A SeaWorld Orlando trainer was injured while handling an orca in the park’s medical pool in September 2024. The injury (rumored to be a broken arm, but never confirmed by media) was serious enough to trigger an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. On March 21, OSHA issued a “serious citation” under the “General Duty Clause” of the Occupational Safety and Health Act—which requires employers to provide a safe working environment—and levied a $16,550 fine.
SeaWorld has chosen to contest the citation, notwithstanding the bruising hits it took to its reputation, finances, and business model following the death in 2010 of trainer Dawn Brancheau (a story recounted in the 2012 book Death at SeaWorld and the 2013 documentary Blackfish). However this latest injury-related citation is resolved, AWI firmly believes that close interactions with the ocean’s top predator can never be safe.