::: spoiler wat wat

Captive orca attacks

There have been many attacks on humans by captive orcas, with six fatalities; three by the same orca, Tilikum.[32]

1960s
In 1968, a young female orca, Lupa, of the New York Aquarium chased her trainers out of the tank, snapping her jaws threateningly; trainers were cleaning the tank at the time.[33]
In 1969, adult female orca Kianu pinned trainer William Allen to the side of her tank, and had to be pushed off him with a pole by an assistant; in another incident with the same trainer, Kianu threw Allen off her back and chased him out of the pool, her mouth open.[34]

1970s
In 1970, Cuddles, a male orca (originally believed to be a female) kept in Flamingo Park (now Flamingo Land) in England, attacked his attendants twice, and became so generally aggressive that they were forced to clean his pool from the safety of a shark cage.[33] On April 20, 1971, SeaWorld secretary Annette Eckis was talked into riding the park’s main attraction, a 10-year-old female orca named Shamu (the original by that name), at the park in San Diego, California, as a publicity stunt. As the ride was coming to an end, Eckis was suddenly thrown off the orca’s back. The orca seized the woman by her leg and began pushing her through the water. Trainers on the side of the tank grabbed the young woman and attempted to pull her out of the pool, but the orca again grabbed her leg and refused to let go. Shamu’s jaws had to be pried apart with a pole to free Eckis,[35] who was carried away on a stretcher and required 25 stitches to close her wounds.[36] Eckis later sued SeaWorld, but a monetary award was overturned on appeal.[37] In 1971, Cuddles, mentioned above, grabbed Dudley Zoo director Donald Robinson while being fed, dragging him to the bottom of the pool and causing head and leg injuries.[38]

In 1971, trainer Chris Christiansen received 7 stitches in his cheek after young male orca Hugo closed his mouth on Christiansen’s head.[33]

In 1972, Cuddles at the Dudley Zoo hospitalized trainer Roy Lock with a broken nose after the orca put too much force into a trick in which she “kissed” her trainer.[39]

During the summer of 1972, two trainers at Seven Seas Marine Life Park were bitten on the head by the park’s orca Nootka. Larry Lawrence sustained minor injuries on his scalp, while Bob Peek sustained a more serious laceration over his eye.[40]

In the early 1970s, a Marine World/Africa USA trainer, Jeff Pulaski, while riding a young female orca Kianu during a performance, was thrown off and chased out of the tank.[41] At the same park, an unidentified trainer was seized by the young male Orky II and held at the bottom of the tank until the man nearly lost consciousness.[33]

In the early 1970s, trainer Manny Velasco recalls both Hugo and Lolita of the Miami Seaquarium becoming aggressive, lunging and snapping at the trainers standing on the central work-island, ending the day’s training.[33]

In the early 1970s, during a waterwork session, orca Hugo refused to allow trainer Chip Kirk to get out of the water, Kirk explained to a journalist from the Palm Beach Post. Hugo bit him on the arm badly enough to leave a scar, which Kirk showed to the reporter.[42] Hugo also grabbed trainer Bob Pulaski by the wetsuit and began thrashing him. Pulaski struggled, but it only made things worse. Hugo’s tank-mate Lolita then joined in and began a tug-of-war with Hugo. Pulaski managed to free himself from the tangled wetsuit and get to safety. Pulaski did not mention if he sustained any injuries.[42]

In the early 1970s, director of training at Sea-Arama Marineworld Ken Beggs claimed that one of the park’s orcas, a young male named Mamuk, attempted to bite his torso.[43]

In the early 1970s, young female orca Nootka became aggressive towards a visiting reporter at Seven Seas Marine Life Park, beaching herself in an attempt to lunge at him. She had to be returned to her pool with a crane.[44] On another occasion, trainer Larry Lawrence was raked by Nootka, needing 145 stitches in his left leg.[45]

On May 2, 1978, another Marineland of the Pacific trainer, 27-year-old Jill Stratton, was nearly drowned when 10-year-old Orky II suddenly grabbed her and dragged her to the bottom of the tank, holding her there for nearly four minutes.[46][47]

On May 22, 1978, SeaWorld trainer Greg Williams was bitten on the legs by the park’s orca Winston. He was hospitalized with minor injuries.[48]

In the 1970s, a Marine World California trainer, Dave Worcester, was dragged to the bottom of the tank by the park’s young male orca Nepo.[41]

