Incident at Sea World?

[imamouse]

I saw a news brief around 5:00 PM ET on July 27, that included video footage of a killer whale behaving aggressively toward a trainer in the water at Sea World. I realize that there are Sea Worlds in cities other than Orlando, but I thought I try this board to see if anyone knows what happened. It could just be the media trying to sensationalize, but killer whales are so big and powerful, and I hope that the trainer was not seriously injured. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

[Michael72688]

yea, go here to read more


http://www.local6.com/news/3581510/detail.html

 

[xfkirsten]

I heard about this stsory this morning and was VERY surprised. Kyuquot has been a very even-tempered whale in the past - enough so that they let us campers hug him. Add to that the fact that Steve is a very experienced trainer...

My GUESS is it's probably related to social stress from recent whale moves. SeaWorld of Texas recently received three new whales (two from Orlando and one from San Diego) and I'm willing to bet that working out the social standings is taking its toll. Although only two of those whales are new to Ky - Keet (from San Diego) lived with Ky at SeaWorld of Texas for a number of years.

-Kirsten

 

[xfkirsten]

Okay, now that I've had a chance to go back and watch that video when I'm NOT half asleep, :hammer: it look to me like "teenage roughousing." Ky is at the age where he's maturing, and play like that is very common among adolescent killer whales. I think Ky just got carried away. If he had meant any real harm, Steve probably would not be alive right now.

Ky is also one of the first male SeaWorld whales to hit this age, so for all we know, incidents like this may also occur in the future with other males born at SeaWorld. Here in San Diego, Splash is around the same age, although for other reasons he is on medication that affects hormones and he is also at the bottom of the dominance totem pole. He was, I believe, involved in an incident about two years back.

Unfortunately, this is all just part of the risk of working with wild animals. No matter how much you train them, they're still big, and they can still turn on you, or even just forget their own size. That's a risk we knowingly take when we work with wild animals.

-Kirsten

 

[Michael72688]

yea, I think if they whale really wanted to kill him, he would have. But I'm glad everyone including the whale and the trainer are ok

 

[aimster]

Ky is 10 years old and has been living at Sea World in San Antonio and has been working with that particular trainer his whole life. Even Sea World is saying this probably happened because Ky has reached the age when breeding normally starts, and his behaviour reflected that. He just got carried away with the dunking. The other trainers were able to get Ky's attention and the trainer got out of harm's way. And I do agree that if Ky really meant to hurt the trainer, he would've done more than just repeatedly dunk him.

 

[The_CEO]

yea, I think if they whale really wanted to kill him, he would have. But I'm glad everyone including the whale and the trainer are ok

What do you think they would of done, shot the whale infront of thousands? Nah. I saw this on NBC and wasn't that surprised. It happens occasionally.

 

[Tim G]

yea, go here to read more


http://www.local6.com/news/3581510/detail.html

IMO a predator always will be a predator...

 

[Michael72688]

What do you think they would of done, shot the whale infront of thousands? Nah. I saw this on NBC and wasn't that surprised. It happens occasionally.

I dont know, probably not though, the same thing happened at Sea World in Orlando a few years ago, but it was a guy who hid in the park and got in with the whales the was killed by the biggest one, and he is still there. But I really dont know what would have happened.

 

[xfkirsten]

Yup. Anyone who's worked in exotic animal care/training can tell you the animals are always wild, no matter how much training and work you put in with them! The rule of thumb is it is NEVER the animal's fault. And good zoo or training facility knows that. The animals are just being themselves, and it is up to their handlers to make sure that they aren't ignoring/encouraging/eliciting the behavior from the animal. If an incident like this occurs, it is seen as the person's fault for not avoiding the situation.

-Kirsten

 

[imamouse]

I dont know, probably not though, the same thing happened at Sea World in Orlando a few years ago, but it was a guy who hid in the park and got in with the whales the was killed by the biggest one, and he is still there. But I really dont know what would have happened.

I remember this. The killer whale is the huge male they bring out at the end of the show to splash folks in the upper deck. I think his name is Telican (sounds like pelican, but with a "T"). He used to be at a similar park in Canada, but got carried away and killed a trainer. Since then, no one is allowed in the water with him.

Thanks all, for the info. I'm glad no one was hurt, man or mammal.

 

[xfkirsten]

Tillikum, yes. At the now-defunct Sealand in Victoria he grabbed a trainer and dragged her through the pool until she drowned. Haida 2 was also part of the incident, but she passed away a few years back. SeaWorld has always had a policy not to do water work with Tillikum.

