...FREE TILLY Chistine Medina It happened late in February in 2010. Families with children of all ages were seated in Shamu Stadium waiting and watching for their star to give its world famous performance. His name was Tilikum and the 12,000-pound killer whale had performed the same routine with the same trainers many times before. However, on that day in February, something was different. News reports claimed that it was “trainer error’ that caused Tilikum to grab his trainer, Dawn Brancheau’s, ponytail and drag her into the water with him. It took the other trainers 45 minutes to extricate Brancheau’s body, which Tilikum held in his mouth and would not let go. All the trainers in Sea World, located in Orlando, Florida, as well as other locations throughout the United States, agreed that Tilikum was well behaved, easy to work with and always eager to please. So what exactly made Tilikum act so violently and take the life of his trainer? There is a reason that there have been no documented deaths of humans by killer whales in the wild – it is obvious that being forced to live and perform in captivity is the reason behind it. It has been argued and scientifically proven that no human being has ever been killed by a killer whale, or orca, in the wild. On the other hand, there at least a dozen documented deaths due to killer whales throughout the world. The main reason this is said to be true is because killer whales, which can grow to be more than 30 feet long and weigh up to...
Words: 1835 - Pages: 8
...kums story Sarah Greene ENG 1 The Story Of Tilikum How would you like to be stuck in a bath tub for 25 years? Don’t you think you would go a little pyscho too? Well here’s the story of Tilikum, the killer whale. Tilikum was captured near Iceland in November of 1983 and he was two years old and about 13 feet long, here is where the trouble starts when he was taken away from his family and loved ones. Then he was transferred to the rundown Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia, Canada, and forced to call his barren 100-foot-by-50-foot pool, just 35 feet deep, his sad new “home.” While living here Food was withheld from him as a training technique, and he regularly endured painful attacks by two dominant female orcas, Haida and Nootka. He was forced to perform every hour on the hour, eight times a day, seven days a week. The constant stress and exhaustion gave him stomach ulcers. If that wasn’t enough he was then put into a tiny round metal-sided module with two other orcas for more than 14 hours until the park reopened the next morning. This is just enough to make a killer whale go insane. Tilikum was capture when he was two years old and for all of the things he’s been put through already for his age is not going to make him grow up as a regular Orca, I mean, no orcas that are held captivity are going to live a normal life. But being the fact that Tilikum is a larger whale, being held in captivity would be taken as a larger impact on him...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...Tilikum, also known as Tilly, is a killer whale who currently resides in captivity at the SeaWorld location in Orlando, Florida. In February of 1991, Keltie Byrne, who was a 20-year-old student studying marine biology and who was involved in competitive swimming, slipped into the pool enclosing Tilikum, Haidi II and Nootka IV while working as a part-time trainer at Sealand. “The three orcas submerged her, dragging her around the pool and preventing her from surfacing. At one point she reached the side and tried to climb out but, as horrified visitors watched from the sidelines, the orcas pulled her screaming back into the pool” (Tilikum). Other trainers tried to respond to her screams by pitching her a life-ring, but the orcas kept her distant...
Words: 505 - Pages: 3
...Tilikum is one of the largest orca whales in captivity has been nothing but confined ever since he was two years old. Now weighing 12,500 pounds and reaching a staggering 22 feet he has been in business for almost over thirty years. Before he was taken to a marine park he was kept in a holding tank made of cement for almost a year. This young orca whale was left with nothing to do but swim in circles. Then one day he was taken to Sealand in British Columbia, Canada where he would be confined yet again, but in a 100ft by 50ft pool that was about 35ft in depth. In order for him to become properly trained, they would retain food from him. With his endless stress and routines that went on eight times a day, seven days a week this gave him stomach...
Words: 260 - Pages: 2
...Imagine this. You are separated from your family and taken away to a small, empty area and forced against your will to perform the silliest of tasks for the entertainment of others. This is the everyday reality of countless dolphins, whales, orcas and other marine animals. In many cases, these animals don’t even survive. Take Tilikum for example. Tilikum was the world’s largest orca held in captivity, at over 22 feet long and weighing over 12,500 pounds. He was captured in 1983 near iceland and was kept in a cement holding tank for about a year until he was transferred to Sealand in British columbia. Here, he existed in a pool only 35 feet deep, swimming around in endless circles, until eventually he died in early January. Unfortunately, Tilikum’s...
