• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Tragic footage shows trainer performing with SeaWorld killer whale before he was savagely killed by one

Home> News> Animals

Published 11:10 30 May 2024 GMT+1

Tragic footage shows trainer performing with SeaWorld killer whale before he was savagely killed by one

The 6,600lb killer whale started to behave out of character

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

Heartbreaking footage has resurfaced of orca trainer Alexis Martinez, who was killed by one of the creators in 2009.

The experienced trainer - who worked with the animals for a number of years at Tenerife's Loro Parque - was highly experienced with looking after the apex predators.

Here is an emotional video of him in action:

In December 2009, he was paired with the offspring of Kalina, one of the few killer whales to spend time at all four SeaWorld parks.

Nicknamed 'Baby Shamu', she died in October 2010 from bacteraemia.

Advert

Her offspring Keto, 28, is a 6,600lb, male, killer whale who currently lives at Loro Parque.

The accomplished trainer, 29, was tasked with looking after Keto, loaned to the resort’s Orca Ocean attraction.

However, the orca, who had flown in from the US, had never been in the open ocean before.

On 24 December, Keto 'appeared in a good mood' as Martinez joined the orca in the pool.

Another trainer, Brian Rokeach, was positioned on-stage, as other members of staff were standing nearby.

Advert

Martinez was an experienced orca trainer. (NC)
Martinez was an experienced orca trainer. (NC)

After attempting to perform a stand-on spy hop move, balancing on the killer whale as it came out of the water, he fell over as Keto leaned to one side.

Keto failed to perform a number of stunts, as Martínez and the whale were floating on the surface of the pool.

The orca then ‘positioned himself’ between his trainer and the stage before pushing Martinez to the bottom of the pool.

Keto then 'violently played with his body underneath the water'.

Advert

Orca Ocean assistant supervisor Rafael Sanchez, in his testimony to investigators, said: "The animal in question moved towards him and hit him and violently played with his body."

Keto 'appeared in a good mood' prior to the incident. (NC)
Keto 'appeared in a good mood' prior to the incident. (NC)

Patricia Delponti, director of communications and public relations at Loro Parque, also said at the time: “This was a very difficult time for everyone, and if incorrect information was shared with those closest to Alexis in the time immediately following the accident, it can fairly be attributed to the nature of an emergency response.”

SeaWorld briefly stopped water work with whales at three of its parks in the immediate aftermath of Martinez’s death.

Martínez's death came two months before SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was infamously killed at the popular attraction in Orlando, Florida by an orca called Tilikum.

Featured Image Credit: NC

Topics: Animals

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 mins ago
2 hours ago
4 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • Nina Westervelt/Billboard via Getty Images
    7 mins ago

    Major new discovery in case of decomposing body found in boot of singer's impounded Tesla

    The Tesla was registered to singer D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke

    News
  • Handout/Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Disturbing behaviours Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian B displayed before arrest

    Christian Brueckner's claimed McCann was 'dead' among other odd behaviours in the ITV documentary

    News
  • Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images
    4 hours ago

    Royal protocol explained as Donald Trump breaks major etiquette in first moments of meeting with King Charles

    The US president is currently in Britain on a second state visit, with plans to meet Sir Keir Starmer tomorrow

    News
  • KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images
    5 hours ago

    Putin opponent ‘poisoned to death’ as wife shares first images of hellish ‘Arctic’ cell

    She claims two labs have shown there was poison in her husband's body

    News
  • Chilling image shows final moment before orca found with dead SeaWorld trainer in its mouth
  • SeaWorld trainer survived a killer whale attack in extraordinary footage
  • New footage shows terrifying reality of the sea as killer whales hunt down and attack dolphin
  • Terrifying simulation shows what happened to man that was swallowed alive by a whale