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Killer whales were much beloved in the early 1990s after the film “Free Willy” captured the hearts of children and adults alike. However, in recent years, killer whales have been getting a bad reputation for being dangerous. Since the 1970s, there have been more than two dozen recorded attacks on humans (including trainers and visitors) by orca held in captivity, particularly at aquariums or theme parks.
The latest was Dawn Brancheau who was playing with an orca that had previous human deaths on his record – a trainer in 1991 and a pool intruder in 1999 – and was dragged to her death in 2010.
The movie “Free Willy” may be more relevant to understanding the problem of killer whales held in captivity than most people know – not because of the actual movie’s message but because of the eventual fate of the star – Keiko the orca. Keiko was removed from a theme park and there were several attempts to re-intergrate him into the wild. However, Keiko died entirely dependent on his human trainers and handlers who still fed him every day.
Keiko was never involved in any aggression toward humans but his situation embodied the basic problem with the reasons that killer whales become killers in captivity: small tanks, limited ways to get the attention of the humans they depend on, forced social grouping with other animals, frustration, confusion and even the chemical alterations in the pools that vary from their natural habitat.
The endangered status of the orca is increasing daily. Conservation efforts are sometimes hampered by the bad reputation they get from these attacks on humans in captivity.
