Killer whales in captivity linked to human injury, death is nothing new

TORONTO – The recently released 2006 video of a whale trainer being dragged underwater by a SeaWorld orca has gone viral, but it’s not the first violent incident involving a whale in captivity.

The video shows Ken Peters, an experienced SeaWorld San Diego trainer being pulled by his foot by female orca Kasatka. The whale was thought to be agitated by cries of her nearby calf while she was performing a show.

Peters was dragged deep underwater, brought to the surface, then dragged down again and thrashed about. Peters is seen trying to pat her to calm her down, and when she finally lets go, he swims to the side of the pool. Once on the deck, he trips in his panicked run to get away from Kasatka, who appears to come after him yet again.

The video was originally shown at a government court hearing in September that was part of a public records request related to a 2010 drowning at SeaWorld that was also linked to a killer whale.

Part of the SeaWorld statement in response to the 2006 video reads: “This video clearly shows the trainer’s remarkable composure and the skillful execution of an emergency response plan, both of which helped result in a successful outcome with minor injuries.”

In its initial 2006 report, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration said: “If someone hasn’t been killed already, it is only a matter of time before it does happen.”

The report rang true in 2010 when trainer Dawn Brancheau was drowned after a SeaWorld show when pulled underwater by Tilikum, a male orca with a history of violent encounters with humans.

Paul Spong is the founder of OrcaLab, a research station based in British Columbia that studies orcas in the wild. He is familiar with Tilikum, and according to Erich Hoyt’s The Performing Orca-Why the Show Must Stop, Spong said: “If you pen killer whales in a small steel tank, you are imposing an extreme level of sensory deprivation on them. Humans who are subjected to those same conditions become mentally disturbed.”

Dr. Lindy Weilgart is a research associate in biology at Dalhousie University who studies marine conservation issues and the effects of underwater noise. Weilgart says some marine mammals do better in captivity than others, but orcas do very badly.

“If they’re in a small aquarium compared to what their home range in the wild would be, if they emit any sounds at all they’re getting all these reflections from the aquarium walls,” she says. “So it’d be like shining a spotlight into a room of mirrors. I think it would make you crazy after a while.”

Weilgart adds that violent incidents with humans are “absolutely” to be expected from these whales, describing them as extremely intelligent top predators who are dealing with many stressors in captivity.

“Being with animals they didn’t choose to be with, and not their family groups, and just being in a very small space… and then you have all these other acoustic impacts as well: the noise in the aquarium may be quite high from pumps and other things, and again, they can’t really communicate as they’re used to in the wild,” she says. “All of those aspects are vital for a social animal. And something’s gotta give.”

While some people tout the research benefits of keeping whales captive to study them, Weilgart believes it’s a stretch to think any information would be relevant.

“How can you really apply what you found in a captive animal to one in the wild?” she asks. “I think if you really want to understand animals in the wild, you have to study them in the wild.”

Weilgart doesn’t believe animals should be on display to do stunts she calls “somewhat degrading and unnatural.”

Globalnews.ca looks back at some notable human injuries and deaths involving whales kept in captivity.

Orlando, FL 2010 – Dawn Brancheau & Tilikum
40-year-old veteran trainer Dawn Brancheau died after being pulled underwater by an orca named Tilikum. An autopsy said she died of drowning and blunt-force trauma to her head, neck and torso. Brancheau had been rubbing the killer whale after a show when he grabbed her by her ponytail and pulled her from a poolside platform at Sea World Orlando, according to multiple witness reports.

Orlando, FL 1999 – Daniel Dukes & Tilikum
Although not a trainer, the body of 27-year old Daniel Dukes, a guest who remained in SeaWorld after closing time, was found draped over Tilikum. It’s unclear whether the man jumped, fell or was pulled into the water. He died of hypothermia but was also bruised and scratched. There were reportedly no cameras or witnesses, and Dukes had recently been released from the Indian River County Jail after being booked for retail theft.

Victoria, B.C. 1991 – Keltie Byrne & Tilikum, Haida II and Nootka IV
Tilikum was involved in an incident at Sealand of Pacific that resulted in the death of 20-year-old female trainer Keltie Byrne. Sealand did not let their trainers in the water with the orcas, so the whales had never had a trainer in the pool with them before. Byrne, an Edmonton native, slipped and fell into the tank. In front of about a dozen horrified spectators, the three whales allegedly batted Byrne around as if she was a toy. After Byrne drowned it took nearly two hours for staff to retrieve the body, which was being protected by the whales. Sealand closed in 1992, and the three whales involved in the death were shipped to Sea World Orlando.

San Diego, CA 1987 – Jonathan Smith & whales thought to be Kandu V and Kenau
Twenty-one-year-old Jonathan Smith was performing with the orcas in the water when he was grabbed in an orca’s teeth, dragged to the bottom of the tank then was carried to the surface bleeding according to Hoyt. Smith continued the performance, waving to the crowd – when a second orca attacked. Smith continued to pretend he was unhurt as the whales dragged him 9.8 metres to the bottom of the pool. Smith suffered cuts around the torso, had a ruptured kidney and a 15-centimetre laceration on his liver. The whales’ behaviour is said to have resembled typical seal-killing behaviour in some parts of the world. Smith managed to escape and get out of the pool.

San Diego, CA 1987 – Joanne Webber & Kandu V
Three-ton killer whale Kandu landed on 26-year-old trainer Joanne Webber during a show rehearsal, pushing her to the bottom of the pool and causing a fractured bone in her neck causing loss of head movement. Webber returned to a job at Sea World after her health improved, went back on medical leave after park officials told her to either take an office job at the park or go back in the water with the whales according to reports.

San Diego, CA 1987 – John Sillick & Orky
Five-ton killer whale Orky 2 crashed onto 26-year-old trainer John Sillick as he was riding another orca during a performance. Sillick narrowly escaped death with severe fractures to his hips, pelvis, ribs and legs. After six operations he was “reconstructed” with some 1.4 kilograms of pins, plates and screws, including a permanent plate inserted in his pelvis and all his thoracic vertebrae permanently fused, causing his activity to be limited, according to his lawyer. Sillick had less than two years experience working with orcas.

Legal action
Smith, Webber and Sillick all filed lawsuits against Sea World, charging that they had not been adequately warned about the danger in working with killer whales. All three were later settled out of court with gag orders imposed. The lawyers refused to reveal any more than the basic case details following the terms of their deals with Sea World, according to Hoyt, who writes: “This means that no one can know any findings behind these cases; no one can learn or benefit from the thousands of pages of prepared evidence.”

With files from The Associated Press, Postmedia News, The Performing Orca-Why the Show Must Stop