Killer Whale kills trainer

[boomersooner]

Did you all hear about the orca whale at Sea World Orlando who grabbed his trainer and killed her right before a show was about to start? How terrible for the little kids watching.....Wild animals are wild animals....no matter how "tame" they appear.....The news said this was the third death for him...a biology student and a college age kid who snuck in his tank were also killed by him throughout the past years. And the sad thing is he would never survive going back into the ocean....

[Twisterdog]

He never should have been taken out of the ocean to begin with, therein lies the problem.

[boomersooner]

Great point!!!! and then when stuff like this happens or they aren't "trainable" what in the world happens to them? I don't even want to think.....

[Daisy and Delilah]

He never should have been taken out of the ocean to begin with, therein lies the problem.

Just what I want to say.

[blue]

Most of the mammals in places like Seaworld are rescued as youngsters or injured from the wild, not captured for our own amusement like in the 1800s. While Im for nature taking care of nature, places like Seaworld do allot to educate the masses, washed and unawashed alike.

[pomtzu]

Most of the mammals in places like Seaworld are rescued as youngsters or injured from the wild, not captured for our own amusement like in the 1800s. While Im for nature taking care of nature, places like Seaworld do allot to educate the masses, washed and unawashed alike.

I'm not being mean or less then compassionate, but perhaps it's time for man to not intervene in every instance, and let nature take it's natural course.

These huge mammals are not meant to be kept in a tank. Of course he was probably depressed. One could probably compare it to a person living his life in a small closet.

I remember one thing I actually learned from the movie "Free Willy". When the dorsal fin of these animals is not held up straight, and is curved or bent over, that is a sign that they are distressed, depressed, or otherwise unhealthy. Check out the fin of the whale that killed the trainer - bent over....

[Twisterdog]

I'm not being mean or less then compassionate, but perhaps it's time for man to not intervene in every instance, and let nature take it's natural course.

These huge mammals are not meant to be kept in a tank. Of course he was probably depressed. One could probably compare it to a person living his life in a small closet.

Exactly.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Most of the mammals in places like Seaworld are rescued as youngsters or injured from the wild, not captured for our own amusement like in the 1800s. While Im for nature taking care of nature, places like Seaworld do allot to educate the masses, washed and unawashed alike.

So show them a video of the creatures roaming free in the sea/wild like they were meant to be. Not jumping and doing tricks like a trained dog.

[pomtzu]

Another thing I find odd. The guy that was drunk and broke in to ride the whale, was found on the whale's back. If the whale had killed the guy it seems strange that he would be swimming around with him on his back. That sounds more to me like he was trying to save him by keeping him above water.

Anyone else find this strange?????

[Kirsten]

These huge mammals are not meant to be kept in a tank. Of course he was probably depressed. One could probably compare it to a person living his life in a small closet.

I absolutely agree! As much as I regret the death of his trainer, and as much as I'm feeling sorry for her loved ones, I guess this is just another proof that mankind's going way too far by using other forms of life for its own entertainment. Accidents like this should be an eye opener for future generations to treat animals with more respect.

Of course I know it's not that simple. And maybe I don't even have the right to judge as I have pets, two indoor cats, prisoners of my house, so to speak... Where's the difference? Where should the line be drawn? Is it a crime to have pets at all? Or does that go only for some special breeds? Are all zoos evil? For many years, I refused to visit any zoos, because I just thought that animals don't belong there. Meanwhile, I changed my mind a bit. In this world of ours, the natural environments for animals are fading, life in the wild is no fun for many of them. So zoos and wildlife parks may be a safer environment for some animals. And, after all, many zoos these days try to provide better, more natural enclosures for their animals. And, last but not least, zoos may have another mission: "Men are willing to protect what they know and love". By having the chance to see these beautiful animals, men will become aware of their problems and may feel the need to protect their environment, and their lives.

But no matter how you put it, in the end, you'll always come to the point that it's been our own species that brought everything out of balance. We should be ashamed of that instead of referring to us as "creation's crowning glory" (always hated that term anyway).

Incidents like the one in Orlando are reminders to us to reconsider the ways we're treating this planet and everything/everyone on it.

Kirsten

[Pawsitive Thinking]

He never should have been taken out of the ocean to begin with, therein lies the problem.

Exactly!

[Daisy and Delilah]

The local news here is saying the whale may have been depressed. He was known to have problems and should not have been approached. Isn't it the nature of these whales to attack in certain cases? They have him living in a tank that is very small. He weighs 12,000 pounds. Killer whale with all these conditions = disaster. Why are the media acting so surprised by this??


I just can't watch anymore of it. May this lady rest in peace and her family have the strength to move forward. As experienced as she was, I know she knew the dangers involved. It's an incredibly sad story, all the way around.

[lizbud]

It's really sad for her & her famiy. This reminds me of the chimp
that a lady kept as a pet. He grew to adult size & attacked a friend
of the family. The woman now has no face & no hands.

What part of "wild animals" don't they understand?

[Catherinedana]

Reminds me of a poigniant moment from "Stories From the Nerve Bible" by Laurie Anderson:

John Lilly, the guy who claims he can talk to dolphins. . . One day he was swimming in an aquarium and a whale kept asking him the same question. . . telepathically. . . over and over again “do all oceans have walls?”