They're not called "killer whales" for nothing.

Last month was a solemn one for Sea World and the nation. Whenever humans put their trust and faith in a wild animal, certain risks need careful consideration. Dawn Brancheau was an excellent trainer of marine animals who paid the ultimate price. It’s not clear whether Dawn let complacency skew her view of danger when dealing with marine wildlife, but her life was lost and the life of one of nature’s most fierce yet delicate creatures is hanging in the balance.

Who’s to blame for this tragedy?

No one can say for sure. You can’t really blame the whale, for he was only acting in the way all wild animals do. He didn’t ask to be in captivity. On the flip side, 40-year-old Dawn and others in her field were just trying to preserve a species. The question that’s raised in my mind and the minds of many others is why this mammal was allowed to participate at all — he was involved in two other fatal accidents prior to Dawn Brancheau’s death.

Drowning or Whale attack

It’s unclear whether Dawn died from drowning or from the whale attack itself. Audience comments suggest the whale grabbed the trainer by the waist and thrashed her so violently that her shoe flew off. The incident took place at the end of a noon show. Is this the end of sea world? Only time will tell. I certainly smell a lawsuit because of the extensive negligence concerning the danger assessment of this particular whale.

Sometimes the best predictor of an animal’s future behavior is the animal’s past behavior, and Tilikum indeed has a shady past. It’s easy to automatically blame a wild creature when the unthinkable happens, but in this case, it has been brought to the world’s attention that Dawn died partially because of her own negligence. Sadly, right before she was dragged into the deep waters, she decided that it would be OK to lay stomach-down on the trainer platform, which is only about four inches deep.

A history of fatal miss-judgments

I am truly amazed at how this was allowed to occur. This whale is as wild as they come and even in the wild, the killer whale stays true to its name. They don’t call them killer whales for nothing. According to the Nation/World associated press:

“Tilikum, one of three Orcas blamed for killing a trainer who lost her balance and fell in the pool with them in 1991 at Sea-Land of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia. Tilikum also was involved in a 1999 death; the body of a man who had slipped past Orlando Sea-World security was found draped over him.”

Sea World has rules in place to protect its trainers, so what went wrong?

Sea World’s protocol is to never allow yourself, as a trainer, to get too close to a killer whale’s mouth for the reason that death is a high possibility. Tilikum didn’t know he was about to kill the trainer he grew to love, but rather, he saw Dawn’s loose pony tail flailing in the water spread out behind her head. As far as Tilikum was concerned, it was a fair game. He probably thought it was an easy snack, like a snake, fish or some seaweed floating about. She most likely looked like a seal to him.

Tilikum saw Dawn’s pony tail floating in the water next to him and in an instant he grabbed a hold of it, dragging Dawn down to her death. Let this be a lesson to all; always keep your guard up. The only consolation I get in this is the fact that Dawn died doing what she loved, and she certainly fulfilled her dreams while on this planet.

An Orca being fed. From Wikimedia Commons.

Tragedy struck at Sea World this week, as 40 year old trainer Dawn Brancheau was attacked by Tilikum, an Orca who resides at Sea World Orlando.  According to eyewitness statements, the whale seized Brancheau, thrashing her about and then dragged her into the tank where she drowned.  She was 40 years old.  When people go to Sea World, this was not what they were paying for, to say the least.  One hopes her loved ones can find some measure of peace in the wake of this event.

Where does Shamu fit into this?

Well, sometimes one has to remember that not every0ne on the internet is exactly up to date.  Each of the three Sea Worlds in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio, calls whales Shamu,  after the whale that brought Sea World a lot of attention.  Shamu, originally, was a female Orca captured in Puget Sound in 1965 and placed in Sea World San Diego from then until her death in 1971.  Shamu herself wasn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type, nearly killing one of her handlers.  The actual Shamu has been deceased for over three decades.

Tilikum

Tilikum is a large male, and at 22 feet in length and 12,300 pounds, he is the largest captive bull Orca on record.  He was involved in the death of a trainer at his previous home at Sealand around Victoria, British Columbia in 1991.  After that he was transferred to Sea World Orlando, and 8 years after the move, a transient man who had eluded park security was found dead in Tilikum’s tank.  He had been bitten, though it is assumed he died of hypothermia or drowning, not related to the whale. The incident that claimed the life of Dawn Brancheau was confirmed by numerous eyewitnesses and was not an accident – she was seized and pulled into the water. The attack appears to have been deliberate.

Free Willy not exactly true to life

Orcas, or as they are also known Killer Whales (a sobriquet they’ve earned), are apex predators.  The largest of the dolphin species, their usual size is up to or over 20 feet in length, and weighing in over several tons, with a lifespan up to 50 years or more.  Sometimes referred to as wolves of the sea, they hunt in packs, feeding on fish, sea lions, seals, and sharks.  They will also hunt juvenile whales of other species, by separating it from it’s mother and surrounding it so that it can’t surface, drowning their victims.  Regardless of any tricks you might have seen one do or movies you may have seen, they are dangerous.