Today at 1:00 p.m. EST, from SeaWorld Orlando, Jim Atchison, president and chief executive officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, shared information regarding the company's review of the killer whale incident and plans for the killer whale program at each of the three SeaWorld parks.

Jim Atchison, president and chief executive officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment addressed Wednesday's killer whale incident. Atchison shared information regarding the company's review of the incident and plans for the killer whale program at each of the three SeaWorld parks.

Part 1

Chuck Tompkins, Head of Animal Training for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, talks about SeaWorld killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau. All of us at SeaWorld are deeply saddened by the events of Wednesday, February 24 and we have extended our condolences to Dawn's family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time.

The family of Dawn Brancheau has asked SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to send this message on their behalf requesting respect for their space and privacy at this difficult time.

You have all heard what an amazing trainer Dawn Brancheau was and it is true - she was the best. It came naturally to her. Being a trainer was a life-long dream that she achieved. She loved her job, and she loved her animals.

About a year ago SeaWorld launched a Twitter account giving voice to Shamu. In part because of his worldwide celebrity and in part because of his ability to find humor in the world around him, @Shamu has gained a significant following on Twitter. Many of his most loyal followers have noted his absence from Twitter since the tragic events of Wednesday, February 24 at SeaWorld Orlando.

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 8:00pm

Update: Thursday, Feb. 25, 9:33am

Tilikum

February 24, 2010

It is with great sadness that I report that one of our most experienced animal trainers drowned in an incident with one of our killer whales this afternoon, February 24, 2010 at our SeaWorld Orlando park.

We have initiated an investigation to determine, to the extent possible, what occurred. There are no other details to share at this point, but we will make our findings known in due course.

For those of you who follow Shamu on Twitter, you know his style. For a marine mammal l living underwater, his sense of humor is very dry. He keeps his followers laughing -- and since it's the holiday season, he's in the spirit of giving. On Monday, he declared this week “Giveaway Time”!