OMG...a trainer was killed today!

Dawn Brancheau was my cousin's wife. Though I'm sure some of her family have conflicted feelings about Tillikum (I'm one of them), I don't think there's one person who knew and loved Dawn who thinks he should be destroyed. Dawn loved and respected the orcas, and always put their welfare first. Before heading down to Orlando for my last WDW trip, I sent Dawn an e-mail asking if my orca-adoring friend could possibly meet one of them. This was her response:

It was a terribly tragic accident, but I believe it was truly an accident. Even the most well-trained person can make an error at work, whether it's accidentally deleting a file, failing to switch a monorail track, or laying down on a slide out that you usually stand on. In the best circumstances, you might get a jolt and resolve to be more alert. In the worst, someone can get injured or killed. Dawn was not actually in the tank, but she did break protocol by lying down instead of standing or kneeling. I think the error shows that Dawn loved and trusted Tilly enough to do something out of the ordinary while she was playing with him. She couldn't predict that something as silly as her ponytail sliding to a different position could result in her death. Nor could she or Tilly control his reaction to this fluke accident.

Dawn will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. She was a very special person, a great wife and a much-loved aunt, sister, daughter, cousin and friend. I wish my cousin and the rest of Dawn's family could have been spared all of the speculation, exploitation and above all, the insults aimed at Dawn on certain sites, but this is the nature of this kind of tragedy. All those who care about her as a person and don't regard her as a news item can do is send our love, sympathy and prayers.

I think is very well said. Dawn was a person, not a news story.

Sent you a PM.
 
This is my take on everything that happened. First off, the other two incidents Tilly was involved it. The first happened in a Canadien Park in 1991, a trainer slipped and fell in a pool wih tilly and two other female whales. None of these whales had ever had a trainer in the water with them. One of the female whales was pregnent at the time. It was the female whales who grabbed the trainer and started thrashing her around and killed her because the one was pregnant and they were protecting her. The 2nd was in 1999 when a park guest stayed and snuck in th park overnight and decided to swim or fell in with Tilly. The cause of death was ruled Hypothermia as he was naked when he was found. Yes he had bruises on him from Tilly, but if Tilly really wanted to, he could have ripped the guy to shreds. Now this happens. And its a very sad incident. It seems like an accident. Seaworld is saying Tilly grabbed her hair after it fell in front of tilly. And he pulled her down once she was in the tank. 1 incident involving a seaworld trainer is more than enough. But think about how many shows are done each day 365 days a year. Probably 5000+ shows during a year. Seaworld has been opened since the 1970s and this is the first time a trainer has died in the park.

The point of that statement is that Seaworld takes the upmost safety measures when in comes to the animals and trainers. This is an unfortunate accident and im sure they will look into what can be done so this never happens again. As far as Tilly goes, he cant be released into the wild. He would never survive. Whales live in Pods, not on their own. He wouldnt be able to fend for himself and would die. Especially after being in the care of man for so long. And offspring would face the same problem. You cant release a whale after its been in captivity or born in captivity. They cant survive on their own.

People have brought up that the whales misbehave. I have been to Seaworld enough to know that the trainers never frce the whales to do anything they dont want to, if they are having an off day, the trainers will let them be. I happen to know that this time of year is breeding season for the whales and they tend to become aggresive because of this. Sometimes the whales act up when their trying to show dominance to one another. We all have days where were stressed or upset by something. And whales are no exception. They have those days too, whether their in captivity or in the wild.

So overall, this is a horrible thing that has happened. I think that Seaworld will do everything in their power to make sure this doesnt happen again. I think there will be different ways of handling Tilly in the future such as keeping a certain amount of feet back when interacting with him. Seaworld would never put Tilly down. It wouldnt be right and they know it. Plus if they did, you know how many animal rights activists and regular people would be enraged by that. That would hurt seaworld. So they would never do that. This was an unfortunate accident. And my thoughts and prayors are with Dawn and her friends and family. Hopefully this never happens again.

I'm behind on this thread and I just caught up. This post says it all in my opinion. Well done.

I just really wish the people who are hearing the little news snipets that Tilly killed two before this would take the time to listen to the whole story and learn a little more about the nature of these animals before passing immediate judgement.

