Chapter 7 of 8 · 3'16"
On the surface this is a news item about a man found dead on Tilikum. Underneath, speakers question the public relations version and then answer why the whale stayed: "And that is that his semen is worth a lot of money."
❝ Monologue · 5 lines Questioning the Dukes Story
❝ Monologue · 4 lines Why SeaWorld Kept Tilikum
A news report identifies Daniel Dukes, found draped over Tilikum at SeaWorld. Speakers know only the public relations version: he snuck in after hours, stripped, sought a magical experience, and drowned from hypothermia. They doubt that cameras and the night watch missed a body. Asked why the whale stayed, the answer is that his semen is worth a lot of money, and that he operates as a sperm bank.
The public relations version: a young man snuck into SeaWorld, stayed after hours, stripped, wanted "a magical experience with an orca," and drowned because he "became hypothermic." Speakers call that a "Perfect story line" and admit "none of us were there to know the difference." Cameras point "every which way," underwater too, and a night watch trainer works every night, yet "nobody knew until the morning that there was a body in there." One account has Tilikum "parading him around the back pool." Reports were "more graphic than that," bites could be "post-death or pre-death"; the speaker does not know. Only that the man "jumped in the wrong pool." The reason to keep the whale is "his semen is worth a lot of money." He is "operating as a sperm bank," and 54 percent of the whales "have Tilikum's genes." A pit bull that had killed "would have likely been put down." Rule number one: do not breed an animal with "a history of aggression towards humans."
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
“I find it hard to believe that nobody knew until the morning that there was a body in there.”
The doubt stays with a body and a morning, so it feels earned.
Neutral
“But, yeah, all I can comment on is that the guy definitely jumped in the wrong pool.”
Naming the wrong pool is colder than listing the injuries.
Informal
“This guy, he has a proven track record of killing people.”
A killing becomes a résumé the park already had on file.
Neutral
“And that is that his semen is worth a lot of money.”
After the moral questions, the answer is just a price.
Informal
“In a reputable breeding program, rule number one is you certainly would not breed an animal that has shown a history of aggression towards humans.”
The rule is so plain that breaking it needs no extra insult.
Formal
“But in the entire SeaWorld collection-- it's like 54% of the whales in SeaWorld's collection now have Tilikum's genes.”
A stumble, then a percentage, and the breeding rule collapses.
Neutral
He was not detected by the night watch trainers who were presumably at that station. There are cameras all over SeaWorld. There are cameras all over the back of Shamu Stadium pointing every which way. There are underwater cameras. I find it hard to believe that nobody knew until the morning that there was a body in there.
In a reputable breeding program, rule number one is you certainly would not breed an animal that has shown a history of aggression towards humans. Imagine if you had a pit bull who had killed. That animal would have likely been put down. But in the entire SeaWorld collection-- it's like 54% of the whales in SeaWorld's collection now have Tilikum's genes.
Up next · 08went southThe scene: Tilikum Misses the WhistleThe answer given here is that his semen is worth a lot of money. He is called one of the main breeding whales at SeaWorld. Sperm can be taken and frozen, so he operates as a sperm bank, and about 54 percent of the whales in the collection are said to carry his genes.
That a young man, arrested not long before, snuck into SeaWorld, maybe climbed the barbed wire, stayed after hours, hid, stripped, wanted a magical experience with an orca, and drowned from hypothermia. He is also called a drifter who died of hypothermia. The speakers say they were not there to know the difference.
They mention cameras all over SeaWorld and the back of Shamu Stadium, pointing every which way, plus underwater cameras, and a night watch trainer on duty every night. They ask whether that person heard splashing or screaming, and say it is hard to believe nobody knew until morning that a body was in the pool.
No. They say the medical examiner reports were more graphic, including that Tilikum stripped him and left bite marks, but they say they do not know whether that was post-death or pre-death. The only firm comment is that he jumped in the wrong pool.
