Alexis Martinez, a 28-year-old orca trainer at Loro Parque in the Canary Islands, was tragically killed by a 6,600lb killer whale named Keto during a Christmas show rehearsal on December 24, 2009.
Martinez, who had voiced concerns about the whales’ increasingly aggressive behavior, was performing a routine stunt when Keto unexpectedly blocked his path and dragged him underwater. Despite trainers’ attempts to intervene, the whale violently pushed Martinez to the bottom of the pool.
Martinez suffered fatal injuries, including internal bleeding, organ damage, and bite marks. His partner, Estefanía Luis Rodriguez, later revealed that he had noticed the whales becoming more disruptive in the weeks before the attack.
Keto, born in captivity and loaned from SeaWorld, had never experienced the ocean. Martinez’s death occurred just two months before a similar fatal orca attack on trainer Dawn Brancheau. In response, SeaWorld suspended all in-water interactions with orcas across its parks.
