Marine biologists have estimated the lifespan of male prcas to be between 50-70 years. And, despite sometimes being referred to as "Killer Whales," there is virtually no data reporting attacks on humans by orcas in the wild. So why is it that Tilikum, once SeaWorld's most infamous living attraction--notorious for having killed three trainers in his life, has just died prematurely at the age of 36? It's difficult to deny a correlation between Tilikum's violent outburts, and his death, with his having been held in captivity for the majority of his life. After his capture at approximately two years old Tilikum was first held in a small cement tank in Iceland, near where he was caught, until being transferred to Sealand of the Pacific in Canada where his tank was just 100 by 50 feet in diameter and only 35 feet deep. Already more than 13 feet himself, such conditions were not nearly enough room for an animal used to swimming a hundred miles a day. It was at that facility where trainer Keltie Byrne was killed by Tilikum as a result of his massive stress and confinement. Sealand, which shut down after the incident, sold Tilikum to SeaWorld where he eventually killed two more trainers. After the death of the third trainer in 2010, Tilikum was confined to a tank so small he was hardly able to turn around where he spent most of his days just floating--a behavior unseen in the wild orcas. In 2011, Tilikum resumed performances.
In addition to the stress of being forced to train and perform as well as being held in tiny, unnatural habitats, Tilikum and others were often kept in close quarters with incompatible orcas. Being highly social animals, orcas rely on tight-knit pod structures for healthy psychological development. With nowhere to flee from incompatible orcas or from human trainers, the amount of stress and anxiety placed on Tilikum and others like him is immense and has led repeatedly to premature death.
Despite numerous attempts to quell public backlash, SeaWorld has faced a continual downward trend in their sales since the release of Blackfish, a gruesome exposé documentary starring Tilikum. Since Tilikum's death, another wave of public interest has risen, especially on social media.
All in all, what we should take away from Tilikum's death is this: we share this planet. While humans may not think ourselves to be animals we very much are. It's imperative that we respect the earth and those we share it with.
