Tilikum measures 22.5 feet (6.9 m) long and weighs 12,000 pounds (5,400 kg).[4] His pectoral fins are 7 feet (2.1 m) long, his fluke curls under, and his 6.5 foot (2.0 m)-tall dorsal fin is collapsed completely to his left side. He is the largest orca in captivity. Tilikum's vocals are higher than other male orcas his size.[citation needed]
SeaLand of the Pacific
Tilikum was first owned by SeaLand of the Pacific, now closed, in South Oak Bay, British Columbia, near the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, Canada. There, he lived with two older female orcas named Haida II and Nootka IV. Tilikum was at the bottom of the social structure, and Haida II and Nootka IV behaved aggressively towards him, including forcing him into a smaller medical pool where trainers kept him for protection.[5]
First death
On February 20, 1991, Keltie Byrne, a 20-year-old marine biology student and competitive swimmer, slipped into the pool containing Tilikum, Haida II and Nootka IV while working as a part-time SeaLand trainer. The three orcas submerged her, dragging her around the pool and preventing her from surfacing.[5] At one point she reached the side and tried to climb out but, as horrified visitors watched from the sidelines, the orcas pulled her screaming back into the pool. Other trainers responded to her screams, throwing her a life-ring, but the orcas kept her away from it. She surfaced three times screaming before drowning, and it was several hours before her body could be recovered from the pool.[6][7] Both females were pregnant at the time, which was not known to the trainers.[8][9][10]
Tilikum was moved to SeaWorld Orlando, Florida on January 9, 1992.[11] SeaLand of the Pacific closed soon afterward.[12]
Second death
On July 7, 1999, a 27-year-old man named Daniel P. Dukes was found dead and naked, draped over Tilikum's back.[13] Dukes had visited SeaWorld the previous day, stayed after the park closed, and evaded security to enter the orca tank. An autopsy found numerous wounds, contusions, and abrasions covering his body,[14] concluding that Dukes died from drowning. The medical examiner reports that no drugs or alcohol were found in Dukes' system.[15][16][17][14]
Third death
On February 24, 2010, Tilikum was involved in a third incident when he killed Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer.[18][19] Brancheau was killed following a "Dine with Shamu" show. The veteran trainer was rubbing Tilikum as part of a post-show routine when the whale grabbed her and pulled her into the water.[20] At least a dozen patrons witnessed Brancheau in the water with Tilikum. Employees used nets and threw food at Tilikum in an attempt to distract him.[15]
Moving from pool to pool in the complex, they eventually directed Tilikum to a smaller, medical pool, where it would be easier to calm him. He subsequently released Brancheau's body. A SeaWorld executive, witnesses and video footage from right before the attack confirm that Brancheau was lying with her face next to Tilikum's on a slide-out (a platform submerged about a foot into water). SeaWorld claimed that the trainer was pulled into the water by her ponytail and that it may have got caught in Tilikum's teeth, stating further that the trainer's hair may have also been confused for a toy or a fish because Brancheau had been holding a fish previously and may have touched her hair afterwards, leaving the scent.[21] However, witnesses to the incident stated that the trainer was pulled into the water by her arm.[15][22]
Brancheau's autopsy indicated death by drowning and blunt force trauma. The autopsy noted that her spinal cord was severed and she had sustained fractures to her jawbone, ribs, and a cervical vertebra. Her scalp was completely torn off from her head and her left arm had been severed below the shoulder.[23]
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".[24] Although Brancheau's widower, Scott Brancheau, hired a Chicago law firm that specializes in wrongful-death litigation, he has not taken any legal action against SeaWorld.[25]
Return to performing
Tilikum returned to performing on March 30, 2011. High pressure water 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. He has been paired with his grandson Trua, and can often be seen performing alongside him during the finale of the new "One Ocean" Show. He has on occasion been kept with his daughter Malia, or both Trua and Malia at the same time.[26] In December 2011, he was put on hiatus from the shows following an undisclosed illness. He resumed performing at SeaWorld Orlando in April 2012.[27]