My thoughts are still with the family and friends of the victim. My son and I watched the footage we took on our last trip of Dawn and Tilly last night (we filmed our Dine with Shamu experience). It was very moving.
 
Dawn Brancheau was my cousin's wife. Though I'm sure some of her family have conflicted feelings about Tillikum (I'm one of them), I don't think there's one person who knew and loved Dawn who thinks he should be destroyed. Dawn loved and respected the orcas, and always put their welfare first. Before heading down to Orlando for my last WDW trip, I sent Dawn an e-mail asking if my orca-adoring friend could possibly meet one of them. This was her response:

It was a terribly tragic accident, but I believe it was truly an accident. Even the most well-trained person can make an error at work, whether it's accidentally deleting a file, failing to switch a monorail track, or laying down on a slide out that you usually stand on. In the best circumstances, you might get a jolt and resolve to be more alert. In the worst, someone can get injured or killed. Dawn was not actually in the tank, but she did break protocol by lying down instead of standing or kneeling. I think the error shows that Dawn loved and trusted Tilly enough to do something out of the ordinary while she was playing with him. She couldn't predict that something as silly as her ponytail sliding to a different position could result in her death. Nor could she or Tilly control his reaction to this fluke accident.

Dawn will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. She was a very special person, a great wife and a much-loved aunt, sister, daughter, cousin and friend. I wish my cousin and the rest of Dawn's family could have been spared all of the speculation, exploitation and above all, the insults aimed at Dawn on certain sites, but this is the nature of this kind of tragedy. All those who care about her as a person and don't regard her as a news item can do is send our love, sympathy and prayers.

Thank you for our post. My heart goes out to yours and Dawn's family during this tragic time.
 


Great Points.

People seem to forget too that 90% of Seaworlds whales were born in captivity. The others were caught in the wild by other parks and seaworld rescued them from poor conditions in those parks (Tilly for example) I think there are 2 out of the 20 or so that were caught by Seaworld in the wild. But that was in the 1970s when we were first learning about these animals. If Seaworld today still went out and captured these animals, my opinion may be different. But because they were born in captivity, I say leave them in captivity. They get the best vet care, 24/7 attention, plenty of exercise, etc.

In captivity their life span is halved, there is no way they can get enough exercise they can dive dive to up to 200ft how far can they go in that fishbowl they have, they are kept in totally unnatural situation in the wild families stay together forever. In captivity they are bred and in some cases seperated from their mother at 6 months in the wild they are still being mouth fed when they are a year. They cant be released so stop breeding them and let them die out they where not put on this planet to be our toys.
 
Jenelope, I am very sorry for the loss of your beloved family member :hug::hug:

My son and I went to SW last year for the first time. I had no idea how amazing the Believe show would be. I thought it would be just a few whales jumping around. My son loved it so much we had to see it twice. It was simply amazing to see him get so excited over a show, especially since emotion isn't one of his strong points, as he is on the autism spectrum.

Her memory will live on at SW, I'm sure of that. :grouphug:
 


I think the people on here with their PETA leaning tendencies and own agendas are being very disrespectful to Dawn's memory, especially in light of the fact that a family member of hers has now posted on here.

It's fine if you have the views and opinions you have, but this thread is not the place. If you feel that strongly about it, start your own website, post a video on YouTube, make a page on Facebook, but to interject your hostile feelings and beliefs on this thread towards Dawn, Tilly or Seaworld (with the latter two totally intertwined with Dawn) which is essentially a rest in peace or in memorium thread, is totally disrespectful!

I'm not a person who values animal lives over human beings, but I do also love animals and know that human beings are responsible for a lot of their suffering in this world, however - this is not one of those times. Tilly and all the other animals at Sea World are loved and taken care of and you could see that just from the few videos or pictures I've seen of Dawn and the other trainers that work there. Their faces are literally lit up with love and joy almost to the point where you couldn't imagine their smiles getting any bigger.

I feel so very sorry for Dawn and her family and friends but I also feel sorry for Tilly because I'm sure these creatures have feelings of their own and I bet one day he'll realize she isn't around anymore...
 
I think the people on here with their PETA leaning tendencies and own agendas are being very disrespectful to Dawn's memory, especially in light of the fact that a family member of hers has now posted on here.

