Jess Battison
Back in 2010, orca Tilikum took his final victim in a fatal attack at SeaWorld Orlando, Florida.
The captive whale was a star attraction at the theme park and marine zoo, performing alongside experienced animal trainer, Dawn Brancheau.
However, on 24 February, Tilikum latched onto her ponytail and dragged her into the water.
Brancheau was rubbing the killer whale’s head at the end of their popular routine as he snatched her and began thrashing her around the pool.
Watching on, horrified guests were ushered away by SeaWorld staff as the orca kept a tight grip on his trainer for about 45 minutes.
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When her body was eventually retrieved from the water, an autopsy later showed she had died by drowning and blunt force trauma.
It was also determined the 40-year-old suffered fractures to her jawbone, ribs and a cervical vertebra.
While 22ft long Tilikum had Brancheau between his jaws, it’s reported he severed her spinal cord, scalped her and tore off an arm.
There have only ever been four human deaths due to interactions with captive orcas as of 2023 – with this particular one reportedly responsible for three of them.
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In 1991, Canadian student and animal trainer, Keltie Lee Byrne, fell into the whale pool at Sealand of the Pacific and was then dragged under by Tilikum and two other orcas.
Her death was ruled as an accident and the orcas were later sold to SeaWorld.
In 1999, it’s reported that Daniel Dukes trespassed into the Florida theme park.
SeaWorld maintains that he climbed into Tilikum’s pool and drowned although his corpse was found ‘severely mutilated’ by the whale.
His death was ruled an accidental drowning.
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Having taken several victims and being a main attraction at the park, the orca was heavily featured in the 2013 documentary, Blackfish.
The film accused SeaWorld of horrific treatment of its killer whales and claimed orcas in captivity suffer psychological damage, becoming unnaturally aggressive.
After the death of Brancheau, Tilikum returned to performing just over a year later in March 2011, with high-pressure water hoses reportedly used to massage him instead of hands.
Remaining at SeaWorld, the orca was announced to be deteriorating in health in March 2016.
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He died in early 2017 after numerous health issues, including a persistent bacterial lung infection.
While close contact between orcas and trainers became restricted, Tilikum continued performing after killing Brancheau.
But nowadays, the Shamu shows (the performing orcas) is reportedly virtually non-existent in SeaWorld parks. Rest in peace, big fella.
LADbible previously contacted SeaWorld for comment.