the buzz log
Trainer's Death Sparks Searches
The horrifying accident at Orlando's SeaWorld, in which a veteran trainer was killed by a whale, has sparked a tremendous amount of interest on the Web. As the immediate shock of the accident begins to wear off, folks have sought out more facts on the accident. How did it happen? And was this the first time this particular whale took a human life?
More on the whale
According to an article from the AP, the whale's name is Tilikum, and he has a "violent history." In fact, the whale was "typically kept isolated from SeaWorld's other killer whales." Additionally, trainers were not permitted to get in the tank with Tilikum.
A blog from KIRO explains that Tilikum has killed before. "In 1991, a trainer at Sealand slipped into a pool with the 5-ton Orca named Tillikum (sic) and two other whales. She was batted around by the whales until she drowned."
In 1999, Tilikum, the largest Orca in captivity, was involved in another death. A 27-year-old man hid in the SeaWorld park, and, "after it closed, tried to go swimming with the whales." Clearly an ill-advised move, and one that cost the man his life.
And the trainer
Dawn Brancheau, the late trainer, was a 40-year-old veteran who had worked at SeaWorld for some time. A popular article from Yahoo! explains that working at SeaWorld was her dream job, and one that she had strived for since she was a little girl.
The details of the accident are both scant and disturbing. Apparently the whale grabbed Ms. Brancheau by her ponytail and dragged her into the tank. By the time help arrived, the trainer had drowned.
Celebrity zookeeper and animal lover Jack Hanna knew Ms. Brancheau personally. Hanna believes that the late Brancheau wouldn't want anything to happen to the whale.
Search impact
The shocking death has led to a tremendous number of Web searches. Online lookups for "seaworld death," "whale kills trainer," and "killer whale" all surged over 2,000% overnight.
SeaWorld's response, posted on its blog, has also garnered a large following in Search. Queries on "seaworld statement" surged from zip into breakout status. According to the blog, the animal park has "initiated an investigation" into the trainer's death.