Words: 402 - Pages: 2
...Introduction A killer whale at its center, Blackfish is the first documental since Grizzly Man to show the reality of these captivated animals. This documental was released July 18, 2013; directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, what she presents to us is just something that needs to be presented to all the people from the planet. She went to the park and met the chief zoological officer Andrews, he’s been in the park since 1986 and he explains “that while part of the goal is entertainment, SeaWorld's aim is to use the shows to educate and inspire visitors, as a way to help conserve the environment and support wildlife.” There are a lot of people that are making interview and giving their opinion for SeaWorld to close and one of theme is the 81-year-old primatologist Jane Goodall said “whales and dolphins should never be held in captivity, and that the entertainment company known for its orca shows should be shuttered.” This film exposed the misery endured by SeaWorld's trained orca and the dangers posed to trainers working with stressed-out carnivorous whales. But to continue with my argument let me explain to you what is the documental of Blackfish. Movie Summary Report John Hargrove and Samantha Berg, a former SeaWorld trainer, tell why they decided to work with these animals, other trainers continue telling their story about how the decided to be a trainer for killer whales. They just fell in love with these creatures and they knew that was their future. To become a trainer...
Words: 2425 - Pages: 10
...world's view of whales. He has killed three people. Tilikum is a male Orca, more commonly referred to as a killer whale, with a complex background. In 1983 Tilikum was violently captured in Iceland and then illegally sold to 'Sealand of the Pacific' aquarium in Canada. He was two years old when this happened, ripped away from his family and cruelly sent to foreign waters. In the wild, Tilikum was used to swimming over 100 miles every day; in 'Sealand of the Pacific' Tilikum was used to floating in a concrete prison only ten feet longer than his body. When Tilikum was not confined in these small spaces, he was taken into a pool where he would perform tricks for audiences in order for him to receive food. The food was frozen fish which deprived the Orca of his necessary nutrients and food was withheld from Tilikum if he did not respond to the trainers' instructions. Tilikum was a highly intelligent whale and due to this he seems to have noticed his mistreatment. Tilikum began to become restless, frustrated with being trapped in a concrete box and performing tricks for slivers of food. The trainers registered Tilikum's agitation but they did not see it as being significant. It was too late when Sealand of the Pacific finally realised that Tilikum's emotions were important. In February of 1991 a part-time trainer at Sealand fell into the pool whilst Tilikum was performing with two female Orcas. Tilikum, along with the other whales, began to drag Keltie Byrne under...
Words: 1305 - Pages: 6
...mindset can be related to the corrupt place we have come to known called SeaWorld. February 24, 2010 was just another regular day for whale trainer, Dawn Brancheau. Today was another highly anticipated Shamu show displaying the training and talents of the biggest killer whale in captivity in SeaWorld’s history, Tilikum. What Brancheau and Seaworld did not know was that this day would infamously impact the “brand name” that Tilikum had begun for SeaWorld and that this event would trigger the movement to end killer whale captivity. The Birth Of A Murderer In 1983, a huge killer whale that would be known as Tilikum was caught in Iceland. After being captured in Iceland, Tilikum then spent...
Words: 1266 - Pages: 6
...SeaWorld is not as amazing as it seems. Where does SeaWorld get their killer whales? Tilikum was a killer whale that had been caught when he was two years old, taken out of his home in the wild to be brought into captivity for SeaWorld. Tilikum was one of the most known killer whales SeaWorld has ever had. In the article “All's Whale that ends Whale,” He was brought into captivity in 1983. He was captured off the east coast of Iceland. SeaWorld wanted him because he of how big he was. At two years of age he was 11.5 feet long and they wanted to use him for the shows. The trainers started to train him and he caught on easy but if he would mess up or that day he decided to not do as many tricks as he was told to do, the trainers would either not feed him as much food as they usually would or they would put him in a tank with two to three other females. Female killer whales love to show that they are more dominant than the males, so when they put Tilikum in a very small tank with three to four female whales, they would go after him and bite his skin away, cut him open, or hit him with their tail. Tilikum...
Words: 612 - Pages: 3
...For many years now SeaWorld has provided people with an opportunity to see many sea creatures and Killer Whales perform. These creatures have been trained over the years to perform various times throughout the day. Sea World, however, took these killer whales (orcas) away from their families and home. Throughout the years this has caused damage to the orcas causing rebellion and other forms of defiance. There have been many incidents following the rebellion of these orcas and yet nothing is done about the issue. Sea World should not keep killer whales against their will or keep them captive. Orcas are sea creatures, meaning they belong in the ocean. So why is it that they ended up in large fish tanks held against their will? SeaWorld claims to people that killer whales are better off under their care (Black Fish). Indicating that by taking the orcas from their families, it is rescuing them and giving them better help. Stating that they took them to show others how caring and talented they can be. The park implies that people will learn a lot about life in the sea. Many think that if they come to the park, they are doing a good deed and will be educated on life in the ocean. The employees working on the tours are also obligated to say all these lies to the guests about the park. For instance, a commonly asked question is why some whales have their fins bent, in other words, have a dorsal fin collapse. The park answers to guests that it is normal, but in reality that...
