For What It's Worth

rhamphotheca:

Killer Whale’s Message to SeaWorld Captured on Camera

Killer whale Kasatka nearly drowns train Ken Peters at SeaWorld-San Diego.

by Barbara J. King

On July 24, video of a 5,000-pound killer whale nearly drowning her trainer came to public light via the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act). The 15-minute clip filmed at SeaWorld-San Diego in 2006 shows killer whale Kasatka dragging her trainer Ken Peters to the bottom of the show tank, then taking him back up to the surface, and back down for a lengthier period.

The images of Peters’ gasping for breath when he breaks the surface, and his incredible calm as tries to quiet Kasatka are ones I won’t easily forget. For the full impact, watch the entire clip; some sense of the ordeal can be gained from three excerpts, at minutes 1:50-2:50, 6-7 and 9-10.

Peters recovered from the incident. Trainer Dawn Brancheau was far less fortunate. Brancheau was killed in 2010 at SeaWorld-Orlando by another killer whale, a 12,000 pound male called Tilikum. Both Kasatka and Tilikum had been aggressive to trainers even before the 2006 and 2010 incidents.

(read more: NPR)

so glad these kind of stories are finally being brought to pubilc attention