Tilikum Research Paper

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Pages: 13
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Rylin Hendry Alisha Paxton English 2010_03 Mar. 2024

Some Blame the Killer, I Blame the Victim Imagine being taken from your family at a young age, being kept in captivity for your whole life, starving, and only being given food when you perform for a crowd. One day, you take the opportunity to violently fight back, but then the world sees you as a monster. But what they don’t understand is that you’re a victim, too. Orcas, also known as killer whales, have been taken into captivity for years to perform in shows for public entertainment, waving fins, doing tricks, and splashing fans. All while being used and abused behind the scenes. Orca shows can be an exciting experience for audience members, but under the surface of the crystal blue waters, …show more content…
Duke's dead body was found floating in the pool. It is not certain what happened, but SeaWorld said at the time that the Dukes had climbed into the pool and drowned. However, animal rights activists and a coroner's report noted his body had been mutilated by the whale” (White). After finding out that all of these incidents happened, many started to wonder if captivity was the problem or if it was Tilikum. Though Tilikum was the most famous whale known for being violent, he is not the only whale that has killed his trainer. In a marine park located in Spain known as Loro Parque, a male orca by the name of Keto killed his trainer on Christmas Eve in 2009. Alexis Martnez, a trainer at Loro Parque, was attacked by Keto. Keto started pressing into Mr. Martnez during the underwater portion of the show. Keto attacked and started pushing him toward the pool’s floor. Martnez attempted to fight back, but it was to no avail. He even attempted to use commands that normally controlled the orcas, but Keto wouldn’t stop. The whale continued pressing downward on his trainer with the tip of his mouth. Other trainers continued to attempt further commands to get the whale to leave Martnez alone. The whale finally swam up to the top for a breath of air, only to dive
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