A heartbreaking incident shocked many when Spanish orca trainer Alexis Martinez, 28, was killed by the killer whale Keto during a Christmas show rehearsal on December 24, 2009. His tragic death came just two months before another orca attack took the life of trainer Dawn Brancheau. Martinez had expressed concerns about the whales’ behavior weeks before the attack. His partner, Estefanía Luis Rodriguez, recalled him saying they were becoming “disobedient, disruptive, and aggressive.” Keto, a 6,600lb male orca born in captivity in 1995, had never seen the ocean and was on loan from SeaWorld to Loro Parque.

During the rehearsal, Martinez attempted a stand-on spy hop maneuver when Keto leaned to one side, seemingly blocking him from the stage. Trainers tried to guide Martinez to another pool, but Keto refused to obey. Instead, he used his rostrum to push Martinez to the bottom, violently playing with his body. Though trainers eventually retrieved him, Martinez suffered severe injuries, including internal bleeding. The post-mortem confirmed he died from “grave injuries sustained by an orca attack, including multiple compression fractures and tears to vital organs.” Following the tragedy, SeaWorld temporarily suspended in-water interactions with whales at its parks.