It's fine if you have the views and opinions you have, but this thread is not the place. If you feel that strongly about it, start your own website, post a video on YouTube, make a page on Facebook, but to interject your hostile feelings and beliefs on this thread towards Dawn, Tilly or Seaworld (with the latter two totally intertwined with Dawn) which is essentially a rest in peace or in memorium thread, is totally disrespectful!

I'm not a person who values animal lives over human beings, but I do also love animals and know that human beings are responsible for a lot of their suffering in this world, however - this is not one of those times. Tilly and all the other animals at Sea World are loved and taken care of and you could see that just from the few videos or pictures I've seen of Dawn and the other trainers that work there. There faces are literally lit up with love and joy almost to the point where you couldn't imagine there smiles getting any bigger.

I feel so very sorry for Dawn and her family and friends but I also feel sorry for Tilly because I'm sure these creatures have feelings of their own and I bet one day he'll realize she isn't around anymore...



:thumbsup2n Very well said!!! Thank you for posting that!!
 
Dawn Brancheau was my cousin's wife.

I just wanted to say that Dawn was the one trainer that I remembered from my visits to SeaWorld. Her love for the animals really showed, so much so that it was memorable.

I want to express my deepest sympathy to your family, and to let them know what an impression she made with total strangers.
 
I have never been to Sea World, but the one thing that gets me everytime I read a story about this or watch a newscast is the absolute joy on Dawn's face as she interacts with these animals. This whole thing is just incredibly sad and tragic. My heart goes out to those who knew her.
 
In captivity their life span is halved, there is no way they can get enough exercise they can dive dive to up to 200ft how far can they go in that fishbowl they have, they are kept in totally unnatural situation in the wild families stay together forever. In captivity they are bred and in some cases seperated from their mother at 6 months in the wild they are still being mouth fed when they are a year. They cant be released so stop breeding them and let them die out they where not put on this planet to be our toys.

False. Maybe in other places but the baby whales stay with their mothers at Seaworld until they are mature enough to be on their own.

True they cant be released. But we need to keep these animals to learn more about them and research them so we can better understan them. Yes, they are not our toys. The trainers have strong bonds with these animals. Trainers have a connection with the whales that an average person would have with a dog or cat. The shows are stimulation and exercise for these animals. If they dont want to perform, they arent forced to. The show is simply canceled.
 
I also agree that Tili thought he was in play mode with Dawn. This was truly a tragic accident!!! As for the man that was a dumba** that went into Sea World AFTER closing. Sorry, that is his own fault & there is there evidence that Tili killed this man? The pic below is proof that there is indeed LOVE between the trainer & the whale. They LOVE their jobs & these whales form a bond with their trainers as any of our own household pets form with us.

FYI Good Morning America is showing a video right now & she was in a slideout that was 4 in deep. Former trainer said Dawn may have broken the protocal.



I am not sure if this is Dawn in photo?
akbsrr.jpg

Yes it is. Great Photo.
 
You know...I was watching the local news last night and they were showing clips of Dawn and the whales from past shows and training sessions...which was sad enough but...when they showed a whale...not sure if it was Tili or not alone in a tank just floating...that's when it really hit me. The whale looked really sad and I had to wonder what the whale was thinking...you know? That just makes it sadder if the whale was wondering where his/her friend was. Seeing that whale and wondering those things just broke my heart. That kind of summed up this tragedy for me. It's just so sad for everyone and everything involved. :sad1:
 
I think the people on here with their PETA leaning tendencies and own agendas are being very disrespectful to Dawn's memory, especially in light of the fact that a family member of hers has now posted on here.

It's fine if you have the views and opinions you have, but this thread is not the place. If you feel that strongly about it, start your own website, post a video on YouTube, make a page on Facebook, but to interject your hostile feelings and beliefs on this thread towards Dawn, Tilly or Seaworld (with the latter two totally intertwined with Dawn) which is essentially a rest in peace or in memorium thread, is totally disrespectful!

I'm not a person who values animal lives over human beings, but I do also love animals and know that human beings are responsible for a lot of their suffering in this world, however - this is not one of those times. Tilly and all the other animals at Sea World are loved and taken care of and you could see that just from the few videos or pictures I've seen of Dawn and the other trainers that work there. Their faces are literally lit up with love and joy almost to the point where you couldn't imagine their smiles getting any bigger.

