odd post...sorry hurting at the moment

[Shadowdancer]

i am a diver...i also work at sea world in san diego...i love the ocean and i am hurting at the moment...my dream job since i was 6 years old has been to be a killer whale trainer...i never realized the love that the trainers have for the killer whales until i got a job at sea world...today we lost sumar who was only 12 years old...we still don't know why he died...i wanted so bad to be one of his trainers...trainer is the only term someone outside the park understands...he was my friend even though i am not a trainer...these are killer whales that are not hunted...these are killer whales that are loved...these are killer whales that are family...i am sorry that this is not a place to post something like this but i could think of no place else at the moment...i hurt...i hope someone undertsands

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Sorry to hear of such sad news. Some animals/fish do not do well in captivity. There can be many reasons why the animal died. Do you have any pics of you with Sumar to share? At least you have good memories of the time you got to spend with him.

Carolyn

[Tropicalwolf]

Take heart, he now swims endless, crystal clear seas.

[jhelmuth]

i am a diver...i also work at sea world in san diego...i love the ocean and i am hurting at the moment...my dream job since i was 6 years old has been to be a killer whale trainer...i never realized the love that the trainers have for the killer whales until i got a job at sea world...today we lost sumar who was only 12 years old...we still don't know why he died...i wanted so bad to be one of his trainers...trainer is the only term someone outside the park understands...he was my friend even though i am not a trainer...these are killer whales that are not hunted...these are killer whales that are loved...these are killer whales that are family...i am sorry that this is not a place to post something like this but i could think of no place else at the moment...i hurt...i hope someone undertsands

Sorry for the loss....


Maybe he died because there is just not enough room in the park for him to feel free and that life was no longer something worth living.

If you love something let it go...

[Garrobo]

Killer whales, like elephants, are large, dangerous and unpredictable animals which should be approached and treated with the utmost care. One mistake can end your life when dealing with them. Neither of them, in my opinion, should be kept in zoos, waterparks or anywhere beyond their natural environment. That also goes for a lot of other captured animals on display.

[EastTNDiver]

Killer whales, like elephants, are large, dangerous and unpredictable animals which should be approached and treated with the utmost care. One mistake can end your life when dealing with them. Neither of them, in my opinion, should be kept in zoos, waterparks or anywhere beyond their natural environment. That also goes for a lot of other captured animals on display.

I feel for the OP's pain, but wholeheartedly agree with this post. It saddens me to see such majestic creatures confined to such cramped quarters...land or sea.

[gypsyjim]

I will never forget the first time I saw Killer whales, in the wild. Not sure how old I was, but I was a kid, 6 maybe 7 or 8, and we were fishing from a 17' boat in Puget Sound.

3 Killer Whales surfaced very near us. I was startled and scared at first, but the man we were with calmed our fears, and we enjoyed a beautiful sight. What magnificant creatures to see in the wild, so close, so powerful, and so much in control of their lives. Such majestic freedom!

[PatW]

Killer whales, like elephants, are large, dangerous and unpredictable animals which should be approached and treated with the utmost care. One mistake can end your life when dealing with them. Neither of them, in my opinion, should be kept in zoos, waterparks or anywhere beyond their natural environment. That also goes for a lot of other captured animals on display.

Well, that is the case with any large, powerful animal. I have worked extensively with horses and some with cattle. When the outweigh you by 6X, they can hurt you without really meaning to. Working with large animals means you have to be aware, alert and ready to get out of the way at all times. Even then, you can get unlucky and be seriously injured. With horses it is easy to get stomped, bitten, kicked, and/or squashed.

The reason why big animals get the bad rap is not because they are more unpredictable then cats or minuture dogs, they aren't. It is just that even when the cat or a small dog. In my experience, these animals are far worse. It is just that they really can not cause you life threatening injuries.

[Tropicalwolf]

I don't want to bash the "free willy" crowd, but let's keep in mind that even large animals in captivity often lead FAR better lives than their "free" counterparts.

[Hatul]

i am a diver...i also work at sea world in san diego...i love the ocean and i am hurting at the moment...my dream job since i was 6 years old has been to be a killer whale trainer...i never realized the love that the trainers have for the killer whales until i got a job at sea world...today we lost sumar who was only 12 years old...we still don't know why he died...i wanted so bad to be one of his trainers...trainer is the only term someone outside the park understands...he was my friend even though i am not a trainer...these are killer whales that are not hunted...these are killer whales that are loved...these are killer whales that are family...i am sorry that this is not a place to post something like this but i could think of no place else at the moment...i hurt...i hope someone undertsands

Can I ask you how the whale came to be at Sea World?

Any chance he/she died because he did not want live in captivity?

Adam