Alexis Martinez, a Spanish animal trainer, worked with orcas at Loro Parque’s Orca Ocean in the Canary Islands. He loved his job and spent years training these magnificent creatures, but on December 24, 2009, his life tragically came to an end during a Christmas performance practice.
Just two months before the famous incident at SeaWorld that led to the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, Alexis was killed by one of the orcas. At first, the park said his death was an accident, but when the autopsy report came out, it revealed something shocking. Alexis hadn’t just died by accident – he had been brutally attacked by one of the orcas, suffering lethal injuries.
The park had also claimed that a similar attack two years earlier was just an accident, but this new information painted a much darker picture.
Keto and Alexis Martinez
At just 29 years old, Alexis Martinez had already worked with orcas for three years. He was loved by his colleagues and described by his partner, Estefanía Luis Rodriguez, as “handsome, generous, and funny.” But, as time passed, Alexis started voicing his concerns about working with the orcas.
He noticed they were becoming increasingly violent, disruptive, and difficult to manage in the weeks leading up to his death. Despite these concerns, the park initially said that his death was a tragic accident and claimed there were no signs of violence on his body. But the autopsy told a different story – it revealed torn organs, a crushed chest, and deep bite marks from the orca’s attack.
One of the key players in this tragedy was Keto, a 6,600-pound male orca born in 1995 at a SeaWorld park. Keto had never seen the ocean and had performed at various parks across the world, including in Texas, San Diego, Ohio, and the Canary Islands.
At the time of the incident, he had been at Orca Ocean for three years, performing alongside three other orcas that had been loaned to Loro Parque from SeaWorld.
The Fateful Training Session
The day of Alexis’s death began like any other. He was helping to train the orcas for an upcoming Christmas performance. One of the tricks he was teaching was a stand-on spy hop, where the trainer balances on the orca as it emerges from the water. However, when Keto leaned to one side, Alexis lost his balance and slipped into the water.
The move didn’t go as planned, and Alexis gave Keto no reward, following the training protocol. Keto soon worked with another trainer and was rewarded with fish.
Alexis then tried another trick where he would ride the orca into the pool, but Keto went too far, forcing Alexis to swim back on his own. But something strange happened next – Keto appeared to block his path. At that moment, another trainer distracted Keto, and Alexis was told to swim carefully to a different pool.
But in a sudden, terrifying turn of events, Keto turned on Alexis. The orca crashed into him, submerging him underwater and playing roughly with his body. Other trainers quickly called Keto into another pool, but by the time they were able to reach Alexis, it was too late. He had been fatally injured.
Sadly, Alexis passed away just months before another tragic incident at SeaWorld, when trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by another orca in a similar attack.
The Previous Attack at Loro Parque
This wasn’t the first time an orca had attacked a trainer at Loro Parque. In 2007, Claudia Vollhardt, a 29-year-old German trainer, was hospitalized after being attacked by an orca named Tekoa. Claudia was practicing a trick where Tekoa would use its snout to push her feet as they swam together.
But instead of following the trick, Tekoa suddenly struck Claudia from below, grabbing her arm in its jaws and dragging her under the water several times. Fortunately, the orca eventually released her, but the Loro Parque spokesperson at the time referred to the incident as an accident, saying, “The whale did not bite her.” Had it not been for the orca releasing her, Claudia would have lost her arm.
The Debate Around SeaWorld and Orca Captivity
Since the release of the documentary Blackfish in 2013, marine parks like SeaWorld have come under fire for their treatment of orcas and other marine animals. Orcas in captivity have higher mortality rates compared to those in the wild, and instead of swimming freely across vast oceans, these intelligent creatures are confined to small tanks.
Many orcas are separated from their families, which is unnatural, as orcas are known to live in close-knit family groups their entire lives.
An organization called the Whale Sanctuary Project has been working on creating large coastal sanctuaries where rescued orcas and other cetaceans can live in a more natural environment. These sanctuaries would allow the animals to enjoy the freedom they were denied in captivity, all while still being cared for by humans.
As for Keto, who was involved in Alexis’s tragic death, the world wonders about his future. Would a sanctuary offer him a better life, free from the stresses of performing in front of large crowds? Many hope so.
What do you think about this heartbreaking story? How do you feel about the treatment of orcas in captivity? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
