Crocodiles never intentionally kill people

The news that an eel, also known as a killer whale, killing a trainer in the United States, has not changed the fact that this giant predator does not have a habit of killing at sea.

Killer whales.Photos: noaa.gov.

"They have never killed in a natural environment. Unlike sharks, killer whales rarely appear in near-shore areas, where people often swim," said Nancy Black, a marine biologist of Monterey Bay Whale Watch - the company that organizes whale watching tours on Monterey Bay in the US - speaks to Livescience.

According to scientists, the majority of sharks that attack people are just accidental. In those cases sharks mistakenly think that people are seals or some kind of food.

Black said that the killer whale at SeaWorld Park was not intended to kill the coach Dawn Brancheau.

"I just thought killer whales wanted to express their intimacy with the victim, but it accidentally kept her in the water for too long. Perhaps the whale considered it a joke , " Black commented.

Killer whales do not have to rise to the surface to get the air like people. According to Black, perhaps that is why the killer whale in SeaWorld park thinks that Brancheau is capable of breathing like it should have soaked her for too long.

Livescience said, killer whales ( Orcinus orca ) are extremely intelligent and hyperactive animals. They often play juggling with kelp and sea seals. Although killer whales in the SeaWorld park perform with stuffed animals, they are still wild animals.

According to the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with a maximum body length of nearly 10 m and an average weight of 8,160 kg, killer whales are one of the largest animals in the ocean. Due to such a large size, killer whales have very few enemies. Usually only big sharks dare to attack them.

The American Marine Biological Conservation Association insists that killer whales only appear aggressive in the face of other whales, not humans. Many sailors once witnessed killer whales attacking other whales. Not all killer whales eat marine mammals. The people living in Norway prefer fish, and the ones in the northeast Pacific eat mammal marine animals such as dolphins, sea lions and seals.

Yesterday, the 40-year-old female coach Dawn Brancheau died after being dragged down by a killer whale at SeaWorld Park. When the pain struck, Brancheau was massaging the 6-ton fish after the noon show. Chuck Tompkins, the head of SeaWorld's animal training division, said it was not clear whether she died of suffocation or impact. Brancheau is one of the most seasoned trainers in this entertainment area.