Trainer Today Killed At Sea World! Options

[Coasternewsman]

Trainer at Sea World Orlando killed today, when, at around 2pm EST, a killer whale attacked her in the holding tank at the stadium of the Shamu show, a very popular show at the Sea World Adventure Park. The trainer was said to be 40 years of age. LINK

[save dreamland]

Yeah, I heard it on the news over here. They are saying the whale has killed before.

Animals like this should not be kept in captivity for our own enjoyment. Its not the trainers fault she was attacked, she was just doing her job and I'm sure she loved the whale, but its also not the whales. It should be in the ocean, not swimming in circles in a small pool and made to jump through hoops.

[tacoking]

What's kind of creepy is I was there just two days before that...

[save dreamland]

Eeeek. Creepy ! As sad as it is, I just hope they do not take this out on the animal.

[sarki7]

Just a quick update on this one:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/23/seaworld....+Top+Stories%29

"SeaWorld has been fined $75,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for three safety violations, including one classified as willful, after an animal trainer was killed in February.

SeaWorld denied what it called "unfounded" allegations by the U.S. Department of Labor agency and said it would contest the citations"

[SpeedMonster]

In a statement Monday, Cindy Coe, OSHA's regional administrator, said that SeaWorld knew of the inherent risks of allowing trainers to interact with dangerous animals.
"Nonetheless, it required its employees to work within the pool walls, on ledges and on shelves where they were subject to dangerous behavior by the animals," Coe said in the statement.

As opposed to...? Open beaches?

[sarki7]

Yeah, I'm not seeing a lot of wiggle room here - probably why Sea World is protesting.

The debate of animal captivity continues...

[sarki7]

More bad news for Sea World: http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/archives/219272.asp

Not surprising. I suspect they may settle.

[SpeedMonster]

I don't completely agree with when the author of this article starts to get all editorial:

OSHA is the agency that makes sure that workers everywhere have optimum working conditions - they are the reason that you can go to work and know that there are working fire escapes, sprinkler systems, the air is clean, and you are provided with safe tools and protective gear if your job requires them. Whale trainers deserve the same benefits, and it is high time that the amusement parks are forced to provide safe conditions - and no longer be able to get away with statements such as 'working with whales is inherently dangerous'. Latent danger lurks in many occupations, but safety precautions are always required, think about this next time you see a race car or hydroplane driver walk away from a horrifying wreck.
The amusement parks will argue that you can't take humane care of whales in captivity without close contact, particularly the lonely and isolated ones such as "Lolita", living in the Miami Seaquarium. This is probably true.

But then again, whales don't belong in small tanks isolated from their families, there is nothing humane about that.

But regardless, definitely a settlement here.