In 2006 OSHA issued a scathing 18 page report about the dangers of keeping Orca whales in captivity. SeaWorld protested....a new 10 page report was issued with no mention of the dangers. OSHA, has a reputation of being a no BS gov't. org. which tells it like it is. I guess Mr. Jim Atchison (CEO) is worth every penny of his salary which I am sure is based on the # of people who visit each year! BOYCOTT SEAWORLDS

Jim thinks these are "animals estrusted to our care". Sick people admitted to the hospital are entrusted to the care of the medical staff.....living things captured, forced into captivity, and made to do things against their will for the ...profits of their owners......hmmmm let me think what does that sound like......oh yeah slavery!!!!!

amazing that you are filtering the comments. of course you don't want how people really feel about keeping a circus whale that has taken 3 lives. good choices mr atchinson. money above people! good job buddy!

sad that they care more about money than human life. Sea world will risk another life with this killer whale who has taken 3 lives. what does that say about sea world's priorities? I will never again take my children to Sea World. never. Thier money is now blood money.

If any one of us had a dog that even bit and harmed another person, animal control would see to it that it never happened again. Weere are they now? Does Sea world pay them off? How is it allowed to happen 3 times?

Sea world puts money before life, sea world will never get a dime of my money! disgusting!

PLEASE PLEASE make it clear when, where and how many people were present if possible who witnessed this tragic accident. Stop the media from publishing the words "attacked in front of stadium full of horrified on-lookers" or other variations on this theme. I have been following this story since it started after having seen the BELIEVE show with our 4yr old son in December. It was emotional and uplifting beyond discription and we went back again the next day. I'm seeing first hand how the media takes a tragic incident and inflates the story or twists the facts for sensationalism. I still haven't seen anyone correct them accept a few that mention the Dine with Shamu show in passing. In fact, one video clearly shows the dining guests leaving and all the tables cleared out... I think this image of your stadium full of spectators seeing the show interrupted with a "whale attack" is catching steam and will cause more damage then necessary. The truth of the matter is if this happened in the Believe stadium, hundreds of videos would be flooding the internet!

I think the saddest part is that everyone keeps saying "oh they are just animals, they have no idea what they are doing." Whales are some of the smartest mammals besides humans and I'm sure it probably did know what it was doing. The fact is when you take an animal that should be able to swim over the entire ocean and put them in a tank, they don't turn into robots and aren't going to do exactly what you want them to. There is a reason that it is called a "Killer Whale." It is sad when someone dies while working with any animal. The issue should not be if Tilikum gets euthanized it should be Sea World considering how many deaths will it take to realize these are wild animals that are meant to be free.

A truly tragic accident. Our hearts and prayers are with you all.

I wish to express my deepest heart felt sympathy to Dawn Brancheau's personal family as well as to her Sea World family. Having visited Sea World Orlando many times in the past, I have an incredible amount of admiration and respect for the team of trainers that work daily with the orcas, and with the realization that, though they are well trained, they are still, in actuality, mammals of which were brought in from the wild, and, on occasion, can become unpredictable. I am a fan of Sea World and of all the work their employees perform when they come to the rescue of an injured dolphin or manatee on the Atlantic coast, and, again, I am deeply saddened by the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau. Dawn's Sea World family and her personal family will be in my thoughts and prayers. I am certain that she made the aquatic arena a better place by being a part of it, and made the lives of all those around her better by simply knowing her and/or working with her. And I am sure she will be missed dearly. Rest in peace Dawn.

I am a trainer in Italy I am working with Marinemammals too.
I personaly fell realy bad. I think this is a hard moment for the family and for the staff who was working with Dawn.
My heart goes out to the trainers, the family and the all staff at Seaword.

I would like to first beg you to not destroy Tilly. Dawn wouldn't want that. Secondly, I would like to make the suggestion that the now defunct skiing area be renovated to a larger habitat for the orcas. Maybe this will eliminate the stress of the animals and get PETA off your back. We are Florida residents and visit the park constantly. My son is known as orca-boy and last year, at the age of 8, started his own informative website at www.orcaboy.net. Seaworld is part of our lives and what has inspired my son at such a young age. Keep up the good conservation work and we will see you soon!

