Orca attacks on humans

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Wild Orcas are not usually considered a threat to humans. However, there have been about two dozen cases of Orcas attacking humans.^[1] Four documented incidents involving domesticated Orcas are listed below.

• On April 20, 1971; SeaWorld secretary Annette Eckis was riding on Shamu at the park in San Diego, California. Eckis slid off and Shamu grabbed her leg in its mouth. After a few minutes, Shamu was coaxed into letting Eckis go, and she was taken away from the tank on a stretcher, and required 100 stitches on her leg. Shamu may have done this out of curiosity, as Eckis was wearing a bathing suit while riding the Orca, instead of the traditional wet suit that was usually worn.^[2]
• On February 20, 1991, a group of 3 Orcas (Haida, Nootka, and Tilikum) killed a trainer named Keltie Byrne at Sealand in Victoria, British Columbia (where employees were not allowed in the water with Orcas). After this, and due to Tilikum being bullied by the two females in the tank, Tilikum was relocated to SeaWorld of Orlando, Florida, where he remains. He is currently the largest Orca in captivity.
• In late July 2004, during a show at the SeaWorld park in San Antonio, Texas, an Orca named Kyuquot pushed his trainer of ten years underwater and barred the way to the rim of the pool; the trainer could only be rescued from the animal after several minutes.^{[citation needed]}
• On November 29, 2006, Kasatka, one of SeaWorld San Diego's seven Orcas, twice grabbed her trainer by the foot (breaking it in the process) and pulled him underwater. ^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ ABC News: Killer Whale Attacks SeaWorld Trainer. ABC News.
2. ^ Killer Whale / Show Girl CBS News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive
3. ^ Killer whale attacks Sea World trainer - CNN.com

[edit] See also

• Orca