FL - Dawn Brancheau, Female Trainer Killed at Shamu Stadium

[cuppy199]

(whispering) I think it's possible that I may be blaming her.

If I lay down in the middle of the highway, many cars will be able to dodge and miss me but eventually one will hit me. At least it is a good possibility. To get close enough to touch a large, non-domestic animal in their own environment is just asking for it. God bless Steve Irwin,(I loved him so much!) his death was due to proximity to a wild animal, although it was a rare freak accident. One day he may well have succumbed to one of the crocs he loved so well. And the couple who got eaten by bears. The churches that handle poisonous snakes lose a good many members to snake bites over time.

I would never take away from the terrible grief that Dawn's family feels, and the circumstances of her death certainly do not negate the loss to the world of a lovely, smart, animal lover. But had she not been in a tank with an Orca, she likely would not have been killed by one.

Mostly, I blame Seaworld, though.

Dawn was a amazing women who loved those whales like they were her family.She loved her job and she knew the risks and if she were here right now she would say she wouldn't change a thing. Those animals were her passion.She was good at what she did and most of all she love her work but even she would say crap happens.She also made it clear if anything were to happen dont blame the whale it isnt their fault. Dawn died doing what she loved and dreamed of doing how many get to do that.I will miss her she was a good friend with a big heart!

 

[Penelope]

No reply to my post ... is there any footage of the actual attack? Thanks

As far as I am aware, NO footage of the actual attack has been revealed -- only something filmed a few minutes before Dawn was pulled into the pool.

 

[butterfly1978]

All I'm saying is things like this would never happen if the WILD animals were left in the wild where they belong!!!!!

but no you can't release him now, not since he has been taken care of by humans for so long. He will die in the wild now. If we would stop interfering with nature for our own entertainment this would not happen.

 

[jon_burrows]

Attacks are more common than I thought. They don’t seem to make national headlines unless there is a death.

There were a couple posts earlier as to whether or not SeaWorld picked children from the audience to pet the whales. I found a video as late as 2008 where a little girl with a long ponytail was brought up from the audience. The scary thing is one of the whales attacked and tore apart a pelican while she was standing next to the tank. This caused the other whales to act up, completely ignoring the trainers. The poster of the video does not allow embedded urls but you can do a search on “shamu attacks and kills pelican during show” at youtube and see the whole video. The whales were so uncontrollable they had to be taken out of the showing area. It’s worth clicking on the ‘more’ button on the right side to read about the encounter firsthand.

One thing I’ve noticed is when the trainers go into panic mode, they start slapping the water really hard. Maybe that is the whale’s signal for food or to come to the edge of the pool.

Some random attack videos:

This trainer is limping when he finally gets out…the description on youtube is excellent (right click on the video then select 'watch on youtube'):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTXE653JPOg

Another one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_yxLXFEo4&feature=related

In November 2006, trainer Kenneth Peters, 39, was bitten and held underwater several times by a 7,000-pound killer whale during a show at SeaWorld's San Diego park. He escaped with a broken foot. The 17-foot-long orca who attacked him was the dominant female of SeaWorld San Diego's seven killer whales. She had attacked Peters on two prior occasions, in 1993 and 1999. Here’s partial video of one of the attacks (mute the volume…the song is laced with curse words) but the interviews are worth hearing. The other trainers tried to grab him but the whale threw him back into the pool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Af67qv5Dzg&feature=player_embedded

Interview with a lady that was attacked (shows the attack):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5SFzHzesKY

Killer whale drowns trainer at Spanish zoo (Dec 09)

http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=10561240378

 

[jon_burrows]

That made me want to cry. I hate seeing these beautiful creations of God made to do stupid tricks to cheesy music in a little pool. Is there anything that we can do to help make this illegal?

Money talks and as more people understand the life of captive whales maybe they'll stop coming to the shows. No profit pouring in means an end to the shows and breeding. Some people on this forum have said they'll never go back. Every person counts!

Some actors are already speaking out:

"I think they should just shut them all down. I've never been a fan of places like that."
—Matt Damon on SeaWorld

This weekend, Damon joined Bob Barker and tons of other stars who are speaking out against SeaWorld after yet another trainer was killed by the imprisoned orca Tilikum.

 

[Penelope]

Money talks and as more people understand the life of captive whales maybe they'll stop coming to the shows. No profit pouring in means an end to the shows and breeding. Some people on this forum have said they'll never go back. Every person counts!

Some actors are already speaking out:

"I think they should just shut them all down. I've never been a fan of places like that."
—Matt Damon on SeaWorld

This weekend, Damon joined Bob Barker and tons of other stars who are speaking out against SeaWorld after yet another trainer was killed by the imprisoned orca Tilikum.

