My 5yr old son and I were just at seaworld tuesday and wednesday, we both loved the show so much we went 3 times.....I could feel the presence of something was missing, and that was dawn, what she accomplished was amazing, i didnt even know her but i missed her at the shows. my only regret is that seaworld has not done anything more to memorialize her, i can see in the pictures how much she loved the whales by the expressions on her face, and seaworld should show the same respect and love to dawn as she did to all the whales. god bless you dawn.

My family and I were on Vacation in Florida in February. Our favorite park is Sea World. We are greatly saddened to hear what happened to Dawn. My husband and I met her last year while visiting Florida then and she was an absolutely amazing woman. You could see the love she shared for the animals and see how much she loved working with them. She was great at what she did and I know she inspired a lot of people out there. We didn't hesitate to go to Seaworld on the Saturday (February 27th, 2010) to watch the re-opening of the "Believe" shows. Went first of all because we absolutely love the shows, but most importantly to show our respect for Dawn, and our support for the rest of the trainers and staff during such a difficult time. We wouldn't have been anywhere else.
We watched both "Believe" shows as well as the "Shamu Rocks" show in the evening. I applaud the trainers for putting on phenominal shows that day. We all know how hard that step was for you all to perform again when your minds and hearts were elsewhere. I applaud you all and give you a standing ovation for your great work. Job well done! Stand tall and keep up the good work. We'll see you all again next year. :-)
Rest in Peace Dawn. You're an amazing woman and will be sadly missed.

i was in seawrold orlando in feb last year with my family and we saw dawn interacting with the whales she really loved what she did and my sister was talking to her about the job she did and she was so kind to take the time to tell my sister wat a great job it was and how much she loved doing it our thought are with her family and with all at sea world orlando she was a beautiful person so kind and loved what she did

thinking of all of you

all else has been said,
especially note that the holy commander
had plans for dawn.
her appreciation and love for him shown for how she loved his creation
such a special,beyond beautiful human being.
finally seaworld's committment to the conservation,
protection,preservation of sealife is un surpassed.
see mr. jack hanna's interview last week w/ anderson cooper 360 on
complete subject.
Ms.Brancheau-ILoveYou

Hi John,

Thanks for your post. You noted that "the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is a leader in global conservation, rescue and rehab". That is wonderful! Why is it that SeaWorld is not listed in support of changing the barbaric slaughter of whales/dolphins in Japan? In addition, why is the public not being educated? The following global groups are committed..where is SeaWorld? It's so upsetting..

*Animal Welfare Institute
*Earth Island
*Humane Society of the United States
*In Defense of Animals
*Ocean Alliance
*Oceanic Preservation Society
*Off the Mat Into the World
*Save Japan Dolphins
*The Whaleman Foundation

For more info, view "The Cove"..we all have a responsibility! John..we must do better..please just watch and educate yourself further! I believe you care as I do.

God Bless!

I just saw Dawn towards the end of December. Who would've thought she had less than two months to live. I pray for her husband and family. I looked forward to seeing her passion and energy during the shows. I think SeaWorld is doing a good thing with the animals. At least they're not killing them. I'd like to see an end to the canadian seal slaughter, elephant poaching and the killing of wolves.

Seaworld is a big part of my families life. We are Florida Residents, have passes and Fully support Seaworld and all Staff, especially the Trainers.We have seen Dawn interact with the Whales and also have spoken to her. Her energy and beliefs were so strong. In seeing her perform and interact with these wonderful creatures many times, I know she would want Seaworld and others to continue in educating people and children about these amazing animals. I know I would not have seen these animals in the wild. My two girls have already said what they would like to do when they get out of college.......Jessica would like to work with the Dolphins and whales as a trainer and Taylor would like to be a vet for Seaworld. These are goals and inspirations that they found at Seaworld though the eyes of the trainers.
I ,as a mom, am encouraging them to be a trainer or a vet.. There is a risk to do anything in this world. Walking out my front door something can happen but....Dawn enjoyed her life and loved these animals. Her legecy of working with the Killer Whales should go on. She would want it too! These other trainers at Seaworld have the same beliefs....We should all live our lives to the fullest like Dawn did and Continue to learn how we can improve.
In the shows when any of the trainers have had Speically moments with these animals.....all I can think of how neat it would be to go to work and have these bonding moments with animals and most people in this world would never have a chance. But these Trainers all have these amazing opportunities.
I ......Thank Dawn and her family for all the work she had done at Seaworld and showed my family dreams can come true,
Thanks you
Your Supporter,,
Gloria

Thank you for your passion on your knowledgeof Orca's ,As a passholder your passion filtered through all of us to understand wild Orca's and how we should treat them.I saw you right before christmas,you and your fellow assoicates are amazing.Thanks for all you have done,we knoow can understand Orca's better from your passion R I P

Re: I too have asked as to how, - We have established, with Dawn's family the Dawn Brancheau Memorial Fund. Additionally the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is a leader in global conservation, rescue and rehab.

