Tilikum (orca)
Encyclopedia
Tilikum sometimes misspelled Tillikum, is a bull orca
who lives in captivity at SeaWorld Orlando
. He has sired many offspring, and has been involved in the deaths of three people. Following a year long hiatus after his last incident, Tilikum returned to performing at SeaWorld Orlando on 30 March 2011. He can often be seen with his grandson Trua and daughter Malia
of the Northwest, the name means "friends, relations, tribe, nation, common people."
of Iceland
in November 1983 at about two years of age. He was not the only one captured; a male (Nandú) and a female (Samoa) were captured alongside him. The two are now deceased.
in Victoria, Canada
. The trainers of Sealand of the Pacific described Tilikum as bright and eager to learn. There, he lived with two older females named Haida II and Nootka IV. Tilikum was at the bottom of this social structure, and Haida II and Nootka IV would often chase him into the medical pool. Sealand of the Pacific practiced food deprivation as part of their training methods
, which meant the whales were fed only if they responded accurately to commands. The three whales' pen was separated from the ocean by merely a net; the owner of Sealand of the Pacific, Bob Wright, felt that at night the whales may chew through the net, or an activist would cut it to free them. Thus, at night, the whales were moved to a "holding module" a dark pen 20 feet deep and 28 feet in diameter. If they refused to enter, 25 to 35 percent of that day's food was withheld. The tank was hardly large enough for the three whales, and they often were cut by the sides. Tilikum was also raked and bitten by Haida II and Nootka IV, with nowhere to hide, while in the module. At Sealand of the Pacific, the whales and trainers did not do water work, the practice of having trainers in the water with the whales. On February 21, 1991 a trainer named Keltie Byrne slipped into the tank of the three whales. The whales began, what the trainers deemed to be, playing with her body. Eventually, the young trainer died due to drowning. While living in Sealand, Tilikum sired his first calf. His first son, Kyuquot, was born to Haida II on December 24, 1991.
Tilikum was moved to his current location at SeaWorld Orlando, Florida on January 9, 1992. Sealand of the Pacific closed soon after.
, Tilikum has sired many calves with many different females. His first calf, born in Orlando, was to Katina
. Katina gave birth to Taku on September 9, 1993. Tilikum's other calves are: Nyar (1993–1996), Unna (1996), Sumar (1998–2010), Tuar (1999), Tekoa (2000), Nakai (2001), Kohana (2002), Ikaika (2002), Skyla (2004), Malia (2007), Sakari (2010) and Makaio (2010). In 1999, Tilikum began training for artificial insemination (AI). In early 2000, Kasatka who resides at SeaWorld San Diego was artificially inseminated using his sperm. She gave birth to Tilikum's son, Nakai, on September 1, 2001. On May 3, 2002, another female in San Diego, named Takara, bore Tilikum's calf through artificial insemination.
Employees used nets and threw food at the whale in an attempt to distract him.
Moving from pool to pool in the complex, they eventually directed Tilikum to a medical pool, a smaller pool, where it would be easier to calm Tilikum. He subsequently released Brancheau's body. A SeaWorld executive, witnesses, and video footage from right before the attack confirm that Dawn was laying with her face next to Tilikum's on a slide out (a platform submerged about a foot into water). SeaWorld said the trainer was pulled into the water by her ponytail; saying it may have gotten caught in Tilikum's teeth, or he may have confused it for a toy. However, some witnesses to the incident claimed that the trainer was pulled into the water by her arm. Brancheau's autopsy indicated death by drowning and blunt force trauma. The autopsy noted that her spinal cord was severed and she sustained fractures to her jawbone, ribs and to a cervical vertebra.
On August 23, 2010, the park was fined US$75,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) for three safety violations, two directly related to Brancheau's death. SeaWorld issued a statement that called OSHA's findings "unfounded".
Although Scott Brancheau, widower husband of the SeaWorld Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau, has hired a Chicago law firm that specializes in wrongful-death litigation, he has not taken any legal action against SeaWorld.
Tilikum returned to performing on March 30, 2011. The trainers have continued their policy of doing no water work with the whale. High pressure hoses are used to massage him, rather than hands, and removable guardrails have also begun to be used on the platforms. There are plans to install false-bottom floors that can lift trainers and whales out of the pools in under a minute. Despite frequent claims saying that Tilikum is kept alone and separated from the remaining whales, he has in fact been paired with his grandson Trua, and can quite often be seen performing alongside of him during the finale of the new "One Ocean" Show. He has also on occasion been kept with his daughter Malia, or both Trua and Malia at the same time.
reported that PETA
and Mötley Crüe
member Tommy Lee
sent a letter to Terry Prather, SeaWorld's president, referencing SeaWorld's announcement regarding limiting human contact with Tilikum. In the letter, Lee refers to Tilikum as SeaWorld's "Chief Sperm Bank
" and describes the process that SeaWorld allegedly uses to masturbate captive killer whales. The letter implores SeaWorld to release Tilikum from his tank. On December 8, 2010, the SeaWorld VP of Communications responded to Mr. Lee's letter via E! News
, stating that PETA's facts were not only inaccurate, but that SeaWorld trainers "do not now, nor have they ever entered the water with Tilikum for this purpose."
