SeaWorld trainer breaks wrist after orca closed mouth on arm, docs say
By Katie Sivco
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ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — A SeaWorld Orlando trainer went to the hospital after being injured by an orca last year, according to a document from OSHA.
The document says that on June 13, 2022, at 1:30 p.m., a trainer was cleaning debris from the orca’s mouth at the Orlando theme park’s killer whale bath pool. The orca then “gently and briefly closed its mouth on a trainer’s arm while the trainer was working to clean its mouth,” a company spokesperson said.
The trainer was immediately treated, SeaWorld says. However, the employee suffered a fractured wrist and went to the hospital, the OSHA document states.
SeaWorld claims the trainer has since recovered. According to SeaWorld, OSHA investigated and found no negligence or violations.
“We have extensive training and procedures in place that focus on maximizing safety for our animals and employees, including interactions between trainers and the animals in our care,” a SeaWorld spokesperson said.
SeaWorld has been the subject of controversy before. Tilikum pulled SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau into the water in 2010, killing her after a show at the theme park. In the wake of Brancheau’s death, SeaWorld removed trainers from the water and implemented new safety procedures.
Tilikum was profiled in the documentary “Blackfish,” which helped sway popular opinion against keeping killer whales in captivity at SeaWorld parks.
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