God bless all of the Sea World family and Dawn's husband and family. My family was lucky to be picked many years ago at 2 different times years apart to be apart of the sea world show. When the kids sat on the whale. Shamu and mamu her child. I was licked by Shamu and my husband got to feed Shamu. It was a memory like no other. My daughter moved to Florida a few years ago and she bought me and her family season passes. We must have met Dawn and didnt even know it. I met a sea world man at my water Park in Pa. a few years ago. We are so sad and have cried so much along with you over this loss. Dawn died doing what she loved most. Keep her memory alive with doing all the shows as it was. Learn from what went wrong and pray it does not ever happen again. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Hopefully we can come on April 16th to be there on Dawn's birthday. She was a class act. I will always cry during the Shamu show I'm sure the rest of my life and I am not ashamed about that at all. You are doing a great job.......

First and formost I want to say just how much my family and I enjoy taking our young son to Sea World. There are many parks in Central Florida, but we felt a very strong connection with Sea World from the very beginning. And to me, as a Mom taking my young son to the Shamu show was an amazing experience. The education and joy it brought to my son's life, and still brings to his life. When we think of Sea World, we think how amazing this world is. How such great creatures of the wild, can love someone as simple as a human. And because of Dawns knowledge and understanding of these animals, she was able to teach my child to love all creatures big and small. I cry everytime I see a Shamu show even before this tragic event. It is truely moving. My son is only 3 and if I ask him what he wants to do when he grows up he tells me, "Mommy, I want to swim with whales." Thank you Dawn and thank you Sea World for what you do. Thank you for being honest. I do not know why Tilly chose to end her life, but I do know she would not want you to end his. We love you all and will see you again Shamu' on one of our twice a month trips to Sea World.

I was very sad when I read the news about the accident that happened at Seaworld involving Dawn and one of the killerwhales named Tilikum. I have talked to Dawn in the past. And she was very passionated about killerwhales and their enviroment.
And I do understand that some people will think negative now on Seaworld and Tilikum.
But.....
Do you really think that Dawn wanted all this negative?
What if the accident never happened? People who are saying that they will never go to seaworld again because of the accident are hypocryts. Cause they would have gone to seaworld if it wasn't for the accident.

As I'm from Europe I was flabbergasted when I was at Seaworld for the first time. Big pools for the animals, very nice surroundings and all that.
Compare to parks in Europe.

And if it was possible I just wish that every killerwhale could be released to the wild. But it's not possible. They wouldn't survive. Look what happened to Keiko. Was he really free? No he was surrounded by people day in and day out. Just read the book.

Tilikum was captured by humans, us humans when he was little. He wasn't swimming around the ship holding a sign please let me work in a seapark.

The first seapark was a terrible experience for him I bet with 2 females who were captured from a whole other ocean.
The pool he was in was much smaller.
From my point of view I think Seaworld does a wonderful job.
The trainers are trying to give the animals the best care they could ever get.
Look at Dawn how passionate she was for the whales. If you love whales so much like she did you must really believe in Seaworld.

Tilikum was always my favorite whale. Why? Because of his history.

And he still is my favorite whale. I feel sorry for him and I feel really sorry for Dawn and her family.

I still love seaworld as there we can get up close with our favorite animals.

My husband and I were so very said to hear of Dawn's accident. We have been to Sea World and have seen Dawn perform with the whales so many times. We even spoke with Dawn and she did love her job and cared so much for the whales. I am so personally touched to have had the oppertunity to meet her on more then one occassion and I am heartfully sorry for the loss of such a wonderful person. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. I hope that the whales will continue to perform for us and that we may learn from this accident to prevent it from ever happening again.
I know that Dawn would want the work that Sea World does for all animals to keep on going and that she is up in heaven looking down on the beautiful whales smiling. She will be missed.

I always visit Seaworld when we come to Florida, its so sad that this happened and my thoughts go out to Dawn's family, friends and her colleagues.

I am a big fan! I have brought my little girl to your parks since she was a baby. I wanted her to experience the thrill that I got to see, growing up as a Florida girl. I am a animal lover. I have seen how you treat the animals and I would not have supported your parks if you mistreated the animals. I plan on to renew my passport as soon as I can ford to, I had to let it go due to the loss of my job. I wanted to be a trainer as well. Danger that comes with any job is small compared to that of the love of the animals. Thank You for making dreams come true.

I too have asked as to how, and where, my family could donate. We've received no info from Sea World. We have chosen to make a donation to the makers of "The Cove". I know Dawn would not want to see the slaughter of innocent whales/dolphins continue in Japan. Should any of you not be familiar with this documentary, please take the time to become informed. I had no idea and was horrified to discover the evil in Japan. I believe her legacy and life make a difference. I fully intend to continue that mission and dream. I hope you all will do the same!

God Bless!

I attended the Sea World show with the whales a couple of years ago. It was on eof the most awesome shows I have ever seen - I still think about it today. Dawn was in the show - they showed a little girl wanting to work with the whales - the show was titled "believe". Dawn lived the dream and although I didn't know her personally I know, and can actually feel, that she loved what she did. The show must go on - Dawn cannot die in vain! She "believed" and loved what she did and although it's a tragic loss to those who knew and loved her she died truly believing in what she did. Although a tragedy it's no different than Dayle Earnhart , or so many others, who have left this world doing what they loved - I can only hope that I can leave this world doing what I love and not from a fatal illness. The show MUST go on!! I believe that the longer you go, the trainers will develop more fear or doubt in what they have come to know and love. These are people that were trained by Dawn and want to continue with what she stood for. She was their mentor. Additionally as an avid animal lover, I also feel that the longer the whales go without human interaction the more it will hinder the bond and what Sea World has strived to obtain - the educational experience. We should not focus on the one incident but on the continuing and ongoing endeavor for humans and whales to learn and grow together while educating the rest of us. Dawn is still with us and want us to continue!!!

