Hundreds of customers packed into Shamu arena on Saturday for the return of SeaWorld Orlando’s “Believe” exhibit, 3 days after a killer dragged in a experienced fauna teacher aquatic to her death.
Despite a morning drizzle, visitors stood in line for 2 hours beginning at nine a.m. to see the 1st performance. The exhibit featured a tribute to Dawn Brancheau, who drowned Wed afterward the orca Tilikum yanked her by her ponytail and pulled her subaquatic.
Billy Grady and his family tree, tourists from Georgia, returned to the park to see the demo after them was called off Friday. The father of 3 said he was went by the tribute, which let in photographs of Brancheau hugging and swim with killer whales.
“It brought tears to my eyes. She died doing what she loved,” Grady, thirty-three, said.
The 6-ton Tilikum didn’t do. At that house was no spectacular lifting of trainers out of the water during the demo. And at that house was a noticeably larger count of SeaWorld employees on hand watching each detail of the action.
None of the female person trainers wore ponytails; all had their hair tied in buns.
Park officials accept said trainers and killer whales will not be in the water together until park staffers and local officials end investigating the circumstances of Brancheau’s death.
Trainers educated the orcas applying hand indicates to leap, twirl and wave to the consultation, while providing plenty of huge splashes for the audience, which had been Tilikum’s primary duty. At the conclusion, the audience rose to give the 18 trainers a standing ovation.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, known as PETA, sponsored a protest at the main gate of the park.