We would give our sincere deepest condolences for not only Dawn's Family also to Seaworld Family. Dawn will surely be missed She was very dedicated to her job and co workers. It takes special gifts of Love to do her job working with Whales. Dawn is very special in many hearts that she gave out. Blessings to all.

My condolences go out to the family. I understand that animals are kept in tanks for research etc.... having said that I would like to pose one question. What does Tillikum have to offer that other killer whales cannot offer to research ? If this was an incident with a dog and human, the dog would be euthanised. I am not saying euthanise the whale, but does he really belong in a tank with human interaction on a daily basis ? It has been proven not once, but 3 times now he cannot be trusted. I am a full blown animal lover. They are beautiful creatures and do deserve chances, but how many chances do you warrant when human lives are involved ?

Tilly probably thought nothing of what he was doing, they have no idea how strong they are compared to humans. i will never forget that day, and i will never stop lovig Tilly. DO NOT HURT THAT MAGNIFICENT CREATURE!

seaworld is the best place on earth, and those animals are gentle and if you thought they were a little agitated before you should not have put Tilly in the water. Dawn and her family are in my prayers. Tilly should not be punished for anything. i love every animal at seaworld, and that will never change.

I am sorry for the Sea World in FL. My sorrow goes out to the entire Sea World family. I dont understand why the show in Sea World San Diego was closed. I hope these whales are not harmed because of one whale that for whatever reason had a bad moment.

I am so very sad and wish to extend my heartfelt prayers, thoughs and sympathy to all the Seaworld family as well as the family of the trainer.

This may be the time to set it free. I hope this will be a consideration.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Dawn. I had my first experience of Seaworld last year and plan to come out from England this year. Like so many thousands of people, i have been looking forward to seeing BELIEVE again. Having seen the loving relationship between whale and trainer makes this tragic news so hard to belive, but having said that, they are wild animals. I really hope that nothing happens to the whale. Would any trainer , knowing the risks, want a bad ending for the beautiful creatures that they spend so much time, love and patience with.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Dawns family, friends and all the trainers at this very sad time.

Please accept my deepest condolences. I was at the park this past Christmas and was able to witness trainers with these magnificent animals. The trainers showed so much care and tenderness all the while educating the audience. Seaworld has always held a special place in my heart since my first trip there in 1978 at the age of 6. My prayers go to Ms. Brancheau's family and friends along with her Seaworld family including the animals she trained and loved so much.

My condolences go out to everyone at Sea World. The news of this tragedy has been very upsetting to our family as well. Like Dawn, my daughter has visited Sea World and her "one" dream in life is to be a Sea World trainer (and she is only 4). She is literally obsessed with Orca's so, we have made every effort to MUTE the tv volume when the reports come on. Dawn was an inspiration to so many children with her love and compassion for these beautiful creatures. She was at the place in her life where so many children DREAM to be. Her dreams as a child became a reality and she understood the risks involved but, did her job because of her passion. She passed away doing what she loved - and at the moment she left this world, she was with "who" she loved. I honestly feel this was an accident and that it was not some intentional act on the part of Telly. I believe it would devistate Dawn if this incident caused harm to HIM as he was just doing "what Orca's do" .... We are so sorry for your loss. She will be missed.

A tragedy to lose such a wonderful soul. But in our sadness, look at the pictures of Dawn with the whales and see how happy she was when she was with them. She died doing what she loved and she understood the inherent risks. She gladly took those risks in exchange for the chance to be close to these magnificent creatures. My wish for peace and comfort goes out to her family and friends.

My deepest condolences to Dawn's family, friends and her Sea World Family. I'm sure she had a special bond with all the orcas and would not want any harm to come to Tillikum. My hope is that we will learn something from this horrible tragedy and that her family can find comfort. What she did each and every day was brave and beautiful and she brought a lot of joy and countless smiles. God bless!

As a former SeaWorld Employee and team member my prayers goes out to Dawns entire family and friends as well as ever SeaWorld team member. She had a unconditional love for these amazing animals and loved what she did with them.

