Tragic video shows SeaWorld trainer's final moments before disaster as she swam and laughed with orca

When SeaWorld trainer Alexis Martinez was killed by an orca in 2009, you would have thought that they might have just changed some of their safety rules.

However, it took another deadly accident a year later, this time killing Dawn Brancheau, for the marine mammal park to finally consider making some changes.

The 40-year-old was performing a 'Dine with Shamu' show with Tilikum, the largest orca at SeaWorld Orlando, on February 24 when she sadly lost her life.

And now, a tragic video has shown the final moments before she was horrifyingly pulled underwater by the orca and killed.

Animals can be cute but they can also be dangerous, and those who work closely with potentially deadly beasts on a daily basis will probably tell you that they are well aware of the risks, with the iconic Steve Irwin also sadly killed after an encounter with a stingray back in 2006.

As we have seen with the banning of XL bully dogs in the UK, even animals who 'wouldn't hurt a fly' can still be dangerous if not trained properly, and something that has the ability to kill you easily should it wish is always a huge risk.

You wouldn't think from the video that Brancheau was in any real danger as she happily fed Tilikum fish and even danced with him, before eventually joining him in the water.

However, the mood quickly switched up and she was pulled under by the 5.5 tonne beast.

The crowd and trainers could only watch on helplessly, with any attempts to distract Tilikum proving fruitless, and the trainer was held under the water for around 45 minutes until her disfigured body was finally retrieved.

The autopsy later found that Brancheau had died from drowning and blunt force trauma.

Unlike beloved internet meme Harambe, who was shot after a child climbed into his enclosure, Tilikum wasn't put down and instead lived for another seven years.

Tragic footage shows SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau moments before she was pulled into the water and killed by an orca called Tilikum. Dawn was thrashed for 45 minutes while the crowd watched helplessly. pic.twitter.com/mHuOuU3hnb

— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) March 25, 2025

Following the incident, SeaWorld was fined $75,000 by the occupational safety and health administration, while trainers at SeaWorld are no longer allowed to perform in the water alongside captive animals.

Which also throws up the age-old question of whether these parks and zoos should even exist. SeaWorld would probably argue that orcas are endangered and this provides a safe environment for them to live in, although their breeding programme was ended back in 2016.

According to CBS, the park instead runs a show called Orca Encounter, where visitors are educated on the killer whales' role in the ocean ecosystem, behaviours that the animals exhibit in the wild, the importance of conservation to their habitat and animal welfare practices at SeaWorld.