SeaWorld’s Largest Orca Had Been Involved in 2 Deaths. Then He Killed One of Its Top Trainers.

"Tilikum, SeaWorld’s 12,000-pound star orca, had already been involved in two marine-park deaths before trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed in 2010. The incident exposed longstanding warnings about the risks of working with captive killer whales. Published: Oct 15, 2026 This story is part of our 2026 Spooky Reads, a fall collection of our eeriest, most haunting and most bone-chilling stories. This story was originally published in 2010. Read the whole collection here. To work closely with a killer"