

There is nothing harsh about it. The whale did kill another in Canada. The man who broke in and was found dead is another issue. He was stupid. Regardless, this whale has now killed two people at least.

I am completely against keeping any whale in captivity. These mammals roam thousands of miles on their normal migrations. Keeping them in tanks that are essentially smaller than a prison cell is ridiculous. I have not been to a Sea World since I was a toddler. I will not go to one any time soon.