Words: 2147 - Pages: 9
...speedboats caught them there and hurtled them in. And then they had fishing boats with the same net that they would spread across so none could leave and they could just pick out the young ones'' (documentary). Female Orcas with babies separated from their child due to them being captured for exhibition. In the documentary, former director Steve Huxter says, “When he was first introduced Tilikum just went fine and dandy (ph), but the previous head trainer used techniques that involved punishment with the team, training Orca up with Tilikum who was untrained. He would send them both off to do the same thing. If Tilikum didn't do it, then both animals were punished.” (documentary). Seaworld’s trainers used punishment as a training method for the Orcas. On the other hand, Seaworld Former Trainer Ventre states, “Tilikum is pretty much kept in the back and then brought out at the very end like the big splash. He was always happy to see me in the morning. Maybe because he was alone, maybe because he was hungry and maybe because he just likes you, who knows what was going on in his head”(documentary). Tilikum was isolated most of the time; Seaworld kept a male Orca in captivity until it was time for him to be an entertainment to Seaworld visitors. The use of punishment-based training methods and the negative impact of Orcas being isolated challenges the justifability of keeping Orcas in captivity. The dangerous work environment explains why killer whales in captivity are justifiable. In...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...killer whales, it always boils down to the philosophy that the oppressed creatures naturally fights back. And if the killer whales fight back, pitiful are the trainers who will get victimized. “Blackfish” is a documentary of how ORCAs like Tilikum were captivated in various environments and put to captivity to be trained for animal shows. The documentary presents the owners of the animal show businesses like Sea World as the villains while the former trainers of Sea World who disclosed issues about the killings of their colleagues, and all the informants who told the truth are the heroes. The good thing about the documentary is that they have variety of sources. They even spoke to the diver that who explained how ORCAs are captured. That person was even one of those who captured Tilikum. The documentary also put in the film how the killer whales were trained and tamed by specialist who used their knowledge on psychology to control creature that naturally thrive in the wild. Most of the informants in the film had their first hand encounter with Tilikum and other killer whales. Also, most of them have knowledge of the cruelty in the whole issue of animals in captivity and the specific cruelty that Sea World has committed against Tilikum. However, the trainer-divers who connect with the whales for exhibitions...
Words: 805 - Pages: 4
...Just ten days after Valentine’s Day in 2010, a captive SeaWorld orca whale named Tilikum brutally drowned a forty-year-old veteran trainer named Dawn Brancheau during a live show performance. In one quick motion, Tilikum grabbed onto Brancheau’s arm and dragged her into the million gallon tank. With a blood-curdling scream, Dawn was dragged to the bottom of the tank and tossed around. In the autopsy report, Brancheau suffered an enormous amount of blunt force trauma due to the massive force of the twelve thousand pound animal slamming on top of her. The violent attack even scalped a layer of Dawn’s head right off. Yet, it was noted that the cause of death was drowning with “approximately four milliliters of fluid in her sphenoid sinus” (Autopsy...
Words: 1755 - Pages: 8
...In 1983, at only two years of age, Tilikum was torn away from his family and home in the ocean. Tilikum was confined to a small tank with little room to move around the way he would in the ocean. He was forced to perform shows several times a day for hours on end with little time to rest. Because of this, Tilikum grew increasingly anxious and aggressive. There has never been a report of attacks on humans by orca whales in the wild. Because of the unnatural environment, inhumane treatment, and stress put on Tilikum, he killed three trainers at SeaWorld over the course of thirty years. Not only does captivity cause the whales to become aggressive towards humans, it also forces them to become aggressive towards other whales. There has been multiple cases of orca whales attacking each other because of the anxiety they suffer from being held in the same tanks as other whales they are not familiar with for long periods of...
Words: 630 - Pages: 3
...Tomas Hannacher 6/18/16 Block 6 Seaworld Under Fire & What It Means For San Diego. Seaworld has been surrounded by media controversy the last several years following an orca activist documentary titled Blackfish. Blackfish, was released in 2013 and originally premiered in the 2013 sundance festival where it picked up traction and attracted Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films who funded Blackfish for a larger audience and screen, where Blackfish flourished and earned over $2 million dollars over two weeks in the domestic box office. Overall, Blackfish mainly investigated the death of an orca trainer at Seaworld orlando. The documentary suggests that Tilikum, an orca was involved in three trainer deaths due to the extreme traumatic experiences...
Words: 506 - Pages: 3
