All of those who have viewed the incredibly popular and eye-opening documentary "Blackfish" are familiar with the famous orca Tilikum. Tilikum, or Tilly, the star of SeaWorld's "Shamu," has been living in captivity for nearly 33 years, 24 of which have been spent at SeaWorld Orlando. The consequences of keeping a wild killer whale in captivity were exposed to the world after the tragic deaths of three humans caused by Tilikum himself.
The first death occurred in 1991, when Keltie Byrne, a 21-year old marine biology student fell into the pool with Tilikum at Sealand of the Pacific. Tilly, along with two other orcas, dragged Byrne underwater and back into the pool when she attempted to escape. In 1999, a 27-year-old man named Daniel P. Dukes was found dead on Tilikum's back after having trespassed into the orca's tank. Dukes' autopsy revealed his death was due to drowning, but he had various wounds, contusions, and abrasions throughout his body.
The third and final death caused by Tilly was the most shocking because the victim was Dawn Brancheau--a 40-year-old experienced SeaWorld trainer. While rubbing Tilikum following the "Dine with Shamu" show, Branchaeau was grabbed by her arm and pulled into the water. Despite efforts to distract Tilikum and save Branchaeu, she was killed by blunt force trauma and drowning. Her spinal cord was severed and she had suffered a jawbone fracture, rib fracture, and her scalp being entirely torn off.
Due to the various tragedies Tilikum has caused, it's easy to think of him as a monster. However, it's important that we realize that Tilikum is not a malicious beast with intentions of hurting and killing humans. Tilikum is, instead, a victim of his surroundings and mistreatment by the employees of SeaWorld and Sealand of the Pacific.
Being separated from his mother at just two years old, and forced into living in tanks far too small for a 12,000 pound whale, put into tanks with whales that caused confrontation, Tilikum has endured a great deal. Although SeaWorld claims that dragging Dawn Branchaeu into the pool was not an act of aggression, the facts prove otherwise. The living conditions of SeaWorld has caused Tilly to suffer from mental illness, resulting in the aggression that killed three innocent humans.
As of March 2016, Tilikum's physical health has deteriorated. He has a rare bacterial infection in his lungs that is currently incurable.Tilly may be looking at his last days of swimming, and instead of spending those days swimming hundreds of miles in the ocean, he is imprisoned in a tank. Despite the horrific and untimely deaths caused by Tilikum, we cannot remember him as a monster, but rather a victim to the malicious efforts of SeaWorld.
"If Tilikum never sees the ocean again, after being stolen from it 30 years ago, his blood will be on SeaWorld’s hands and on the walls of his miserable concrete prison tank." - SeaWorldofHurt