There is only one reason that Sea World is so committed to keeping whales in captivity: Money. Imagine if the billions of dollars spent on keeping wild animals in captivity were instead poured into true conservation efforts! Zoos are truly prisons for the animals there. Any "bonding" that happens between an animal and its "trainer" is because these poor, highly social animals, are starved for social interactions and will accept any substitute, no matter how mediocre. It is well know that animals in captivity display chronic abnormal behaviors, akin to insanity.
I have such a difficult time understanding how most people can't see how unethical and inhumane zoos are. I hope that in 100 years, after we have matured as a society and eliminated animal captivity, we can look back at what used to be and simply wonder how we could have been so blind.

I thought the same thing about his hanging onto her because they had an attachment with each other. Also in teh statements online from personnel about the incident. They said he was frantic-He didn't know what was happening and "scared". he would have eaten her if he really wanted to kill her. He didn't.
Yeah if people would have kept quiet he wouldn't have panic. I thought of that too when I was reading the statements about the incident.

I agree with what you said. After listening to the eye witness accounts of that horrific event, and after watching the video that was taken mere seconds before the "attack" I have some questions as well about Tilli's motive for what happend. What the eye witnesses described does not sound like "typical" killer whale predation behavior. There have been rumors that perhaps he was simply "playing with his food" and his intent was to kill her/eat her. However, I do not believe this is the case because if you watch documentaries you will see the whales throwing their food up in the air, pushing it around, and after they are through playing with it they eat it. True, Orcas do tend to play with their food before killing/eating their prey in the wild. However I do not believe this to be the case here. If he was simply "playing with his food," and his intent was to kill/eat her than the staff would not have been able to retrieve her from him as they did. I do not believe his intent was to kill her, or that he seen her as potential prey. Perhaps like you said he was confused by her hair, as you said he was not accustomed to this since the trainers weren't allowed in the water, and was possibly investigating it. Whales are like any other creatures, such as sharks, they do not have hands to check things out, so they rely on their mouths to tell them what it is. Perhaps, as you stated, he simply didn't like the texture and instead of letting go he tried to throw it out of his mouth which could've caused the thrashing that the eye witnesses spoke of. Perhaps he was even just frustrated. Since they cannot talk they cannot tell us they are frustrated, tired, that they don't want to play anymore, ect. So perhaps he was just simply trying to tell her "hey I'm tired of playing so leave me alone." Since Tilli was so much bigger than Dawn it didn't take much to kill her. Look at the video of the San Antonio "attack" the Orca pushed/shoved his trainer across the pool out of simple frustration. Whales have different ways of communicating with eachother in captivity as well in the wild. It is when they get frustrated/angry and treat us as they would another Orca then situations like this occur. It IS NOT Tilli's fault for what happend, nor is it Dawn's fault as she did nothing wrong. He is simply a wild animal doing exactly what he was suppose to do. I believe in what Sea World is doing. I know others do not but it is through demonstration of these magnificant animals that the world is able to see their true nature. Without places like Sea World we would not have all the knowledge about these elusive creatures we have today. Therefore, possibly endangering the lives of their wild relitives. If you don't know anything about them how can you truely appreciate them, their beauty, and the rold they play on our planet. GO SEA WORLD!! ::IN MEMORY OF DAWN::

I agree with what you said. After listening to the eye witness accounts of that horrific event, and after watching the video that was taken mere seconds before the "attack" I have some questions as well about Tilli's motive for what happend. What the eye witnesses described does not sound like "typical" killer whale predation behavior. There have been rumors that perhaps he was simply "playing with his food" and his intent was to kill her/eat her. However, I do not believe this is the case because if you watch documentaries you will see the whales throwing their food up in the air, pushing it around, and after they are through playing with it they eat it. True, Orcas do tend to play with their food before killing/eating their prey in the wild. However I do not believe this to be the case here. If he was simply "playing with his food," and his intent was to kill/eat her than the staff would not have been able to retrieve her from him as they did. I do not believe his intent was to kill her, or that he seen her as potential prey. Perhaps like you said he was confused by her hair, as you said he was not accustomed to this since the trainers weren't allowed in the water, and was possibly investigating it. Whales are like any other creatures, such as sharks, they do not have hands to check things out, so they rely on their mouths to tell them what it is. Perhaps, as you stated, he simply didn't like the texture and instead of letting go he tried to throw it out of his mouth which could've caused the thrashing that the eye witnesses spoke of. Perhaps he was even just frustrated. Since they cannot talk they cannot tell us they are frustrated, tired, that they don't want to play anymore, ect. So perhaps he was just simply trying to tell her "hey I'm tired of playing so leave me alone." Since Tilli was so much bigger than Dawn it didn't take much to kill her. Look at the video of the San Antonio "attack" the Orca pushed/shoved his trainer across the pool out of simple frustration. Whales have different ways of communicating with eachother in captivity as well in the wild. It is when they get frustrated/angry and treat us as they would another Orca then situations like this occur. It IS NOT Tilli's fault for what happend, nor is it Dawn's fault as she did nothing wrong. He is simply a wild animal doing exactly what he was suppose to do. I believe in what Sea World is doing. I know others do not but it is through demonstration of these magnificant animals that the world is able to see their true nature. Without places like Sea World we would not have all the knowledge about these elusive creatures we have today. Therefore, possibly endangering the lives of their wild relitives. If you don't know anything about them how can you truely appreciate them, their beauty, and the rold they play on our planet. GO SEA WORLD!! ::IN MEMORY OF DAWN::

