Life is full of surprises but other events should be expected, such as when a teacher teaches, a lawyer practices law, a photographer takes a photo and a killer whale kills. It’s all pretty self explanatory, isn’t it? While the fact that a trainer was killed at Sea World in Orlando by a lovable kiler whale nobody should be shocked because the culprit was a ….killer whale.
I’m no marine biologist, all I really know abot fish is that it tastes better with tartar sauce, but I’m pretty sure that the name killer whale didn’t come from the species killer good looks. No matter how many cute stuffed replica dolls a killer whale has in the gift shop it’s still a wild animal. Nobody ever knows when it might go wild and attack.
The thrill of watching such shows at Sea World is seeing the animals do things that aren’t normal, such as jumping through a hoop, and the element of danger involved for the humans. Imagine if the featured act at Sea World was a goldfish, nobody would want to see that. Goldfish are safe and very common, can be seen in any pet store, but killer whales carry a risk of danger and can’t be found just anywhere. Audiences revel in relief when the stunts are performed without incident, but the chance is ever present of something going wrong. Unfortunately, this time, something did go wrong.
The surprise should really be the fact that it doesn’t happen more often and that this was the first time a death had occured during a show at the Orlando Sea World. I am not a big animal rights activist, I favor the use of animals for entertainment purposes, like the circus, mainly because I enjoy watching; but I do see some cruelty in keeping the animals so confined and out of its natural habitat. The killer whale doesn’t deserve to always be kept in a tank and entertain children every day, but should be out in the great big ocean. The animals can be very well trained, but they are still animals, and when one as massive as a killer whale loses its senses its very dangerous.
I remember going to Sea World when I was little, and being enamored by Shamu. It’s one of life’s pleasures of growing up, one I hope to share with my kids someday (No, I don’t have any annoucements to make). So while I do feel sympathy for the animals I admittedly think more about myself, and my right to be entertained by them. Aware of the fact that killer whales are involved and that anything can happen so I would be sitting in the back.
