Sea World Trainer Killed

Sea World Trainer Killed, Today that a whale trainer died after she slipped into an orca’s pool at SeaWorld in Orlando, FL. The orca was a 12,300 pound male named Tilikum. Apparently the trainer, who had worked in the field for many years, slipped into the tank and was grabbed and thrashed around by the whale.

Orcas (killer whales) are toothed whales that can grow up to about 32 feet and weigh about 22,000 pounds. They are intelligent animals who live in pods. While fatal interactions with humans have previously occurred with captive orcas, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), “There has never been a documented attack on a human in the wild, and there are some stories of orcas actually protecting humans at sea from sharks.”

This is a really tragic situation, both for the trainer and her friends/family and the orca involved. I’ll keep you posted on future news related to this event. If you have any comments, I’d love to hear them.