hi I'm from mexico, for some time to visit the U.S. went to that show of Shamu at Sea World was very nice but it's sad that the coach died this whale Dever, who was a very nice show and the coach made him one way very extraordinary.

I think maybe the orca did that because there are times that these animals want their coaches to spend more time with them, because that's what I think but from what I've seen no one knows why the whale attacked in this way

These are very sad day for Seaworld and the loss of a wonderful coach is so disastrous.

I hope that soon more data can be found ... until then

I found it on another page of your blog. Thanks though.

Dawn Brancheau Memorial Fund

c/o U.S. Bank

P.O. Box 809231

Chicago, IL 60680-9231

You really are full of yourself. Please stop and come back to earth.

re;mark i totally agree with what you say,when you think its only like what we'd do if we do anything wrong first reaction get as far away and never stop running problem with tilly hes a 12000 pound whale ,but i dont blame him ,seaworld or dawn
secondly i also agree with you in how vital seaworld is to our wildlife,if it wasnt for places like seaworld and dawn i would have no interest in killer whales,or any wildlife
since i went to seaworld for the first time i have never stopped thinking i wish i was working with those killer whales,even after what happened,i dont believe tilly is bad,what i've seen on the believe dvd he is adorable and has so much love to give.
please seaworld keep shamus voice on twitter no day is the same without him

Could SeaWorld please post where we could send donations for Dawn?

This is a very sad day 4 Seaworld and the loss of such a wonderful trainer is so heartbreaking. If you think about natural orca behavior, he didn't EAT her. He didn't ATTACK her. He had never experienced hair in the water as the trainers weren't allowed to swim with himDawns hair got caught in his teeth, he pulled her in - people started SCREAMING and Tilikum went into a panic. I bet his thrashing was him trying to get her HAIR out of his TEETH. Perhaps even... at one point he realized she was dead, and simply held on to her, as he was emotionally attatched to Dawn.. Please continue the great work you do as it is invaluable and yes the proper environment for whales is the wild but Seaworld is amazing in the work they do and the best place for them to be. To release Tilly would be cruel as he doesn't have the skills required to survive and his body would need worked on, so would no doubt die.

Ms. Gordon, while your contempt for the situation seems passionate, if you too post about about any specific knowledge regarding the situation, please explain exactly where this presumptuous opinion derives from. My expertise is a business one. The same perspective that all these crucial decisions are being made. I sincerely hope you don't think Blackstone executives allow scientists to make core compentency decisions that are crucial to the organization's future and/or profitability Lets be serious here. You sound very much like you're on the payroll. My opinion is simply from undisputeable facts and taken from a business perspective, for which I am probable more qualified than your own officer calling the shots. I won't use any names, nor my own. But please don't give advice unless your will to substanciate any viable facts. Please tell me what education "Believe" is teaching about Bull Orcas? Is spreading any specific marine biology principles? Everyone has heard these words being thrown around by different SeaWorld ambassadors. I would like to know what people are learning from both the shows, as well as different "non-evasive" tests currently or previously done of these warm blooded mammals that have been publicized in either the view of the general public or the marine community specifically. I don't have to be an marine or aquatic expert to argue these opinions. Simply pick up a high school environmental textbook and you'll educate yourself as well, and that would help build some creditability behind your vague and unrealized statements. It easy to tell these opinions are not specifically your own, because you established no credibility with your audience, nor any factual statements. I hope you're not on the payroll, because my employees need to exhibit logical framework before I would let them represent my reputation. Everyone reading these posts can easily deduce intelligent opinions, as well as frantic fact-less opinion. Defending the undefendable is a skill Ive seen only one public figure even attempt. But only Bill Clinton can get away with it. Regards.

