On December 24, 2009, a 6,600-pound orca killed trainer Alexis Martínez at a marine park in the Canary Islands. Two months later, trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by an orca at SeaWorld Orlando. Tim Zimmermann asks: Should Martínez’s death have served as a warning about the lethal potential of killer whales being trained for our entertainment?
This is a fantastic article about the dangers of Killer Whale training and the risks taken by (potentially) negligent corporations for profit.
What amazed me is that there’s a 5.6 tonne killer whale in captivity at SeaWorld Orlando, who has killed three people:
Tilikum is a bull orca who lives in captivity at SeaWorld Orlando. He has sired many offspring, and has been involved in the deaths of three people. Following a year long hiatus after his last incident, Tilikum returned to performing at SeaWorld Orlando on 30 March 2011.
Read more about killer whale attacks on humans.
