Orca Tilikum Kills Trainer at Sea World

Tilikum

Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, have never been known to kill a human in the wild.  The same is not true of orcas in captivity. Today Tilikum, a 12,300 pound bull orca,  the largest whale in captivity, attacked and drowned a female trainer at Sea World’s Shamu Stadium in Orlando, FL.   This is not the first trainer death associated with Tilikum. He was also involved with two other orcas in 1992 in the death of a trainer at Sealand of the Pacific near Victoria, British Columbia.   Tilikum was at the scene of a death of park visitor on July 6, 1999.  Tilikum is not the only captive killer whale to have attacked a trainer.  In December of last year, a trainer was also drowned after being held underwater by a killer whale in a Spanish zoo.   Since the 1970s more than ten cases of trainers attacked by orcas have been recorded.

Killer Whale Kills SeaWorld Trainer In Front Of Shocked Audience