In the 1970s, a Vancouver Aquarium trainer, Doug Pemberton, recalls that, “Skana once showed her dislike by dragging a trainer around the pool. Her teeth sank into his wetsuit but missed his leg.” Pemberton described both young female Skana and her male companion Hyak II as “moody” but stated that Skana was the dominant animal in the pool. “She is capable of changing moods in minutes”.[49]

1980s
On February 23, 1984, a 7-year-old female orca by the name of Kandu V grabbed a SeaWorld California trainer, Joanne Hay, and pinned her against a tank wall during a performance.[50] Hay was only released after another trainer jammed a fist into the whale’s blowhole.[51] In November 1986, trainer Mark Beeler was held against a wall by Kandu V during a live performance.[52]

On March 4, 1987, 20-year-old SeaWorld San Diego trainer Jonathan Smith was grabbed by one of the park’s 5.4-tonne (6-short-ton) orcas. The orca dragged the trainer to the bottom of the tank, then carried him back to the surface and spat him out.[50][53] On November 21, 1987, trainer John Sillick was riding on the back of a female orca when Orky II, a five-ton male, jumped and landed upon him.[54] Sillick had to have multiple surgeries; his back, hips, pelvis, ribs, and legs were severely fractured.[55] The incident led to the firing of SeaWorld’s president and 3 other employees.[56] In an interview, he said, “I’m learning to walk again.”[57]

On April 1, 1989, Nootka IV of Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia, pulled her trainer, Henriette Huber, into the whale tank after the 6-year-old female bit down while the trainer had her hand in Nootka’s mouth in order to scratch the whale’s tongue. Huber needed several stitches in order to close her wounds.[58]

Also in 1989 at Sealand of the Pacific, Nootka IV grabbed a tourist’s camera that was accidentally dropped into her tank. Head trainer Steve Huxter attempted to retrieve the camera but was pulled into the pool when the orca refused to give up her new toy. The orca grabbed the trainer’s leg, but Huxter was pulled to safety by fellow trainer Eric Walters.[59]

1990s
On February 20, 1991, at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia, a young part-time trainer named Keltie Byrne fell into the tank. It is believed that Nootka IV rushed over and grabbed her foot, and pulled her into the water, according to eyewitness reports orcas Haida II and Tilikum were also in the tank taking turns grabbing the trainer who ultimately drowned.[60] The trainer was pushed and thrown around the pool.[61] All three animals barred her escape, continuously blocking her path and dragging her back into the center of the tank. It was several hours before Byrne’s body could be recovered.[62] Sealand of the Pacific closed soon after the incident and sold all of their orcas to the SeaWorld franchise; Haida II and her calf Kyuquot (who was born after the incident) were both moved to SeaWorld Texas. Haida II died in 2001. Nootka IV and Tilikum were both transferred to the SeaWorld in Florida. Nootka IV died in 1994 and Tilikum in 2017. Tilikum was directly responsible for another trainer’s death in 2010. Haida II and Nootka IV were both pregnant by Tilikum at the time of the incident.

Kasatka and her son Nakai posing during a show in 2002

In 1993, 17-year-old female Kasatka tried to bite an unidentified SeaWorld California trainer.[63] On June 12, 1999, 23-year-old Kasatka grabbed her trainer Ken Peters by the leg and attempted to throw him from the pool during a public show at SeaWorld San Diego.[2]

On July 5, 1999, at SeaWorld Orlando Florida, a South Carolina man by the name of Daniel Dukes was found dead in one of the orca tanks, nude and draped across the back of the park’s largest male orca, Tilikum. An autopsy revealed that the man died of drowning. Dukes was covered in bruises, abrasions, bite marks consistent with orca bites, and his genitals had been bitten off and eaten by Tilikum,[64] indicating that Tilikum had clearly had contact with the victim, but whether or not Tilikum actually caused the man’s death was not determined.[65] Dukes had apparently hidden in the park until after closing, evaded security, then entered the orca tank. Dukes had been reported by Seaworld staff to have “dived” with other sea mammals. The autopsy found no drugs in his system.[66] No SeaWorld admission ticket was found. Staff emphasized that the intruder had to deliberately climb over a 91-centimetre (3 ft) Plexiglas barrier and several guardrail fences and descend the steps into the 24 m × 30 m (80 ft × 100 ft) tank.[67]