* Deceased relative
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
who lives in captivity at SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group...
. He has sired many offspring, and has been involved in the deaths of three people. Following a year long hiatus after his last incident, Tilikum returned to performing at SeaWorld Orlando on 30 March 2011. He can often be seen with his grandson Trua and daughter Malia
Description
Tilikum measures 22.5 feet (6.9 m) long and weighs 12300 pounds (5,579.2 kg), as of 2010. His pectoral fins are 6.5 feet (2 m) long, his flukes curl under, and his 6 feet (1.8 m)-tall dorsal fin is collapsed completely to his left side. He is the largest orca in captivity and also the most successful sire in captivity, with 13 offspring, 10 of which are still alive. In the Chinook JargonChinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
of the Northwest, the name means "friends, relations, tribe, nation, common people."
Captivity
Tilikum was captured in Berufjörður off the east coastAusturland
Austurland is a region in eastern Iceland. Its area is 22,721 km² and its population is 15,300. The biggest town in the region is Egilsstaðir, with a population of 2300. The oldest municipality in the Eastfjords is Seydisfjörðr municipality established 1895, with population of 706 the year...
of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in November 1983 at about two years of age. He was not the only one captured; a male (Nandú) and a female (Samoa) were captured alongside him. The two are now deceased.
Life At Sealand of the Pacific
Tilikum was first sent to live at Sealand of the PacificSealand of the Pacific
Sealand of the Pacific was a public aquarium in Oak Bay, a suburb near the city of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada. It was famous for its orcas, which were the main attraction....
in Victoria, Canada
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. The trainers of Sealand of the Pacific described Tilikum as bright and eager to learn. There, he lived with two older females named Haida II and Nootka IV. Tilikum was at the bottom of this social structure, and Haida II and Nootka IV would often chase him into the medical pool. Sealand of the Pacific practiced food deprivation as part of their training methods
Animal training
Animal training refers to teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for the purpose of companionship, detection, protection, entertainment or all of the above....
, which meant the whales were fed only if they responded accurately to commands. The three whales' pen was separated from the ocean by merely a net; the owner of Sealand of the Pacific, Bob Wright, felt that at night the whales may chew through the net, or an activist would cut it to free them. Thus, at night, the whales were moved to a "holding module" a dark pen 20 feet deep and 28 feet in diameter. If they refused to enter, 25 to 35 percent of that day's food was withheld. The tank was hardly large enough for the three whales, and they often were cut by the sides. Tilikum was also raked and bitten by Haida II and Nootka IV, with nowhere to hide, while in the module. At Sealand of the Pacific, the whales and trainers did not do water work, the practice of having trainers in the water with the whales. On February 21, 1991 a trainer named Keltie Byrne slipped into the tank of the three whales. The whales began, what the trainers deemed to be, playing with her body. Eventually, the young trainer died due to drowning. While living in Sealand, Tilikum sired his first calf. His first son, Kyuquot, was born to Haida II on December 24, 1991.
Tilikum was moved to his current location at SeaWorld Orlando, Florida on January 9, 1992. Sealand of the Pacific closed soon after.
SeaWorld
At SeaWorld, Tilikum had a larger tank, was no longer trained using food deprivation, instead by SeaWorld's practice of positive reinforcement, and had more positive relationships with the pod. Although SeaWorld did do water work with their whales, Tilikum, due to his incredibly massive size and history at Sealand of the Pacific, did not do water work. Since his arrival at SeaWorldSeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
, Tilikum has sired many calves with many different females. His first calf, born in Orlando, was to Katina
Katina (whale)
Katina is a female Orca who lives in SeaWorld Orlando in Florida. She was captured off Iceland at approximately two years of age on October 26, 1978. She is the most successful breeding female Orca in captivity.-Transfers:...
. Katina gave birth to Taku on September 9, 1993. Tilikum's other calves are: Nyar (1993–1996), Unna (1996), Sumar (1998–2010), Tuar (1999), Tekoa (2000), Nakai (2001), Kohana (2002), Ikaika (2002), Skyla (2004), Malia (2007), Sakari (2010) and Makaio (2010). In 1999, Tilikum began training for artificial insemination (AI). In early 2000, Kasatka who resides at SeaWorld San Diego was artificially inseminated using his sperm. She gave birth to Tilikum's son, Nakai, on September 1, 2001. On May 3, 2002, another female in San Diego, named Takara, bore Tilikum's calf through artificial insemination.
