ORLANDO, Fla. – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined SeaWorld Orlando after an employee at SeaWorld’s Orlando theme park sustained injuries during a training exercise involving a killer whale.
The incident happened in September 2024 and the U.S. Department of Labor announced the citation on Friday, according to a news release.
Following the incident, the Department of Labor launched an investigation that revealed the trainer was not adequately protected from potential hazards while working with the whale.
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OSHA conducted the investigation and issued a citation under the general duty clause.
The citation highlighted that “animal trainers were exposed to the hazard of close contact with a killer whale during desensitization training,” posing risks of bites, being struck and drowning.
As a result, OSHA proposed a fine of $16,550.
The department’s statement said SeaWorld has 15 business days from the receipt of the citations and penalties to either comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
SeaWorld has been the subject of several safety concerns in recent years. One of the most notable incidents involving a whale trainer came in 2010 when Dawn Brancheau was drowned by a killer whale during a performance at SeaWorld Orlando.
That incident led to major safety changes, including a rule that trainers could no longer be in the water with the whales during shows.
According to OSHA inspection reports, SeaWorld Orlando has received seven safety complaints since July 2017.
