Let Trainers in the Water with Shamu!

It's been two years since Dawn Brancheau was killed by Shamu, SeaWorlds most popular attraction.  The rumors of the cause of Shamu's aggression spread like wildfire.  Some say that he had been overly aggressive that morning, and they never should have put him in the show.  Others say he was playful and thought his trainer's pony-tail was a toy.  The truth is, we will never know what happened between the Orca and his trainer under the water before he gripped her by the hair.  We, the public, only know what we are told - and what has happened since Brancheau's tragic death.  

I went to SeaWorld last year and was surprised when none of the Orca trainers got in the water with the animals.  Shamu's show, which used to be SeaWorlds claim to fame, was really quite lame.  The trainers spent more time clapping their hands, dancing, and trying to get the audience involved than working with the animals.  I then found out that the trainers are no longer able to interact with the whales in the water due to Brancheau's death and the ongoing lawsuit her family has against SeaWorld.

This is completely ridiculous.  SeaWorld has less than two openings for Orca trainers per year with thousands of applicants.  From this, it's safe to determine that it's one of the most difficult jobs to get.  These trainers don't spend their entire career working toward this goal without realizing they could die in the same way Brancheau did.  This is the same with those entering the military or police force.  Death is a possibility.  You simply don't enter a dangerous field without accepting this reality.  

I realize that SeaWorld is trying to cover their "behind" and help prevent future instances like Brancheau's.  However, it's unfair to strip what other trainers have worked their life for.  Interacting with whales in the water are what these trainer live to do.  In a field as competitive as Marine Mammal Training, the sacrifices can be extreme and the dedication they must have to the field and animals is unimaginable.  These trainers deserve to do what they have worked incredibly hard to accomplish.  Dawn Brancheau knew exactly what the dangers of her job were, and willingly went to work every day.  Being killed by a whale is a reality in her job field.  Don't make all the other trainers pay for an unfortunate reality of the job.