Every year, people from around the world enjoy going to the theme parks, particularly those that involve some type of live animal shows. It is always interesting to watch and although there are many opinions on the subject, it is always entertaining.
That wasn’t necessarily the case, however, at the Miami Seaquarium recently. The New York Post reports that the Marine trainer was attacked by a dolphin after they ‘broke away from routine’ and rammed one of the workers.
A member of the audience, Shannon Carpenter captured the footage and uploaded it to social media. She said that one trainer was further away from the video and kept getting hit by the dolphin or perhaps pulled down by the dolphin.
Carpenter added: “The kids were cheering and thinking this was neat… You could tell the adults knew something was wrong.”
It was further reported on by CBS news, saying that it took place during the Flipper Dolphin Show. After the investigation by the park into the show, they learned that the trainer had accidentally scratched Sundance the dolphin and the dolphin got upset about it.
The trainer was eventually able to make it out of the water and was taken by ambulance to a hospital but did not have serious injuries. It all happened in front of a crowd during the show and you can see the trainer trying to stay on top of the water while the dolphin, Sundance, dragged her under.
A local Miami news station released the following statement:
A dolphin and trainer accidentally collided in the water on Saturday while performing a routine behavior as part of the Flipper Show.
This was an uncomfortable interaction for both of them and the dolphin reacted by breaking away from the routine and striking the trainer.
As a precaution, Miami-Dade County safety authorities were contacted. Our family extends to include the animals in our care, our team members and our guests. While there is no apparent serious injury, a careful watch and follow-up evaluations will ensure the best care for all.
PETA released a statement of its own, coming down hard on the park for its activities and for employing workers who are at risk.
They said: “PETA urges this abusement park to end its exploitation of dolphins by getting them into sanctuaries as quickly as possible, where they’d never be used in tawdry shows again and no-one else will get hurt.”
@scphoto_ky A dolphin trainer was just attacked by Flipper. Police just arrived. 🙁 #dolphinattack #miami #seaquarium
Sources: Local10 News, CBS News, New York Post