Thank you for posting those videos. Viewing them one after another puts the issue in a clearer perspective. It is evident that there is a problem with their captivity -- and the trainers and people who swim with them (especially the guy who was attacked 3 times) have got to have a screw loose in their heads. I remain of the opinion that all orca shows must stop and there must be a way found to allow these creatures to swim in a larger, more natural environment for the rest of their lives.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Jack Hanna's take on the situation:

[video=youtube;sD3Mqjp0KLw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD3Mqjp0KLw[/video]

ETA: After Tili killed a trainer in Canada, Seaworld took him in to prevent him from being euthanized.

 

[jon_burrows]

A little info about Jack Hanna...

According to PETA (warning...the Ringling Bros. link will bring animal lovers to tears):

"We weren't surprised when we heard that SeaWorld hired animal pimp "entertainer" Jack Hanna to defend its abuse of marine mammals as well as SeaWorld's abysmal record of injuries and deaths of both trainers and animals. This is the same man who called Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey "the finest circus in the world," after all.

A few incidents with jack involved:

"His "pet" lion bit off the arm of a 3-year-old. A chimpanzee he brought to a church, bit off a 5-year-old girl's finger. A fox he displayed on Good Morning America severely bit the host's finger, and a baby cougar he brought to a conference bit a politician on the chin."

entire article here:

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2007/09/jack_hanna_gets.php


A little poetic justice Jack Hanna...

"If you missed the story, America's most notorious animal trainer, Jack Hanna, got stuck in an airport turnstile yesterday when he was trying to transport a flamingo in a crate like she was carry-on luggage. Hanna also had a leopard and a mongoose in tow, so the terrified animals had to sit there for God knows how long while firefighters worked to free the flamingo’s crate from the turnstile. Or as he put it:"

"I was stuck like a worm. My eyes were as big as grapefruits. I can't describe the feeling in my stomach. I can't move up or down. The bars are on your face."

Hanna—who actually compared whale trainers to astronauts (?!)—has his own long and sordid history of exploiting animals at the expense of the safety of the animals and the humans around them.

Entire article here:

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2007/09/jack_hanna_gets.php

​

 

[Penelope]

ETA: After Tili killed a trainer in Canada, Seaworld took him in to prevent him from being euthanized.

Kimberlyd125: I was unable to watch the video and not sure Jack Hanna was your source of the information that Seaworld took Tilly in to prevent him from being euthanized.

Earlier in this thread I posted a website link and the following information:

Why was the Sea World Trainer Killed by Captive Orca Tilikum from Seattle City Brights Blog -- author Candace Calloway Whiting: Volunteer, Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbor.

In the blog article, the author gives some background history about Tilikum that says that following the death of the assistant trainer at Sealand in 1991, Tilikum was going to be set free until SeaWorld interfered and ended up taking him to the U.S.

" Following that unfortunate event at least one of the three orcas - Tilikum - was slated to be returned and to be set free in Iceland, but Sea World, eager to acquire another orca, stepped in. Sea World managed to persuade the National Marine Fisheries Service and the government of Iceland that they should be able to import and keep Tilikum even though the marine mammal protection act did not allow for it as a first resort."​

IMO, If the source of your information was Jack Hanna, then I believe he mis-spoke or else was passing along facts that are untrue.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

No offense but I don't really look to PETA for any information.

IMO they are very radical in their approach and I take anything they say with a grain of salt.

I am an animal lover but I can not stand PETA.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Kimberlyd125: I was unable to watch the video and not sure Jack Hanna was your source of the information that Seaworld took Tilly in to prevent him from being euthanized.

Earlier in this thread I posted a website link and the following information:

Why was the Sea World Trainer Killed by Captive Orca Tilikum from Seattle City Brights Blog -- author Candace Calloway Whiting: Volunteer, Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbor.

In the blog article, the author gives some background history about Tilikum that says that following the death of the assistant trainer at Sealand in 1991, Tilikum was going to be set free until SeaWorld interfered and ended up taking him to the U.S.

" Following that unfortunate event at least one of the three orcas - Tilikum - was slated to be returned and to be set free in Iceland, but Sea World, eager to acquire another orca, stepped in. Sea World managed to persuade the National Marine Fisheries Service and the government of Iceland that they should be able to import and keep Tilikum even though the marine mammal protection act did not allow for it as a first resort."​

IMO, If the source of your information was Jack Hanna, then I believe he mis-spoke or else was passing along facts that are untrue.

BBM - yes that's what he said. And after the trainer was killed, I'm sure having Tili euthanized came up during the coversations of what to do with him. JMO

Also, I wish you could watch the video because Jack aslo talks about the millions of dollars Seaworld spends to save animals.

Also, look how much it cost to relocate and take care of Keiko for the very short time he lived.
If y'all want all these orcas relocated, fed, and trained to hunt in the wild for a slight chance they may be able to live a year or two in the wild, where do you suppose the money is gonna come from?

 

[Muffet]

No offense but I don't really look to PETA for any information.

IMO they are very radical in their approach and I take anything they say with a grain of salt.

I am an animal lover but I can not stand PETA.

