My heart goes out to the family of the trainer who was recently killed by a killer whale. I'm sure she will be missed greatly. What bothers me is the constant debate on this whale's behavior and actions. There is talk about this being a "problem" whale with a bad past.
I saw an interview with the head trainer at the park where the incident occurred and he spoke of the whales past. There was a drowning incident with the whale's former owner that happened in a tank with this whale and 2 others; the whale may or may not have been the killer. There was also a death of a homeless man at the whale's current residence; the man apparently took a swim at night with the whale and was found dead from hypothermia the next morning. The head trainer said that they were aware of these issues and that is why they didn't swim with this whale, even though there is no confirmation that it killed these other 2 people.
Having said that, I now asked: "What difference does it make?" What if the whale had a perfect past with no incidents that it may or may not have committed? If this whale didn't have a bad past would anyone be any more surprised if it drowned this woman trainer. Why are people wondering "why" a killer whale killed someone? It is a giant predator. To survive in the wild it kills and eats meat. And they are giant. They could accidentally kill someone with a swish of their tail and never know it.
These are wild animals. Yes they are smart enough to train and yes they are amazing creatures but they are wild. I am not opposed to captive animals as long as they are treated right. Having zoos and parks like these help scientists learn about species and may help preserve some species. What I wonder is why we have to put on big circus-like shows with these giants. Isn't amazing enough just to see them? Do we have to watch them do back flips and splash the audience and act ridiculous for a few buckets of fish for a reward?
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