I feel so very sorry for Dawn and her family and friends but I also feel sorry for Tilly because I'm sure these creatures have feelings of their own and I bet one day he'll realize she isn't around anymore...

So well said!

I posted something similar on the Orlando Sentienel Website. I love animals. But, I also believe that Sea World takes really good care of their orcas. We need to acknowledge that most of these orcas were born in captivity and are used to being fed by humans everyday. They also get the proper care and love they need. So, releasing them into the wild would be a huge mistake.

I went to Sea World for the first time in September 2009 (I'm from Canada). And when I saw Believe, I had tears in my eyes because I'd never seen such an amazing show.

My heart goes out to her husband and her family.
 
I have mixed feelings about animals in captivity but I have no doubt that SeaWorld takes excellent care of their animals and that the trainers truly love them. You can see it on Dawn's face in every photo and video. It annoys me that the media here has been making all sorts of false claims on Tillikum's treatment. You can see how much Dawn loved him, and I fully believe that one of the trainers would blow the whistle if any abusive practices were going on. Is it wrong to keep them in what is for them a very confined area vs. being in the wild? Probably. But does SeaWorld do everything it can to keep them happy, healthy and mentally stimulated? Definitely. And remember, a lot of the admission $$ goes to their animal rescue programs. They have rescued over 1000 animals already this year due to the unseasonable cold. Nothing in life is fully black or white. You have to look at the shades of gray. And no matter what you believe, this was a horrible, one-in-a-million freak accident that is truly tragic and cost the world a dedicated trainer and animal lover.
 
I have never been to Sea World, but the one thing that gets me everytime I read a story about this or watch a newscast is the absolute joy on Dawn's face as she interacts with these animals. This whole thing is just incredibly sad and tragic. My heart goes out to those who knew her.
I can't help but remember what Dawn's sister was stated as saying...Dawn died doing what she loved and she loved all the whales as if they were her own children.
 
I have mixed feelings about animals in captivity but I have no doubt that SeaWorld takes excellent care of their animals and that the trainers truly love them. You can see it on Dawn's face in every photo and video. It annoys me that the media here has been making all sorts of false claims on Tillikum's treatment. You can see how much Dawn loved him, and I fully believe that one of the trainers would blow the whistle if any abusive practices were going on. Is it wrong to keep them in what is for them a very confined area vs. being in the wild? Probably. But does SeaWorld do everything it can to keep them happy, healthy and mentally stimulated? Definitely. And remember, a lot of the admission $$ goes to their animal rescue programs. They have rescued over 1000 animals already this year due to the unseasonable cold. Nothing in life is fully black or white. You have to look at the shades of gray. And no matter what you believe, this was a horrible, one-in-a-million freak accident that is truly tragic and cost the world a dedicated trainer and animal lover.

Right, by making the orcas perform 4-5 shows a day & keeping them in small tanks really shows Seaworld's excellent care. :rolleyes: I guess you don't realize where these animals came from in the first place?
 
You know...I was watching the local news last night and they were showing clips of Dawn and the whales from past shows and training sessions...which was sad enough but...when they showed a whale...not sure if it was Tili or not alone in a tank just floating...that's when it really hit me. The whale looked really sad and I had to wonder what the whale was thinking...you know? That just makes it sadder if the whale was wondering where his/her friend was. Seeing that whale and wondering those things just broke my heart. That kind of summed up this tragedy for me. It's just so sad for everyone and everything involved. :sad1:


I just said this very same thing to my family today that there has been such negative finger pointing toward Tili and that I am sure he is aware Dawn is not around. My heart is aching for this whale as well along with the family of Dawn & her second family of Sea World. When you look at the pics & video there was such a bond between the 2 that was too beautiful to turn it into something else. Such a sad tragedy.
 
Right, by making the orcas perform 4-5 shows a day & keeping them in small tanks really shows Seaworld's excellent care. :rolleyes: I guess you don't realize where these animals came from in the first place?

Nobody MAKES the whales do anything. If they decide they dont want to perform, the show is canceled. At some points of the year, there are 2 shows a day. Its been that way for the past 2 months. And the shows are mental stimulation and exercise for the whales. These whales were born in captivity. I dont uderstand how many times that has to be mentioned. Seaworld doesnt go out and pluck them from the wild. So Its you that doesnt realize where Seaworlds whales came from in the first place, they came from right there at Seaworld.
 

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