SeaWorld is coming under fire after a disturbing video surfaced of a pilot whale struggling to return to the water while no staff responded to help. INSIDE EDITION has the details.
A disturbing video of a young pilot whale struggling to get back into the water as a SeaWorld audience screamed for help. They're upset because no one from SeaWorld came to the animal's aid even though it was stuck for 25 minutes.
Another pilot whale even tries to push the distressed companion back into the pool without success. Pilot whales are actually considered members of the dolphin family. There was no trainer anywhere in sight.
INSIDE EDITION’s Paul Boyd spoke to Carlo DeLeonibus and his daughter Catiana. He shot the video at SeaWorld in Orlando where she was celebrating her 11th birthday.
Boyd asked, "What were you feeling as you saw this happening?"
Carlo said, "I just couldn't believe it. I always looked at SeaWorld as an organization that would help and rescue animals."
The pilot whale got stuck after the show was postponed because of a lightning storm. All the SeaWorld trainers had left the stage for safety.
Catiana said, "I don't know why they wouldn't help it."
An announcer can be heard in the video trying to reassure the audience that the pilot whale is ok. The announcer said, "They can get back in the pool. They do slide up on their own and they will."
The shocked dad and daughter say it was 25 minutes before two trainers finally pushed the floundering animal back into the water.
SeaWorld is already under fire in the controversial new documentary Blackfish for the way orca whales are trained in captivity.
Former SeaWorld senior trainer John Hargrove, who appears in the movie, is now speaking out about the pilot whale video.
He told CNN that SeaWorld trainers should have responded faster. He said, "The animal is definitely in distress. Because of that, the trainers should make every move they can to get that animal back in the water as fast as they can.”
A SeaWorld spokesman said: "The pilot whales come out on the ledge all the time and always get back into the deeper water without any problem. The animals seem to enjoy it and it has no effect on their health or wellbeing. The whale was never in danger."
But this 11-year-old is heartbroken by what she saw. She said, "I feel like I never want to go back."
