ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - The killer whale that drowned a veteran
trainer was just curious about her ponytail and dragged her into
the water to investigate a new toy, the former head of animal
training at SeaWorld Orlando said Friday.
Thad Lacinak, who helped train Dawn Brancheau, said she was very
good but made a mistake by lying down on a watery shelf next to the
12,000-pound animal and letting her long hair get in front of the
22-foot orca named Tilikum - the largest killer whale in captivity.
"She was an excellent trainer, one of the best I've seen in my
life ... But allowing her ponytail to drift into the water like
that in front of the animal turned out to be a fatal mistake,"
Lacinak, who left SeaWorld in 2008 after a long career to start a
consultancy, told The Associated Press.
Lacinak said he'd been told how the attack happened by other
trainers who were at the scene Wednesday, when Tilikum dragged
Brancheau into the water as she gave him pats and other rewards
after a midday show. Based on their description, he said the rules
for handling the giant orca that were in place during his tenure
had either been broken or changed.
There were special protocols for handling Tilikum because of the
animal's size and involvement in two earlier deaths. Tilikum was
one of three orcas blamed for killing a trainer in 1991 at a theme
park near Victoria, British Columbia. In 1999, the body of a naked
man was found draped over Tilikum at SeaWorld. Officials said the
man had stayed in the park after closing, apparently fell into the
whale tank and died of hypothermia, but was also bitten by Tilikum.
Lacinak said the protocols he knew would have prohibited a
trainer from lying down that close to this specific orca.
"She laid completely down, which is a very vulnerable position
to be in with an animal like Tilikum. And apparently her ponytail
drifted into the water, he just opened his mouth, sucked it in and
pulled her in the water."
It was playful curiosity, Lacinak said, and not a bloodthirsty
attack. Brancheau's ponytail was merely a "novelty item" to the
whale, who was not trained to be in the water with people.
"It was a novel item in the water, and he grabbed hold of it,
not necessarily in an aggressive way," he said.
Lacinak said the whale likely first grabbed the ponytail as a
toy, then dragged the trainer into the water in more of a playful,
investigative manner. Once the whale had her in the water, it
likely became a game.
"It was more novelty, he's like, 'Hey look, you're in the
water, I'm going to play with you,"' Lacinak said.
However, he added, once other trainers dropped nets in the
water, trying to separate the whale from the woman, it may have
become more aggressive trying to "keep his toy."
The killer whale shows have been suspended at SeaWorld's three
parks in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego. Chuck Tompkins, chief
of animal training at SeaWorld parks, said Thursday that the shows
won't resume until trainers understand what happened to Brancheau.
He also said trainers will review safety procedures and change them
as needed.
The park says Tilikum will not be destroyed, transferred or
released and that he is an important member of the eight-whale pod.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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