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In a tragic incident on December 24, 2009, Spanish orca trainer Alexis Martínez was killed during a rehearsal at Loro Parque’s Orca Ocean in the Canary Islands. Martínez, 28, had expressed concerns about the orcas’ increasing aggression weeks before the attack.
During a performance, the orca named Keto, who had been loaned from SeaWorld, unexpectedly turned on Martínez. He was forcefully dragged underwater and suffered severe internal injuries, including multiple compression fractures and organ tears, leading to his death.
The incident prompted SeaWorld to temporarily halt in-water interactions with orcas at several parks. Martínez’s death, along with the 2010 fatality of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau, ignited global debates over the ethics of keeping orcas in captivity. These events highlighted the risks faced by trainers and the complex behaviors of captive orcas.