First incident
While at Sealand of Pacific, on February 21, 1991, Tilikum was involved in an incident which resulted in the death of a female trainer. The trainer slipped and fell into the tank with the whales. Sealand of the Pacific did not do water work with the orcas; in other words, they had never had a trainer in the pool with them before, which is a prime explanation as to why this event occurred. Although Tilikum was not the orca to initially touch Keltie, he was involved when Haida II, Nootka IV, and Tilikum tossed her to each other's mouths, presumably playing. The trainer subsequently drowned. Both females were pregnant at the time, which was not known to the trainers.Second incident
On July 6, 1999, a 27-year-old man named Daniel P. Dukes, was found dead and nude, draped over Tilikum’s back. Dukes had visited SeaWorld the previous day, stayed after the park closed, and evaded security to enter the orca tank. Dukes' autopsy revealed he suffered hypothermia and drowned .Third incident
On February 24, 2010 Tilikum was involved in a third incident, when he killed Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer. The trainer was drowned after a 'Dine with Shamu' show. At least a dozen patrons witnessed Dawn in the water with Tilikum; however, it is unclear how many patrons witnessed enough of the incident to understand at the time that it was out of the ordinary.Employees used nets and threw food at the whale in an attempt to distract him.
Moving from pool to pool in the complex, they eventually directed Tilikum to a medical pool, a smaller pool, where it would be easier to calm Tilikum. He subsequently released Brancheau's body. A SeaWorld executive, witnesses, and video footage from right before the attack confirm that Dawn was laying with her face next to Tilikum's on a slide out (a platform submerged about a foot into water). SeaWorld said the trainer was pulled into the water by her ponytail; saying it may have gotten caught in Tilikum's teeth, or he may have confused it for a toy. However, some witnesses to the incident claimed that the trainer was pulled into the water by her arm. Brancheau's autopsy indicated death by drowning and blunt force trauma. The autopsy noted that her spinal cord was severed and she sustained fractures to her jawbone, ribs and to a cervical vertebra.
On August 23, 2010, the park was fined US$75,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...
(OSHA) for three safety violations, two directly related to Brancheau's death. SeaWorld issued a statement that called OSHA's findings "unfounded".
Although Scott Brancheau, widower husband of the SeaWorld Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau, has hired a Chicago law firm that specializes in wrongful-death litigation, he has not taken any legal action against SeaWorld.
Tilikum returned to performing on March 30, 2011. The trainers have continued their policy of doing no water work with the whale. High pressure hoses are used to massage him, rather than hands, and removable guardrails have also begun to be used on the platforms. There are plans to install false-bottom floors that can lift trainers and whales out of the pools in under a minute. Despite frequent claims saying that Tilikum is kept alone and separated from the remaining whales, he has in fact been paired with his grandson Trua, and can quite often be seen performing alongside of him during the finale of the new "One Ocean" Show. He has also on occasion been kept with his daughter Malia, or both Trua and Malia at the same time.
Controversy
On December 7, 2010, TMZTMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
reported that PETA
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
and Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
member Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
sent a letter to Terry Prather, SeaWorld's president, referencing SeaWorld's announcement regarding limiting human contact with Tilikum. In the letter, Lee refers to Tilikum as SeaWorld's "Chief Sperm Bank
Sperm bank
A sperm bank, semen bank or cryobank is a facility that collects and stores human sperm mainly from sperm donors, primarily for the purpose of achieving pregnancies through third party reproduction, notably by artificial insemination...
" and describes the process that SeaWorld allegedly uses to masturbate captive killer whales. The letter implores SeaWorld to release Tilikum from his tank. On December 8, 2010, the SeaWorld VP of Communications responded to Mr. Lee's letter via E! News
E! News
E! News, previously known as E! News Daily and E! News Live, is a nightly entertainment newsmagazine program airing on E!: Entertainment Television. The program debuted on September 1, 1991 and talks about Hollywood celebrities and gossip...
, stating that PETA's facts were not only inaccurate, but that SeaWorld trainers "do not now, nor have they ever entered the water with Tilikum for this purpose."
Family members/breed
- Daughters: Unna, Nyar*, Skyla, Kohana, and Malia.
- Sons: Kyuquot, Taku*, Sumar*, Tuar, Tekoa, Nakai, Ikaika, Makaio
- Granddaughters: Nalani
- Grandsons: Trua, Adán
- Breed: 100% Icelandic
See also
- Issues with orcas in captivity
- Incidents at SeaWorld parks