firstly, i would like to say my deepest sympathy to everyone who knew and loved Dawn. i my slef have see this amazing woman perform with the animals and i believe in my heart that the animals and herself shared a very special bond. this was a complete accident that could of been avoided but nobody, as much as they really want to can change what has happened now. since i was around the age of 4, my parents have taken me to see these show, if i am completely honest it was purely entertainment based but then grew to be fascination. these animals are absolutely AMAZING. for the people who are balming the whale, i do not think you have the right, understand or knowledge to may these kind of accusations. people such as 'Submitted by CFO.......blank (not verified) on Tue, 2010-03-02 16:39.' have no right to publically rip to peices the situation, i believe that it is easy enough to point fingers when you are not even a tenth as passionate about the animals as Dawn was. i think you have a nerve and you need to give your self a good speaking to. these shows are very educational as well and entertaining. one of the first things that is said in the Shamu show is ' these animals are dangerous. we have been highly trained to work safely with these animals as they are natural preditors. if the animal does not wish to perform we do not force them.' the person u refered to earlier stated she has seen many of these shows... should you not know this? i personally am deeply offended by what you have said. this will not stop me wanting to contribute and be an active member of the sea world family. i could say much more on the matter but i will say my final peice....
i strongly suggest that people think about the ways in which people are effected by what you are sayin publicallly out of turn, you may think that you know vast amount of the matter but unless you are actually a part of the sea world orca team, a qualified orca conservationist or maybe a killer whale psychologist i do not think you will understand. therefore you do not have the right to slate sea world Dawn or any other sort of marine park full stop. if anyone wishes to speak about this further i have left my e-mail address and i check it daily and i am more then happy to discuss matters further.. butt seriously, think before you speak guys!!!

My daughter had the pleasure of being trainer for a day some years back, she met Dawn and Jenny, the day was a wonderful magical experience she saw up close all the animals including Tilikum who she adores, please don't punish him Dawn would not like that, you have had him for so long now you owe it to him to let him live his life as he now does, let him
still go out in front of the public perhaps with out trainers in the water he does not know anything else, he does not know why all the other are continuing on with what they were doing on a day to day basis but he's not. If Tilikum did not want to do something surely he
is big enough to decide for himself he must have enjoyed it or he would not have responded
to Dawn's request for him to do things. Maybe the tanks could be bigger but take a good look
at animals that are neglected cats and dogs that get kicked out, even in the wild poaches don't care when they kill a beautiful creature, there are children in this world living in disgraceful conditions. Seaworld do feed and care for their animals, how many humans live in Mansion houses with all the room we need, some people live in one room.
Our sympathy goes out to Dawns family who should be very proud of her, she loved her job
and Tilikum, she also knew the risks but who doesn't take risks, if we didn't we would never go outside our front door.
Dawn lived her life her way and died doing what many others would love to do my daughter included.

hi im Kate. the day i heared about Dawns death i started recherching, i am a horse ridder. and i have been watching all the arugments for the past week about the whales in captivity. Well im going to compare that to horses. You people say that the whales where taken away from there habitat and put in captivity. this is very much true. is it cruel? NOT AT ALL! all horse owners have taken animals out f the 'wild' and out from there habitat. PETA says its cruel. Well if its so cruel then why do theses animals perform o so well for us? They listen the eat, provide love, produce young, and do as asked. same with the killer Whale. It does every ting the tranner asks with a passion. And only true animal lovrs can see that. These 12,00 pound animals could never be forced to do somthing theres is no way they would ever win. So my point is that these animals love what they are doing. and if they dint they would not perform. They also eat, produce babys, and love there tranners. if they were not happy in captivity they would be complely crazy. So i just wanated to put it out there that this was a complet freack acsident . Dawn RIP:) and My prayers and heart gos out to her faimily and friends and all of sea world.

it is a tragic and extremely sadden event that took place when Dawn was killed. she was a great trainer and you could see the and feel the love and respect she had for them. we must remember that there is a risk you take when working with animals wild or not.My family has seen DAWN perform many times and it brought me to tears when i watched her with tilikum. I want to express my deepest condolences to the family

Seaworld should be ashamed. This "business" is a bloodsport. It's really sad that a trainer has to die and that WILD animals are kept captive and the public is lied to that it's about "education" and "research"...some people may be that stupid, but there are many of us who know the truth. We as human beings need to start being more caring about our world and the other inhabitants on it. I will NEVER give a dime of my money to seaworld...

