London - Life in captivity can turn killer whales aggressive, driving them to attack humans, a film claims.
It says orcas who perform for theme park audiences are traumatised and “turned into killers”.
The documentary, called Blackfish, follows the case of a 12 000lb whale named Tilikum which dragged trainer Dawn Brancheau to her death at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, in 2010.
The 40-year-old was pulled down by her ponytail as she bent to stroke the whale in front of horrified tourists.
SeaWorld, which has called the film’s claims “unfounded”, was fined, but Tilikum continued to perform – despite having killed two people in the past.
The orca, captured in 1983, had been kept in a small dark tank for up to 14 hours at a time, the film claims. - Daily Mail