Free Republic

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A SeaWorld Orlando trainer attacked by a killer whale died of drowning and blunt-force trauma to her head, neck and torso, an autopsy released Wednesday showed. The report by the Medical Examiner's Office ruled Dawn Brancheau's official cause of death as drowning and traumatic injuries. Her death was ruled an accident, and toxicology tests found no drugs in her system.

ORLANDO--There are new doubts that SeaWorld will let the whale that killed a trainer perform again. These concerns come to light as the theme park works with Dawn Brancheau's family to seal surveillance video of the incident and tries to cope with outside pressures demanding the whales be released. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known as PETA, flew a banner over the park Tuesday with the message: "Let the whales and dolphins out of prison."

ORLANDO, Fla. — It is billed as a leisurely boat tour. The shark surfaces, its fin slicing through the water. The boat's captain, armed with a grenade launcher, blasts away at the bloodthirsty monster. Nearby gas lines explode and a column of fire erupts into the blue sky. We feel the heat from the flames, hear the shark's body churning in the water. A child hides her face in the crook of her mother's arm and whimpers as chilly water sprays everyone on the boat. Of course, it isn't real. It's the "Jaws" ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, an...

Amateur footage captures trainer Dawn Brancheau performing tricks with a killer whale minutes before it attacked and killed her at SeaWorld in Florida. Dawn Brancheau, 40, died after the orca known as Tilikum grabbed her from a poolside platform and dragged her underwater.

This was a question asked of the CNN audience by Wolf Blitzer Thursday afternoon--the day after an experienced trainer, 40 year old Dawn Brancheau, was killed in a tragic accident by an orca whale at the Orlando SeaWorld Park. The response to the polling question, “should animals be used for human entertainment”--was answered predominately “no.” One person wrote of how he was mesmerized by a show at the aquarium, when he was a small boy. Then later, as an adult, he saw a similar show, with dolphins and whales and he felt physically ill for the animals and the life...

Miami Sequarium Curator Says Relationships with Orcas Are Built Over Years, Countless Hours of Interaction, Play. In the wake of the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, killed by a whale named Tilikum at SeaWorld Wednesday, Robert Rose, curator at the Miami Seaquarium, said on "The Early Show" Friday he has no fear of the killer whales in his care. He said his relationship with the whales at the Seaquarium has been built over years through countless hours of interaction and play. "They're part of our family. We care very deeply about these animals," he said. "We really love and enjoy...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The former boss of a trainer drowned by a killer whale in Orlando says he believes the attack was triggered by the trainer's mistake. Thad Lacinak (lah-CIN'-ick), a former head trainer at SeaWorld, told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday that he has seen video of the moments preceding the fatal attack Wednesday. He said he believes trainer Dawn Brancheau (bran-CHOH') made a mistake by letting her ponytail drift in the water in front of the killer whale. Lacinak says the killer whale grabbed the ponytail in his mouth and pulled her in the water. Lacinak...