There are still many questions in the face of obvious natural behavior by this Orca. Those behaviors are noted in the wild when two Orcas are noted tossing a sea lion pup between them only to abandon it to its mother on the beach.
No trainer should ever be so sure the animal, whom's natural instincts they draw on to facilitate communication, is ever so removed from their instincts to feel they are safe from them.
Sea World has job to do and policies to review. Their trainers are very dedicated in order to 'stay in tune' with the animals they work with for the public to come to interact. It is that 'dedication' that placed Dawn at risk today. The 'bonding' is important, but, when she recognized an aggitated behavior by the Orca, it should have been a warning and NOT a call to action to try and calm him. With aggitiation, he should have been removed to a holding area and sedated until better behaviors were noted.