My wife and I are from the UK and Seaworld is always the highlight of our visits to Florida, so we are realy saddened by this news.
Would like to offer our Condolences to all concerned at this sad time.

I am sure that like so many others who have ever been to Seaworld Orlando and seen this unforgettable show and witnessed such wonderful connections between trainers and whales that we must continue to BELIEVE in the magic of these awesome animals as i am sure Dawn would have wanted us too,may God bless her.

I woke up this morning in England to hear this news on our National news, and was shocked. I am a huge fan of Sea World, having visited many times since my childhood, and have the upmost respect for everyone involved for what they do. It is absolutely your passion to care for these awesome animals in the most attentive of ways, and to bring such joy to the thousands who visit you each day. To Dawn, there is some peace in knowing you were fulfilling your dream, and were absolutely committed to your responsibilities. To the Sea World team, keep strong in what you do, my respect to you for handling the day so well, and long may you continue bringing such joy to so many.

A horrible accident. It is a risk you always take when working with wild animals like these. Do not blame the animal or the people that work with them. It is a sad day for everybody and a awful time for the family, but again, no one is to blame. Let Dawn never be forgotten and pray for her family.

PLEASE DO NOT HARM THE ANIMAL...

I am truly shocked by this event and want everyone in the Sea World family to know my prayers are with you all. Dawn was an amazing trainer and will be greatly missed. she inspired countless people to get in the animal training fields. again a very sad day for everyone past and present .

Seaworld has suffered a horrendous tragedy today, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Dawn and everyone she knew and loved, as well as her fellow co-workers.

It brings me down to this also.....Tillikum...is an animal....animals wild or captive have good days and have bad days, and obviously he proved today was a bad day.

But I along with NUMEROUS others beg of you, not to euthanize him, he doesnt deserve to die. There are so many people worried that this fate awaits him but I pray that you find it in your heart not to kill him off.

:(

It's very sad to hear what occured. My condolences to the family. Although I don't wish any harm to the orca I do believe it shouldn't be allowed to happen again. I think it's best to release the orca back to where it belongs, in the open ocean. It was named a killer whale for a reason. Animals are unpredictable and don't have the full capacity to control their emotions or strength nor do I believe they are capable of understanding what they are doing. This is truly heartbreaking and they are amazing animals. I'm sure she loved every moment of her career alongside these wonderful creatures but they to have a limit. If humans hurt eachother who have complete control and emotions what makes us think we can do differently with these animals what we haven't done with our own kind.

I was distressed today to hear about the death of the Seaworld trainer in Orlando. Regardless of the Orca's past and present behavior, I implore Seaword Parks to NOT EUTHANIZE this wild creature. Seaworld bears the responsibility of bringing, or breeding, wild animals in its parks. I do not believe that the trainer herself would wish any harm to this animal. When Roy Horn (of Siegfried and Roy) was critically injured by his tiger, he pleaded that the animal not be destroyed. Montecore, the tiger, lives to this day. PLEASE DO NOT EUTHANIZE THIS BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL.

My heart and prayers go out to the loss of this caring trainer. My thoughts are also with the Orca. This is a unfortunate accident, something that was unperdictable as she has worked with them many times and felt safe with them. She apparently enjoyed her job very well and knew there were risks involved. It is a sad day that this has happened. These animals are awesome and the trainers are just as great. I'm also sure she would not want nothing to happen to the animal because of her death. She seemed to have cared a great deal for them. It showed in her pictures. My prayers are with the SWF and her family.

My deepest condolences to her family, friends and co-workers. I hope they take comfort in knowing she died doing what she loved best. She WAS the best and would not have worked anywhere else.

God speed Dawn......I know heaven as a special place for you.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the entire SeaWorld family. We regularly visit SeaWorld San Antonio and my daughter is a long-time camper who aspires to be a marine mammal trainer. While we are saddened by this accident, we fully understand that Dawn was doing something she truly loved and believed in and knew, as all the trainers do, the risks involved in working with a wild animal. I trust that SeaWorld will do their very best to find out why this happened. I hope that the public will also be kind and reserve judgement., We will continue to support SeaWorld and their committment to the preservation and conservation of marine animals. Again...our thoughts and prayers are with you!