He's the largest predator currently on earth everyone. Pleae don't think killing is evil for them. Its nature, its survival. Its in their DNA. Please understand everything stated below. Folks, none of these whales can ever be let into the wild. Seaworld isn't going anywhere. But there needs to be DRASTIC CHANGES. There is only one way corporations put change, that cost significant dollars, into effect. And that is when it affects their bottom line. Thats when the board and the primary shareholders, who hold the power to out pressure on these people to make those decisions. That's all. Why does NIKE still operate 90 percent of their business in sweatshops still? Why does Walmart refuse to pay heath benefits and allow a single union in their store? the answer on both of them is because it doesn't matter that they are guilty of committing debatable business practices. Because their customers, who agree to pay a certain amount of money for whatever product or service, doesn't care enough about the issue not to buy the product. And every time someone walks through those gates, thats exactly what they are saying to SeaWorld Inc. shareholders. However, i belive something is actually going to get done in this case, and it definitely won't be by their own decision. That is, of course, unquestionable. In a month or 2, they will come out with the results of their report and announce the "major" changes. I can assure that there will be nothing major about it. Their strategy will be to wait it out for a bit..... honestly, that really is aall they can do, because Shamu is Seaworld. No Shamu=No Seaword= NO jobs for the Hierarchy. The PR firm working on it has been quite busy the last 2 years, and their people are well seasoned. Please understand folks, Mrs. Brancheau has left her footprint on this earth, with many people, and I guarantee she was convinced that being at SeaWorld rehabilitated Tilikum. I am sure that what everyone was made to think to some degree. But he's the largest, and smartest predator on Earth. I said on Earth folks, their nothing on land, besides extinct dinosaurs, that live on meat. That's what their DNA is designed for. He's not evil. I will do a simple proportion equation for everyone, then i have to go. Tilikum is 13,300lbs, 22 feet long. His pectoral fins are larger than my wife's 2 door sports car people. The pool he was inn is 34 feet deep, about 150 feet in diameter. It was really oval but the numbers will be similiar. ( I wont do this by volume for comparison sake) his length alone is 14.97 % the length of the pool if he were to do a lap. Isn't that awful? That is plain cruel. And when you factor in the other orcas swimming in the same pool, this is unbearable. If anyone says that they are truly happy, please think how you would feel. Think if you were a parent and had 2 kids. With your spouse, that would be like raising a family is a one bedroom apartment, Is that fair? And factor in that we don't excercise one 50th that they do. They are marathon swimmers people, beautiful, absolutely amazing athletes. Many of these whales could do everything that they in the show 5x higher, faster, and better if they were conditioned in the while. And they wouldn't do it for little 12 inch pompano or whatever they feed them. They hunt 250lb seal, that are 10 yards of a buoy or jetty. Magnificent creatures they are in the wild. Ill leave everyone with this. They worked with the largest predators currently on earth. And theyre protocol for saving a snatched trainer involved some plastic safety nets that are asked to corral a 6.5 ton manic creature. Comeon people, that is the ultimate disrespect for Mrs. Brancheau. They've had problems for years. You will all hear about other incidents in the coming weeks or months. I assure you. Bottom line to SeaWorld Parks and Entertainament. aka another Blackstone Group production Ladies and Gentlemen, saw the price on the whales head as significantly larger than that of the staff. If you don't believe that, you haven't listened to a word I said. Its not even close. Honestly, is terms of assets on a balance sheet, they are about 50 pages away, in Seaworld's view. Tiliy's a stud, bottom line. please, everyone who reads this, watch what transpires in the coming weeks and months. And I urge you to really think about it. Think about what to tell you child if they ask where does shamu live? Once again, it isn't the death of trainer that is sad to me. Its the death of that person who represented much more than just a multi-million dollar killer whale production. She represents what's lacking in our world today. And I too have been guilty or chasing the almighty dollar, never of course at the expense of an undefenseable mammal though. I hope i got some people thinking at least.

Personally I think they should put tilly in iceland in that cove area they did for keko (free willY)

SAFETY FIRST

This tragedy must not lead to the closing of SeaWorld, but they need to be proactive in the protection of trainers and the public:

Anyone, including trainers, who is in close proximity to potentially dangerous animals, must use a (discrete) harness attached to a manned safety line.

Once someone is pulled or falls into the water, they are no longer in complete control. Having a safety line will enable assigned trainers or other personnel to immediately pull them back onto dry land. This applies to the water's edge and to the shallow areas.

Dawn's death must not be in vain. Her memory must be honored by making the shows more safe. To do otherwise would be to show disrespect to her memory. No more deaths!

well you make it sound like Tilikum is a evil monsters that hates all humans, But by a matter of fact, the last two incidents that involved Tilikum, were accidents. the first was done when a trainer fell into the water,and 3 whales(including Tilikum) started tossing her around, but Tilikum, Haida ll, and Nootka IV, had never been in water with a human before, and they didn't know better. But that was a long time ago, before he came to seaworld. Also, the 2st time, a intruder had tried taking a swim with him in the middle of the night,And just like any other animal who felt in danger, he attacked. Thats why trainer have to help people, when they introducing a whale to them, because they have to get to know you before a whale can trusts you.
So i really hope you don't take this out on seaworld, because not only are they training animals, their studying them, so they could live stronger healthier life's.
also, I'm still sorry to hear about Dawn, but I'm sure if Dawn was here, she wouldn't put "shame" to seaworld, over this accident.
i don't know why Tilikum attacked Dawn, but I'm really sorry. :(

