On the 24th of February, 2010, an orca trainer at SeaWorld Orlando, in Florida, was pulled
into the water by one of her charges.
An audience of at least fifty people watched as the woman fought for her life against the
killer whale, which seemed intent on dragging her to the bottom of its tank.
She would, unfortunately, not survive the encounter.
The trainer’s name was Dawn Brancheau.
The whale’s name was Tilikum… and this was not the first time that he had taken a
human life.
Tilikum was a male orca (or “killer whale”) – a species known for their distinctive
black and white patterning.
Orcas can grow to be up to nine metres (or 30 feet) long from nose to tail.
They are remarkably intelligent and sociable creatures, who thrive in small family groups
(or “pods”).
They have been seen communicating with one another vocally, and using complex tactics
to hunt and capture their prey.
Orcas have a varied diet, and will snack on fish, small sharks, and small marine mammals.
Despite their toothy appearance, there are very few records of an orca or orcas attacking
a human being in the wild.
On occasion they have rammed and even sunk boats, but almost never appear deliberately
aggressive to individual humans in the water.
Tilikum was captured off the coast of Iceland when he was two years old, along with two
other young orcas from his group.
He was transported to a small zoo in the south of Iceland, where he remained for a year before
being shipped across the seas to Canada.
There he became a resident at a public aquarium in Oak Bay near the City of Victoria.
The name of the aquarium was Sealand of the Pacific.
Sealand of the Pacific’s main attraction was the orca arena, where several adult orcas
were displayed in a swimming-pool size pen, separated from the ocean by a reinforced net.
The orcas were trained to give shows on an hourly basis – they would perform various
stunts, including one where they would leap from the water and smack a dangling target
with their tail.
It was, by all accounts, a very popular attraction with local residents and tourists alike.
Most visitors to Sealand knew very little about orcas, and it did not occur to them
that the animals were anything less than happy with their situation.
However, trainers and other employees at Sealand noticed that the captive orcas were sometimes
aggressive to one another, and that their habitat was small and lacking in stimulation.
On the 20th of February, 1991, 20-year-old Keltie Byrne was working a shift at the attraction,
when she slipped and fell into the orca pool.
Keltie, a student who had been working at the aquarium for some extra income, was a
competitive swimmer.
In different circumstances a slip into the pool would have been no problem whatsoever
for her to recover from.
On this day, however, three orcas converged on Keltie.
One orca, identified by onlookers as Tilikum, seized her and began repeatedly dragging her
under the water, keeping her submerged for longer and longer periods each time.
Though her fellow trainers scrambled to try and help, there was very little they could
do to force the orca to relinquish its hold on Keltie.
After several frantic minutes, Keltie passed away.
Her death was later recorded as an accidental drowning.
The actions of the orcas were attributed to the fact that they were surprised by her fall,
and that one of them was pregnant.
The death of a trainer in such violent and unexpected circumstances lead to the closure
of Sealand.
The resident orcas, including Tilikum, were sold to SeaWorld.
SeaWorld, established in 1964, is an American chain of aquatic theme parks.
Each individual SeaWorld park features a mixture of educational displays, captive animals,
water-based thrill rides and options for dining and shopping.
In most cases, orcas were and are some of the most popular attractions at any given
SeaWorld Park.
Tilikum was taken to SeaWorld Orlando, in Florida, where he was used both as part of
a breeding program, and also as a performer in regular shows for the public.
When performing, Tilikum was generally introduced as “Shamu” – a name the park had used
for its performing orcas ever since they were first introduced.
Some of the trainers working with Tilikum at SeaWorld were not aware that he had been
involved in the death of a trainer at Sealand, although extra precautions were always taken
with the orca.
They generally found Tilikum to be a smart and sociable creature with what appeared to
be an excellent temperament.
On the 6th of July, 1999, 27-year-old Daniel Dukes visited SeaWorld.
An avid fan of nature and animals, he was delighted by the park, and decided to find
somewhere to hide at closing time so that he could explore further after it was shut
to the public.
At some point during the night Daniel made his way to the Orca enclosure, where Tilikum
was being kept.
The park reported that there was no CCTV footage of what happened next, but at 7:25am the next
morning staff at SeaWorld called 911.
They had found Daniel’s body in the tank with Tilikum, draped over the back of the
orca as he swam around and around his enclosure.
Daniel had been bitten numerous times, and it appeared that he had drowned.
Though the death of this young man was shocking, SeaWorld emphasised that Daniel was a homeless
“drifter” with some history of petty criminality.
He had deliberately avoided staff to access the orca pool at a time when he was not supposed
to, and this – argued SeaWorld – was the main reason for his death, not any negligence
on their part.
Though a lawsuit was launched against the park following Daniel’s death, it was dropped
just a few months later, and Tilikum continued to perform at SeaWorld.
On the 24th of February 2010, following a successful “Dine with Shamu” show, Tilikum
was being tended to by 40-year-old senior trainer Dawn Brancheau.
When Dawn’s ponytail touched the surface of the pool, Tilikum lunged forward and grabbed
it.
Dawn was pulled into the pool, and dragged underwater by Tilikum.
In front of a horrified audience, Dawn fought to escape the pool, while Tilikum butted,
bit and repeatedly dragged her down into the water.
Once again, the other trainers could only attempt to distract Tilikum, but could do
nothing to bring an end to the attack.
After several violent minutes, during which Tilikum severed Dawn’s arm, Dawn passed
away from her injuries.
It had been Dawn’s lifelong ambition to be a SeaWorld trainer, ever since watching
orcas perform as a child.
She had worked there happily for 15 years, and was passionate about educating the public
and looking after and understanding the animals in her care.
This highly public and highly-publicised killing resulted in significant changes at SeaWorld.
The company was fined $75,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and thereafter
barriers were installed along the edges of some pools.
Trainers would continue to work with Tilikum, but would not routinely get into the water
with the orcas.
Jets of water would be used to massage the orcas, instead of trainers using their hands.
On the 19th of January, 2013, the documentary Blackfish premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
It told the story of Tilikum’s life, and alleged that it was a lack of stimulation,
and an inappropriate environment that had led to the orca’s violent behaviour.
The film, which also highlighted the conditions in which captive orcas were kept, resulted
in a drop in attendance at SeaWorld parks, and in a public outcry against the use of
orcas in entertainment.
SeaWorld refuted some of the claims made in the documentary – pointing out, for example,
that SeaWorld did an exceptional amount to rescue and rehabilitate injured or beached
orcas, that SeaWorld was constantly improving its enclosures, and that many documented precautions
were taken in the handling and care of Tilikum and other orcas.
Despite this, the attention garnered by the film lead to a change in the law.
This prompted SeaWorld to announce that orcas would still be displayed for educational purposes,
but would no longer be used in theatrical shows, and that their program to breed orcas
in captivity would be stopped, with their current orcas gradually retired as they got
older.
Tilikum continued to live and be displayed at SeaWorld Orlando until his death in January
2017 as a result of a bacterial infection.
He was 36 years old – approximately the average lifespan of an orca in captivity.
Orcas in their natural habitat have been observed to live much longer.
Of four fatal attacks by orcas on humans that have taken place in recent history, Tilikum
was responsible for three.
The exact reasons for his behaviour can never be known, but his case illustrates the risks
inherent in keeping wild, powerful and intelligent animals in captivity.