The attack by dolphin surprised the trainer. (Representative Photo)
In a horrifying incident, a dolphin turned on its trainer and thrashed her in front of a gasping crowd at the Miami Seaquarium. A video of the incident, which took place on Saturday, is gaining traction on Twitter and has also been shared by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA. It shows the dolphin going rogue and diverting from its choreography to attack one of its trainers - violently pushing her several times as the trainer tries to move away.
According to New York Post, the clip was originally filmed by photographer Shannon Carpenter, who was attending the show. The video shows the dolphin lunging at the trainer swimming in the water. The trainer, on the other hand, can be seen frantically swimming for the edge of the pool and hoisting herself out. Seconds into the clip, two other performers, one on a surfboard, are then seen coming to check on the trainer, who was later transported away from the sprawling oceanarium by ambulance.
Watch the clip below:
As per the Post, the trainer did not receive any serious injuries. In a statement, park officials said that the dolphin, named ‘Sundance', became spooked after running into the trainer. "This was an uncomfortable interaction for both of them and the dolphin reacted by breaking away from the routine and striking the trainer," the statement added.
Now, the incident has raised questions about the ethics of keeping dolphins in captivity and making them perform for audiences at facilities like the one in Miami. The Dolphin Project, a non-profit organisation for dolphins, also stated that the incident has highlighted the fact that dolphins and other whales do not belong in captivity. It added that keeping dolphins in captivity poses “inherent risks” for both dolphins and their trainers.
Meanwhile, it is to mention that this is not the first time that the Miami Seaquarium has been under scrutiny. According to The Independent, the facility ran afoul of the US Department of Agriculture when government officials found several animal welfare violations at the oceanarium during an inspection last year. PETA has also sued the facility claiming that Lolita, a 56-year-old orca whale, lives in the “smallest orca tank in the world” and has been unable to dive or swim any meaningful distance.