Last February in Orlando, SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed when Tilikum, a 6-ton bull orca with a history of violence lashed out at her. Though it was far from the first time "Tili" or other captive killer whales had shown signs of aggression, the public was nonetheless stunned by news that the intelligent, social, playful-looking animals had a darker side.
Today, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) formally cited SeaWorld for three worker safety violations totaling $75,000 in fines. The most severe of the three, called a "willful violation" was issued "for exposing its (SeaWorld's) employees to struck-by and drowning hazards when interacting with killer whales. The agency defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health."
As with the accident itself, the OSHA citation isn't the first on a SeaWorld facility for putting its killer whale trainers in harm's way.
In the weeks and months following Brancheau's death, the more members of the media flocked to the awful story, the more it became apparent that killer whales in captivity are tragedies waiting to happen. Once captured, the animals live short, hard lives within the confines of their aquariums. They often display signs of stress and aggression.
And though the facilities that own the whales claim to be furthering the cause of education, the question must be raised: what exactly are we learning (or teaching) by presenting people with the image of these large, wild predators as tame beasts happily performing circus tricks in return for fish snacks and pats on the nose?
Image: AP
Tags: Animal Behavior, Animal Instincts, Animal Relationships, Conservation, Whales
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