Before I even get to the subject I wanted to state that I have been to see the show 4 times as a child and enjoyed it very much. With that being said, of course it was pure entertainment to me, and is also to everyone without knowing the particulars involving these creatures. I feel so terrible for the family and I would gather Dawn did understand the risks. What makes this so terrible is the extremely rare type of person Ms. Brancheau was. She truely seemed like a selfless person, in the pure sense. Now, knowing what I do since I viewed the shows, some 20 years ago, the particular whale had no business participating in any show. Please understand that SeaWorld is not some state funded zoological preserve or conservation, such as the Bronx Zoo or municipal aquarium. SeaWorld is an undoubted corporation, much the same way WalMart is, There is absolutely ZERO difference. Tilikum is unquestionable their largest asset. He is almost single-handedly responsible for the entire SeaWorld Bull Orca population and will be for the next 30 years. Its is not easy to find a male that females will mate with. If I were to estimate his value, and this is a conservative number, I would say 100 million. They have tried for years to find such a sucessful Male, and didn't find him until the Canadian company offered him. And the condition of the trade, they got another whale, WAS THAT HE BE USED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF MATING. They did not want any blood on their hands. they eventually went out of business, but the trade was made SOON after he, along with 2 other females, killed his trainer. They did the ethical thing. They also did not have the PR arsenal that SeaWorld currently has either, the Canadian people were outraged. With that being said, I don't feel Dawn fully understand the risks involved, as it pertained to him specifically. She was told not to get in the water with him, and she complied. Don;t belive this magical story about the pony tail. I would like everyone to closely observe her other pictures all over the internet. Does she have a ponytail in all of them? You bet she does. Was her pony tail a couple of inched longer that day, maybe, but that couldn't have made any difference. They tries saying she made mistake with him. How many people believe last Wednesday was the only time she became that close with him? If you do, please reevaluate you opinion because there if that were true, and thats about a 1 in 10 million chance, then wouldn't you assume she would be super cautious as she got that close. She was a very intelligent woman, look at her education level and credentials. SeaWorld even tried the coverup in the first few hours, also involving the police by the way, by saying she fell in. There were 5 people, employees, who had first had accounts of the grab (read the now released police reports). They knew exactly what happened with the first half hour. More BS... Didi everyone witness that news conference with the 5 or 6 killer whales frolicking behind the glass behind the SeaWorld Pres. ? Didn't they look so peaceful and natural. Thats because they were feeding them right above the pulpit. What a cheap display that was? That really angered me to see. You could even see them feeding the whales from the video. Doesn't everyone think that degrading for highly intelligent animal to beg for food? seriously. Next point, being that Tilikum was so highly intelligent, don't you think he knew that Dawn was his trainer? You better believe he did? Maybe at the beginning he thought he was playing (I doubt it) because these trainers are like maternal and paternal figures to these whales. Yes they are that intelligent. IN the wild the males stay with their mothers their entire lives. Do you think they ever tried to put any piece of their mother in their mouth? Of course not. I hear the argument that if an Orca were to attack her there wouldn't be anything left. I am sorry for the graphic description but it crucial to the argument. It took them 40 minutes to get her out of his mouth. These whales understand life. there is no doubt. he had her locked in his jaws as if she was a toy. He also has no viable teeth. Whales in captivity loose all sharpness and most volume in the teeth, due to lack of use (i.e. hunting large game) with in the first few years, if they are captured. If born in captivity, sometimes shorter. So he couldn't have used those teeth. he drowned her and violently thrashed about. No more explanation, everyone should get it. I wont even get into the fact that if SeaWorld did indeed care about keeping the animals happy, they would build a tank 6 football fields square. They have the resources, all it would take is a call t the nearest bank. The note would be processed within 24 hours. It isn't in their best interests. Profitability is in their best interests. Please understand. Even more so is that fact that SeaWorld used to be a philanthropic activity of Anheuser-Busch. They are now a full blown money making machine as of years ago. I will not go to any of their parks again. And I encourage everyone to do the same. I dont belong to PETA. I am not an activist. I am actually a corporate officer. Ill just leave it at that. I am writing this because I can;t stand people selling BS and taking advantage of people's unavailability to pertinent knowledge and blatant lies. there is going to be wrongful death suit and/or negligent prosecution. there is know doubt, but i wonder how much will be swept under the rug. I am not trying to sway anyone's opinion. Just look at the facts. Don't let these big fancy corporate behemoths lie to your face and insult your intelligence. Dawn was lied to, this much I know. I know those whales loved her as much as she them. But this one was like a human with a psycological condition, whether it had it when it was born, or it developed it from the truma os being kidnapped from its family at age 3, is irrelevant. Just look at SeaWorld for the business it is. Plain and Simple. just as companies and builder long ago were deemed negligent for knowing putting Asbestos in residences, SeaWorld was and still is negligent for allowing human contact with Tilikum. Both instances are driven by overseeing an ethical hurdle and chasing the almighty stockholder dollar. God Bless. And may Gid Bless Mrs. Brancheau

Judy- now that you and your husband have fallen into the media bubble and can no longer support captivity, rescue and research, you will need to be sure you dispose of all your awesome and breathtaking memories afforded to you by what Sea World is able to bring to life for us. Many other animals you consider to keep in captivity such as many of your family pets are responsible for way more deaths than Orcas or Dolphins will ever be.

to the person who days they swam with dolphins at discovery cove who says shame on seaworld - you're a hypocrite! you had your day of fun and enjoyment but now want to stop others having theirs!!

i have been to many zoos and aquaria around the world and nowhere - and i mean NOWHERE - have i felt as happy about the conditions the animals are kept in as i do at seaworld. i accept that they're not in their natural habitat but they are healthy, well fed and LOVED. i remeber a few year's ago when seals in the wild were dying from a virus - where we live there's nowhere like seaworld who could help - all that happened was the seals were euthanised.

would we rather go back to "the good old days" when whales were caught in their thousands for their oil - like sharks are now for their fins - and baby seald are bludgeoned to death for their fur? personally, i say NO!

i'm sad for the loss of Dawn but would be further saddened by the loss of seaworld and her sisterparks around the US - they do a massive amount of good work.

RIP Dawn - Long Live Seaworld!!

