Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity

David Kirby

Jul 2012 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

From the New York Times bestselling author of Evidence of Harm and Animal Factory—a groundbreaking scientific thriller that exposes the dark side of SeaWorld, America's most beloved marine mammal park

Death at SeaWorld centers on the battle with the multimillion-dollar marine park industry over the controversial and even lethal ramifications of keeping killer whales in captivity. Following the story of marine biologist and animal advocate at the Humane Society of the US, Naomi Rose, Kirby tells the gripping story of the two-decade fight against PR-savvy SeaWorld, which came to a head with the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Kirby puts that horrific animal-on-human attack in context. Brancheau's death was the most publicized among several brutal attacks that have occurred at Sea World and other marine mammal theme parks.

Death at SeaWorld introduces real people taking part in this debate, from former trainers turned animal rights activists to the men and women that champion SeaWorld and the captivity of whales. In section two the orcas act out. And as the story progresses and orca attacks on trainers become increasingly violent, the warnings of Naomi Rose and other scientists fall on deaf ears, only to be realized with the death of Dawn Brancheau. Finally he covers the media backlash, the eyewitnesses who come forward to challenge SeaWorld's glossy image, and the groundbreaking OSHA case that
challenges the very idea of keeping killer whales in captivity and may spell the end of having trainers in the water with the ocean's top predators.

Ratings and reviews

Take a dive into the world of SeaWorld and the plight of the captive display industry. You won't believe what you read. You won't be disappointed. David Kirby, an award winning journalist, pens an eye opening look into the tragic death of long time killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau who lost her life in 2010 from an incident with a whale named Tilikum. By exploring the nefarious history of SeaWorld's experimental orca entertainment shows, the reader will better understand the reasons why we can no longer allow these parks to hold these intellegent, self-aware beings for our own enjoyment. Highly recommended.

THE story of captivity, seaworld, tilikum, other orcas, politics, researchers, trainers, campaigners, all get thier say. If you care about whales or want to visit seaworld you MUST read this book!

I loved this book. If you have seen Blackfish, then you will probably love this book. People need to open their eyes to what is really going on in our world and to the creatures we should be taking care of.

About the author

DAVID KIRBY is the author of Evidence of Harm, which was a New York Times bestseller, winner of the 2005 Investigative Reporters and Editors award for best book, and a finalist for the New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism, and Animal Factory, an acclaimed investigation into the environmental impact of factory farms. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.