I'm very sorry about what happened today. However, the main draw of SeaWorld (at least for me) is the shows and rides/attractions. So, when the new show opens at SeaWorld San Diego in May, I will be there one way or another to welcome it with open arms.

The sadest part is that the whale probably had no idea what he was really doing. It may have simply been "playing". Horrible accident and I truly hope that Sea World doesn't get a bad name now. They are a truly outsiding park that does a lot for education, rescue and rehablitation. We wouldn't know all that we do about these magnificent animals if it wasn't for Sea World. My heart obviously goes out to the trainers family. Please think about her. I know she wouldn't want anyone to feel ill will toward Sea World or the whale that took her life.

DITTO!

What happened today was terrible to hear about. I visited sea world about a month ago, and was inspired to become a whale trainer. As my family sat down to dinner, a news channel 8 update popped up, explaining the horrifying story. It was hard for me to read this story with out bringing tears to my eyes. It deeply saddens me that those peaceful animals could ever think of doing something like this. I knew it was a dangerous job, and that killer whales are not to be taken lightly, but there is some part of me that can't believe it. I pray for the friends and family of the poor trainer who was, like me, inspired by the magnificence of these animals.

What a tragedy...the trainer knew the inherent risks of her job and any loss of life is tragic, however now there is another tragedy that is growing out of this as we speak. The public will now attack the whale involved and other whales out of mass panic and everything your trainer worked for gets lost in that. People need to keep in mind these whales are wild inside and have thousands of years of instinct embedded in their being, something every trainer who puts themselves into their proximity is fully aware of....people must continue to love and be fascinated by these magnificent creatures. My heart and prayers go out to all who knew and loved Dawn and also to all of the whales she gave her love and ultimately, her life to.

My heartfelt condolences to the family of Dawn Brancheau and to her working family at Sea World. To the people who run Sea World? You have blood on your hands when you choose profits over safety.

My heart breaks for the family of the trainer who lost their life as well as for the Sea World family. I can only imagine how terrible this must be for all involved. My thoughts are with you all.

To All my friends at SeaWorld my thoughts and prayers to you all. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of you all. To all the Shamu family my heart and prayers are with you at this time.

I just wanted to say that I am really sorry for the trainer and her friends and family. She did a very valuable job in preserving these creatures. As you know these animals have instincts and I pray to God that this whale is spared and is not blamed for this. ....

I was at Seaworld last week while on my Feb school vacation. I saw the show and I am sad about what happened. I will say a prayer for the trainer and her family

Our condolences and prayers go to Dawn and all her team and fans at Seaworld. She is loved and missed. Thanks for keeping Seaworld compassionate to nature and the folks who work with Orcas.

All the people that love your work, are deeply sorry and stay with all the staff

PLEASE!! don´t hurt or blame the whale =(

What a terrible tragedy. She is in my thoughts and my heart goes out to her family and SeaWorld family. She was a wonderful women.

Our prayers go out to your trainer's family, friends, and your entire SeaWorld family. My son and I feel so blessed to have been able to witness the miracles you all accomplish on a daily basis at your park. SeaWorld is a very special place due to your team's dedication and love. Thank you for making us "Believe" that all things are possible and for bringing my child's face to life!

We are so very sad and wish to extend our heartfelt prayers, thoughs and sympathy to all the Seaworld family as well as the family of the trainer. We are all proud to say we visit Seaworld on a regular basis and have found the utmost respect for the dedication and time everyone associated with Seaworld puts into making this a fantastic park. The loving care shown by the staff as well as the wonderfull care all the residents have is commendable. We respect your privcy at this most difficult time.

A terrible loss for the trainer's family and friends. Our thoughts are with you and the rest of the SeaWorld family.

Sorry to hear about this tragedy - we're thinking of you guys out here in San Francisco.

I am so terribly sad to hear about this. My heart goes out to the family of the trainer, and to all the friends and co-workers as well. We have always loved going to Sea World in San Diego, and loved the shows. I am heart-broken about this incident. How incredibly sad.