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SeaWorld prepares to put trainers back in the water with killer whales
A year after the fatal accident involving trainer Dawn Brancheau, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has announced that they are preparing to put trainers back in the water during their killer whale shows. Trainers have not been permitted in the water since the incident involving their largest orca named Tilikum.SeaWorld will not give an exact date of when in-water performances will resume, but they are laying the groundwork. The company plans to spend millions of dollars on a number of safety devices aimed at preventing another tragic incident. Some of the safety measures include: the installation of fast rising pool floors, remote-controlled underwater distraction devices, and outfits with emergency air supplies.
For now, the trainers will only interact with the orcas in small medical pools already outfitted with false-bottom floors. So, SeaWorld's new show, "One Ocean", will not feature trainers swimming with the killer whales right away. Trainers will conduct the show entirely from the stage. "One Ocean" is set to begin in April at SeaWorld Orlando, on Memorial Day at SeaWorld San Diego, and in June at SeaWorld San Antonio. The Orlando Sentinel has more.
Filed under: North America, Theme Parks
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
thewhalepeople.com Feb 26th 2011 11:33PM
Even with hoopla, sparkly lights and beautiful women the sugar-coated pill of greed and profit is forced down our throats.
As long as there is a profit to be made and tickets to be sold, these magnificent creatures will be kept in small rooms and given only one choice: "Participate and be kept alive".
Beautiful television commercials touting Seaworld's goal to educate and bring understanding to the common man is only the surface press that covers the smoldering truth.
And yet, because these are "fish" they are trained to do silly tricks that insults their intelligence. And when pushed to cease this activity, officials point the finger of "putting people out of work", when in truth it is only putting less metallic change in their pocket.
The bottom line has been profit and always has been, and at whatever cost to human life or to these wonderful creatures.