a killer whale did what? killed?!

i just read this story: "killer whale kills seaworld trainer in front of shocked audience".

there aren't very many details yet about what actually happened, but right now a whale at sea world killed its trainer. maybe it killed her during a show, maybe not.

i am not a fan of the killer whale. anyone who knows me knows that i would rather get in a tank of sharks than a tank with one killer whale. the thought of a killer whale swimming with me in the ocean-- a huge fanged shadow--is terrifying.

that being said, i also respect these creatures. killer whales are ruthless and intelligent. they are extremely large carnivorous mammals and so, i think, deserve some props once in awhile.

this is why i'm going to go out on a limb and say what everyone is thinking: that trainer? she deserved it.

i'm sure she was a nice enough lady, and i feel bad for her family's loss, but sea worlds and the training of whales and dolphins cannot be condoned in any way.

now, if you're all like 'im going swimming in the ocean' and maybe you don't know that in the water you look like a seal and you get attacked by a killer whale, i'd feel sorry for you.

if you are someone who has dedicated their lives to forcing whales to do menial and denigrating "tricks" in tiny little pools for the enjoyment of people, while knowing full well what their nature makes them capable of, then you getting into that pool with them is just stupid and disrespectful.

and let's not pretend that sea world is some kind of haven for animals either. we all know that sea worlds treat their animals like shit. they don't have enough room to move around, they have to perform on a schedule, and the noise from the crowd and the filtration systems of the pool drive them crazy.

there is nothing sadder than seeing a killer whale in a tank, its fin drooping over because it has no freedom.

but besides all animals having the right to be free of captivity i seriously do not understand the logic behind captive killer whales.

have you seen that blue planet series? killer whales are so strategic it's scary. in one episode the crew follows a pod of killer whales who are stalking a mother grey whale and her baby. for FIVE HOURS. the killer whales stop calling to one another(which they do constantly) so that they don't tip the grey whales off. over the course of that five hours they systematically tire out the baby whale so that it can't swim on its own and separate him from his mother. they torture him, drown him, and then simply eat his jaw and swim away.

a killer whale isn't just an animal that you see and decide would be nice to keep awhile. you don't look at a killer whale and think "i can ride on that whale's head!!" those motherfuckers are dangerous!! it isn't a pygmy marmoset and it has the ability to seriously, seriously mess you up.

so, while it may be harsh, i just don't think that anyone should be shocked when a trainer's life is taken by an animal they force into servitude. they chose their profession and while they might like to trick themselves that the animals they ride on love them and enjoy performing it just isn't true and when the whales have had enough... well, then i guess you better get out of the tank yo.