I agree with you about PETA, Kimberly. By taking things to such extremes sometimes, they marginalize themselves to the point of doing more harm than good, IMO. IOW, they have become a mockery, handing those who don't care about animals a handy red herring and straw man all in one to discredit us all.

I don't doubt they love animals, but they are proof that loving them isn't proof of good judgment. It's frustrating to have the Jack Hannas at one extreme, and PETA on the other.

Having said that, PETA wasn't the source of Penelope's info. Here's another page that gives the details. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/seaworld/tilikum/

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I agree with you about PETA, Kimberly. By taking things to such extremes sometimes, they marginalize themselves to the point of doing more harm than good, IMO. IOW, they have become a mockery, handing those who don't care about animals a handy red herring and straw man all in one to discredit us all.

I don't doubt they love animals, but they are proof that loving them isn't proof of good judgment. It's frustrating to have the Jack Hannas at one extreme, and PETA on the other.

Having said that, PETA wasn't the source of Penelope's info. Here's another page that gives the details. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/seaworld/tilikum/

Muffet: ITA

Also, I was responding to Jon's post above Penelope's regarding PETA

 

[Muffet]

BBM - yes that's what he said. And after the trainer was killed, I'm sure having Tili euthanized came up during the coversations of what to do with him. JMO

Also, I wish you could watch the video because Jack aslo talks about the millions of dollars Seaworld spends to save animals.

Also, look how much it cost to relocate and take care of Keiko for the very short time he lived.
If y'all want all these orcas relocated, fed, and trained to hunt in the wild for a slight chance they may be able to live a year or two in the wild, where do you suppose the money is gonna come from?

I wouldn't have the heart to turn them loose in the wild, because it's too late for them to adapt. All I wish for is a section of the ocean somewhere they could be safe and able to live and swim they way they are meant to live and swim, if that is at all possible. That pool might not be tiny, but it's obvious that it's not even close to big enough for an animal of that size.

If it's not possible, then I'm just sad, and I hope we don't allow any more to be born and kept that way. There are of course positives to keeping them, but I don't find any that outweigh the negatives, not to my conscience, anyway.

/ :twocents:

 

[Muffet]

Muffet: ITA

Also, I was responding to Jon's post above Penelope's regarding PETA

Gotcha. :thumb:

 

[Melly53]

No offense but I don't really look to PETA for any information.

IMO they are very radical in their approach and I take anything they say with a grain of salt.

I am an animal lover but I can not stand PETA.

When it comes to PETA, I take anything they say with a full shaker of salt because a grain of salt just doesn't cover their gross exaggerations, twisting of facts and the outright mis-information they are so good at spreading in their propaganda. JMO

 

[Gracenote]

[video=youtube;EiT-FQVyoe8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiT-FQVyoe8&feature=fvw[/video]

I think the whale was confused by the similarity between the little fish and her ponytail. How good is their vision? I think once he had her in his mouth he went feral but he also didn't know what to do.

 

[jon_burrows]

When it comes to PETA, I take anything they say with a full shaker of salt because a grain of salt just doesn't cover their gross exaggerations, twisting of facts and the outright mis-information they are so good at spreading in their propaganda. JMO

I don't always agree with what PETA says or does but in this case (specifically in my post, #673) could you point out their gross exaggerations and twisting of the facts regarding Jack Hanna? Seems to me he would have a heck of a law suit if they are lying about his past words, track record, and his stance on Ringling Bros. I hope you at least look at the pictures of the Ringling Bros. elephants before you discredit everything PETA says. If Jack can say Ringling Bros. is the finest circus on earth it just goes to show how truly ignorant he is as to what ethical treatment of animals means.

Jack has made a living out of animals in captivity and flaunting them on TV.

IMO

 

[jon_burrows]

No offense but I don't really look to PETA for any information.

IMO they are very radical in their approach and I take anything they say with a grain of salt.

I am an animal lover but I can not stand PETA.

I understand that some people don't like PETA, I don't like everything they do but I'm talking about this case in particular, in my post #673. Do you believe PETA is lying about Jack Hanna?

Correct me if I'm way off base but you take everything PETA says with a grain of salt but you believe Jack Hanna? A man who makes his living off of captive animals and gets paid by SeaWorld? Every article I've read about Tilly reported he was going to be set free, not euthanized.

IMO

 

[jon_burrows]

Thank you for posting those videos. Viewing them one after another puts the issue in a clearer perspective. It is evident that there is a problem with their captivity -- and the trainers and people who swim with them (especially the guy who was attacked 3 times) have got to have a screw loose in their heads. I remain of the opinion that all orca shows must stop and there must be a way found to allow these creatures to swim in a larger, more natural environment for the rest of their lives.

You're welcome.

I have no doubt these videos are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to whales and dolphins in captivity.

I recently read about two dolphins colliding in a show at SeaWorld, one died.

A killer whale rammed his head against the tank in another incident. Blood squirted from his spout and he died from his injuries. It was explained away as an accident...he was just doing his normal rough housing with another whale.

There is always an excuse for keeping these animals captive.

IMO