by David Kirby

Editor’s note: On Feb. 24, 2010, a SeaWorld Orlando orca named Tilikum killed his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in a shockingly violent display of aggression witnessed by park visitors—his third fatal victim in 27 years of captivity. The tragedy dredged to the surface age-old questions about the wisdom and morality of holding intelligent, socially complex, self-aware animals in small tanks to perform tricks in front of an audience. In his book Death at SeaWorld, author David Kirby exposes the risky business of keeping killer whales in captivity. The edited excerpt that follows examines the inner lives of SeaWorld’s orcas and the backstage doubts experienced by four trainers who worked at the Orlando location.

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Review: Death at SeaWorld exposes the lethal legacy of orca captivity