This is an excellent documentary on killer whales for those that are interested called "Call of the Killer Whales" by Jean-Michel Cousteau shown on PBS and now available for viewing on their site. I believe it was made in 2007-2008. It also includes the story of Keiko and his release into the wild.
http://video.pbs.org/video/1099394282/feature/91
Tillikum, sometimes spelled Tilikum, was about 2 years old when captured in Nov. 1983 near Iceland. He is believed to be the largest orca in captivity, weighing in at 12,300 pounds and measures about 22.5 feet. He is now around 29 or 30 years old and has sired 13 offspring. There are a total of 42 orcas in captivity with only 13 of those having been born in the wild. There are only around 100,000 orcas left in the wild. SeaWorld has 20 of the 42 orcas in captivity. Reference source:http://www.orcahome.de/orcastat.htm
Here is some information on the other attacks attributed to Tilikum.
snipped from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/trainers.html
On February 20, 1991, University of Victoria marine biology student and part-time trainer Keltie Byrne, 20, slipped and fell into the orca pool at Sealand of the Pacific. She had just finished a show with the three orcas. Since Sealand trainers stay out of the water, she was not wearing a wetsuit. One whale took her in its mouth and began dragging her around the pool, mostly underwater. A champion swimmer who had competed at the international level, she was no match for three huge orcas determined to keep her in the pool. At one point she reached the side and tried to climb out but, as horrified visitors watched from the sidelines, the whales pulled her screaming back into the pool.
"I just heard her scream my name," said trainer Karen McGee, 25, and then I saw she was in the pool with the whales. "I threw the life-ring out to her. She was trying to grab the ring, but the whale, basically, wouldn't let her. To them it was a play session, and she was in the water." McGee and other Sealand staff tried to distract the whales by throwing them fish, banging on the water with steel buckets and giving them hand and voice commands. Nothing worked. Byrne came up screaming one more time and then, as the whale swam round and round the pool with Byrne in its mouth, she finally drowned. It was several hours before her body could be recovered.
She had ten tooth marks on her body, the largest on her left thigh, but was otherwise untouched. The whales had stripped her clothes off. "It was just a tragic accident," Sealand manager Alejandro Bolz told newspaper reporters. "I just cannot explain it."
snipped from: http://www.kitv.com/news/22660616/detail.html
Steve Huxter, who was head of Sealand's animal care and training department then, said Wednesday he's surprised it happened again. He says Tilikum was a well-behaved, balanced animal.
Tilikum was also involved in a 1999 death, when the nude body of a man who had sneaked by SeaWorld security was found draped over him. The man either jumped, fell or was pulled into the frigid water and died of hypothermia, though he was also bruised and scratched by Tilikum.
I think one of the things we have to remember is that Killer Whales are animals with a great deal of intelligence but just how intelligent are they? Are they aware of their size in relationship to humans? Are they aware that humans are incapable of holding their breath for the same length of time that they are? Are they aware that humans cannot survive in the 55 degree water that they live in every day? I think the answer to all of these is NO!
I think the idea that any of these attacks were "premeditated" as I heard one so called expert say is absurd. Just as in the present case of Dawn Brancheau I personally do not believe that any of these attacks were done maliciously. IMO, all of these incidences were just tragic accidents as the result of the whale attempting "to play" with the person, or in Dawns case his favorite trainer, not realizing that the "play" would result in their deaths. I think to label Tilikum as a "killer" is wrong!!
Dawn died doing what she loved best and was fully aware and accepting of the risks associated with her profession. This was just a tragic accident IMO and not the fault of a crazed "killer".http://www.orcahome.de/orcastat.htm
http://video.pbs.org/video/1099394282/feature/91
Tillikum, sometimes spelled Tilikum, was about 2 years old when captured in Nov. 1983 near Iceland. He is believed to be the largest orca in captivity, weighing in at 12,300 pounds and measures about 22.5 feet. He is now around 29 or 30 years old and has sired 13 offspring. There are a total of 42 orcas in captivity with only 13 of those having been born in the wild. There are only around 100,000 orcas left in the wild. SeaWorld has 20 of the 42 orcas in captivity. Reference source:http://www.orcahome.de/orcastat.htm
Here is some information on the other attacks attributed to Tilikum.
snipped from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/trainers.html
On February 20, 1991, University of Victoria marine biology student and part-time trainer Keltie Byrne, 20, slipped and fell into the orca pool at Sealand of the Pacific. She had just finished a show with the three orcas. Since Sealand trainers stay out of the water, she was not wearing a wetsuit. One whale took her in its mouth and began dragging her around the pool, mostly underwater. A champion swimmer who had competed at the international level, she was no match for three huge orcas determined to keep her in the pool. At one point she reached the side and tried to climb out but, as horrified visitors watched from the sidelines, the whales pulled her screaming back into the pool.
"I just heard her scream my name," said trainer Karen McGee, 25, and then I saw she was in the pool with the whales. "I threw the life-ring out to her. She was trying to grab the ring, but the whale, basically, wouldn't let her. To them it was a play session, and she was in the water." McGee and other Sealand staff tried to distract the whales by throwing them fish, banging on the water with steel buckets and giving them hand and voice commands. Nothing worked. Byrne came up screaming one more time and then, as the whale swam round and round the pool with Byrne in its mouth, she finally drowned. It was several hours before her body could be recovered.
She had ten tooth marks on her body, the largest on her left thigh, but was otherwise untouched. The whales had stripped her clothes off. "It was just a tragic accident," Sealand manager Alejandro Bolz told newspaper reporters. "I just cannot explain it."
snipped from: http://www.kitv.com/news/22660616/detail.html
Steve Huxter, who was head of Sealand's animal care and training department then, said Wednesday he's surprised it happened again. He says Tilikum was a well-behaved, balanced animal.
Tilikum was also involved in a 1999 death, when the nude body of a man who had sneaked by SeaWorld security was found draped over him. The man either jumped, fell or was pulled into the frigid water and died of hypothermia, though he was also bruised and scratched by Tilikum.
I think one of the things we have to remember is that Killer Whales are animals with a great deal of intelligence but just how intelligent are they? Are they aware of their size in relationship to humans? Are they aware that humans are incapable of holding their breath for the same length of time that they are? Are they aware that humans cannot survive in the 55 degree water that they live in every day? I think the answer to all of these is NO!
I think the idea that any of these attacks were "premeditated" as I heard one so called expert say is absurd. Just as in the present case of Dawn Brancheau I personally do not believe that any of these attacks were done maliciously. IMO, all of these incidences were just tragic accidents as the result of the whale attempting "to play" with the person, or in Dawns case his favorite trainer, not realizing that the "play" would result in their deaths. I think to label Tilikum as a "killer" is wrong!!
Dawn died doing what she loved best and was fully aware and accepting of the risks associated with her profession. This was just a tragic accident IMO and not the fault of a crazed "killer".http://www.orcahome.de/orcastat.htm
