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A video of a dolphin attacking its trainer and thrashing her in front of a Miami Seaquarium crowd has gone viral on social media.
In the clip, the trainer can be seen kneeling in shock after the incident while another person consoled her. Fortunately, no serious injuries were sustained as a result of the incident.
The incident occurred on April 9, just 10 minutes into a 30-minute show. Shannon Carpenter, a photographer, was at the show with his family and captured the moment, which went on to be uploaded on TikTok.
In the footage, the trainer appeared to be struggling to stay afloat. It seemed like she was being violently pushed forward in the water. She made her way out of the pool after disappearing below the water for a brief moment.
The aquatic mammal was not seen clearly, and it looked like it swam away.
Park officials released a statement clarifying that the dolphin named ‘Sundance’ was frightened after the trainer fell into the water, which resulted in the accident. The statement read:
“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 animal reacted by breaking away from the routine and striking the trainer.”
Reason behind the dolphin attacking the trainer explained
Dr. Jenna Wallace, a former veterinarian at the Miami Seaquarium, said that this was not an “accidental collision” but an act of “aggression.” She explained that the trainer must have been rammed by the animal's rostrum.
Wallace elaborated that this is not the first time the animal has attacked a trainer. She said in an interview with Local 10 News:
“I have been told by previous veterinarians and staff that this animal had rammed another trainer in the abdomen.”
Wallace added that when dolphins display aggressive behavior, there is often an underlying reason. She believes that the mismanagement of the animal sparked such behavior. She said:
“I’ve heard that the diets were significantly lowered, and the amount of interactions were increased. If that is the case, then that’s pretty concerning.”
Jared Goodman, the US General Counsel for Animal Law at PETA, urged the park to “end its exploitation." They told Newsweek:
“Time is up for the Miami Seaquarium, where long-suffering dolphins desperately need protection and workers are at risk. PETA urges this abusement park to end its exploitation of dolphins by getting them to sanctuaries as quickly as possible, so that they'd never be used in tawdry shows again and no one else would get hurt.”
The Miami Seaquarium is currently being investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture after being notified of animal welfare violations.