I grew up loving Sea World. As recently as three years ago, my husband and I not only visited Sea World, Orlando, but also had the opportunity to visit Discovery Cove and swim with the dolphins; we loved it. These days though,I am second guessing any interactions with these wonderful, gorgeous creatures that you house in your facilities, particulary, the killer whales. They will never be " tamed " !! A trainer, a human being, has now been killed by one of these animals. Why on earth, other than pathetic greed, would you allow an animal, who was believed to have been involved in other " incidents " allow that animal to continue to perform with humans?!! Human safety is far more important than seeing a huge, 12,000 lb. animal flip and splash. And the poor animals,,being stuck in tanks, forced to perform, etc, etc. This is not right..my views on zoo's and your parks has changed drastically over the last couple of years, not to mention the last week. These animals are wild..they will never, ever, be ' tamed '. I truly believe it was only a matter of time before this animal attacked,,they are too big to be kept in captivity like this and they will eventually lash out. These animals deserve to be respected, and protected, but not in tanks, not in captivity.
Sea World, you have lost a fan,,,I think your lack of ethics and greed were to blame, in part, for this horrible tragedy. I personally now understand why my husband of nearly 20 years has said he started to " hate " zoos and parks like this,,I truly understand and agree with him. I was never like this,,but this recent event helped change my point of view, and I no longer will support ANY park, such as yours, again.

Shame on you Sea World..shame!!

You are the one who needs to "get a clue". He died of pneumonia because he was unable to fend off the many bacteria that occur naturally in the oceans. He swam a great distance looking for human contact. You cannot release an animal into the wild that has been kept captive for that length of time. It would be like the idiots that have a dog or cat in their home and decide they don't want it anymore so they "set it free" into the wild. They don't know how to fend for themselves and die horrible deaths. You say you would rather Keiko die in the wild where he belongs but would you also think it's a wonderful thing to die afraid and alone??

My deepest sympathy goes to Dawn's family and Sea World and all her friends there.
Could the recent earthquake activity possibly be a factor in Tilikum's behavior change? This is in his defense. Maybe he was frustrated, nervous, or scared. Could the vibrations in the ground that I'm pretty sure he could hear with his sonar ability be the cause of all this? Maybe he wanted to tell her or was acting out to let her know about his feelings? I don't think it was in any way aggressive. If anything I think he was trying to tell her. You can see the changes of earthquake readings on the helicorders along the east coast of the U.S. There is a recorder in South Carolina and another in Massachusetts. There is dramatic changes during the Chili and Haiti earthquakes and you can see the gradually increasing changes leading up to the earthquakes. The increases for the Chili earthquake began on this tragic day.

I found these graphs at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/helicorders.php
From the Weston Observatory, Department of Geology and Geophysics at Boston College. The Observatory is located in the town of Weston, Massachusetts:
http://quake.bc.edu:8000/cgi-bin/NESN/24hr_heli
-adjust the change day to see the effect on the day of the chilli earthquake (feb 27)
-check also Jan 12 for readings during Haiti earthquake http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/helicorders.php New Hope Methodist Church, Summerville, SC (broadband)

I know animals are aware of things before people are. Tillikum may have been nervous or frightened. I don't think he should be sent away because he might have been scared.

If this is inappropriate please delete, and please accept my deepest regrets.

Dawn's death was sad for SeaWorld and the rest of the world. She got to do something meaningful with her life, and got to do something that the rest of us only dream of. She had a rewarding and happy life, and we need to take solace in that fact. Dawn's legacy will live on, and SeaWorld will continue to educate and perpetuate that legacy for years to come. Thank you Dawn, and thank you SeaWorld. Rest in peace.

I am so sad for Dawn & her family...
I know this may sound dumb...but has anyone thought about how Tilly feels? He probably doesn't know what has happened...and is looking for his best friend, Dawn.
My heart breaks for Dawn & SeaWorld's family...it really does. BUT...Tilly has lost his best friend...

prayers go out to the family and close friends.
my only concern is that we need to remember that KILLER WHALES are killers by nature. They have a killer instinct, we cannot take that away....even if they were raised by humans, sooner or later they will snap.

I am very sorry for the tragic lost of the trainer...

M

You have dealt with the death of Dawn in an inappropriate way. You only care about money, you may feel badly about the death of a money maker "trainer", but you are not showing respect to her or to her family. I have no doubt that you'll toss this because you are not being responsible to your animals, your customers, or your employees. It's an absolute shame that you are dealing with his tragedy the way that you are. Shame on all of you. I have no doubt now that the film "The Cove" was without fault.

Our deepest sympathy to Dawns family and her sea world family. We had the pleasure of visiting seaworld last month and we would like to thank you for the work that you do there that makes it possible for such an educational experience that other wise we would have never known. This was truly a trip of a lifetime for us and our daughter. You know they did not stop the olympics because of the tragic death of a sledder or the space program over the many lives lost there. lets be respectful. many things in life can be dangerous and yet many do them because it is what they have a passion for. Thanks again sea world and your trainers and staff.

It is tragic what happened to the trainer. It is clear from the description of the tragedy that the whale mistook the trainer for a seal since they are known to hunt seals by sliding onto rocky areas and then sliding back into the ocean. I am very concerned that the whale's confusion is cause by the dark wet suits with light gray shoulder patches which would mimic the same coloration as a seal. I would hope there is some thought about brighter colors for the wet suits the trainers use.

This is such a beautiful tribute to Dawn. God Bless you, Dawn. God Bless SeaWorld.