-Kirsten

 

[imamouse]

Thanks, Kirsten :wave:

 

[xfkirsten]

Thanks, Kirsten :wave:

No problem! I'll talk all day about those whales. :lol:

-Kirsten

 

[mrtoad]

Kristen please correct me if I am wrong on any of this as you really seem to know a lot. First the name Killer Whale is enough to make me not want to get in the water with them. I know they are not really known for attacking humans but, they are killers. I went to the Museum of Natural History in NYC. They have a replica of a Blue Whale hanging in this giant room. The replica was made from a real whale. This whale is so big I can't begin to desribe it but just to give you an idea it said you could roll a basketball through some of it's arteries. BIG! Anyway they tell you in the description the Blue Whale has only two predators, man and Killer Whales. Killer Whales can run in pods with numbers in the hundreds. I know they are attacking in numbers but if they will be agressive enough to take down a creature 50 times the size of a city bus, I would say that it is risky business swiming with them. I am not saying they are all going to attack, I know they won't but that risk is there.

Kristen, did I get anything wrong? I am testing my memory here as it was several years ago that I went to the museum and my memory is pretty darn sad.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[xfkirsten]

Yup, your information is basically correct! The pods can get to be that large, although generally they are smaller. (In the Pacific Northwest, the fish-eating "resident" pods number up to maybe 50 animals each) In fact, the pods that tend to eat mainly mammals are even smaller than pods that eat mainly fish. Killer whales can, indeed take down a blue whale. National Geographic got photos and video of an attack like that several years back. However, the way they attack isn't so much like a shark (grab it and kill it on the spot). Instead, killer whales "tag team." They'll bite bits and pieces of the blue whale off, mainly just to slow it down a bit. But they'll follow the same animal for hours, slowly hurting it more and more until it's exhausted. Then they'll force their prey underwater, and basically keep the blue whale underwater till it drowns. It's not really brute force they use in the end (although it helps) but more of an attrition-type attack.

It's always risky business swimming with killer whales. Here at SeaWorld, the trainers have to have a LOT of experience in training before they're allowed in the water with a killer whale. And even then, they must spend a long time buildinig relationships with each individual whale before they ever get in the water together. Even then, sometimes things go wrong, and that's just a risk that they accept when they take the job. For trainers, getting to have a relationship with a killer whale like that is worth the risk.

-Kirsten

 

[mrtoad]

So kids out there, take notes. No Free Willy just jump in the tank and go.

I agree that it is probably a risk worth taking for the trainers because it is what they love. It is still a risk and one that they must be very careful taking.

Aside from the gribes you hear all the time about animals in zoos and parks like Sea World being unfair the the animls there are other hazards. Kids see how these creatures are with trainers and don't realize how dangerous they can be. I am sure if any kid saw the Trials of Life videos put out by Time Life and saw the Killer Whales beaching themselves and dragging seals off the beach they would be a little more scared. It is like watching a bus with teeth driving out of the water onto the beach. Pretty scary.

There have been instances with people dying because they see these animals in zoos or parks playing and not realizing how dangerous they can be. A few years back 2 little kids snuck out of their house and went to the Bronx Zoo early in the morning and climbed in with a polar bear they had seen at the zoo the day or so before. I don't need to go on with the story as you get picture.

I just think that at these parks or zoos they should be more vocal about them also being wild creatures and that they can be dangerous.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy going to the zoo we love to take our daughter. We took her to the NY Aquarium 2 weeks back too. I just think it is important to be open about it.

 

[xfkirsten]

Yup, I had a friend who worked with musk oxen, and he had a story about a bunch of kids who thought it would be cool to climb in with them in the middle of the night cause they look so harmless... only they're huge, and territorial. They barely made it out in time.

The Shamu Adventure actually has video that shows killer whales in their element - attacking seals on the beach. It also used to show killer whales eating penguins, but they got too many complaints about that video (which, funny enough, is far less violent than the scenes left in) so it was removed from the show here in San Diego.

-Kirsten

 

[mrtoad]

Yup, I had a friend who worked with musk oxen, and he had a story about a bunch of kids who thought it would be cool to climb in with them in the middle of the night cause they look so harmless... only they're huge, and territorial. They barely made it out in time.

The Shamu Adventure actually has video that shows killer whales in their element - attacking seals on the beach. It also used to show killer whales eating penguins, but they got too many complaints about that video (which, funny enough, is far less violent than the scenes left in) so it was removed from the show here in San Diego.

-Kirsten

It is a shame they removed it. It is important for people to see. Not just for the reasons I gave before but it is nature, and it is good to learn. Do you work for Sea World?

 

[xfkirsten]

It is a shame they removed it. It is important for people to see. Not just for the reasons I gave before but it is nature, and it is good to learn. Do you work for Sea World?

I do, actually, yes, in the Entertainment Department. And I was a passholder/huge fan/killer whale obsessee long before I started working here.

-Kirsten