A heartbreaking and deeply unsettling event rocked the marine animal world on Christmas Eve 2009, when 28-year-old Spanish orca trainer Alexis Martinez was killed by a killer whale during a rehearsal at Loro Parque’s Orca Ocean in the Canary Islands.

The attack happened just two months before a similar tragedy at SeaWorld Orlando claimed the life of trainer Dawn Brancheau, drawing global attention to the risks of working with captive orcas.

Martinez had spent years training and performing with orcas, but in the weeks before the incident, he expressed growing concern about the whales’ behavior. According to his partner, Estefanía Luis Rodriguez, he had noticed signs of increasing aggression, disobedience, and unpredictability in the animals.

The orca responsible for the attack was Keto, a 6,600-pound male born in captivity at a SeaWorld facility in 1995. At the time, Keto was on loan from SeaWorld to Loro Parque and had never lived in the wild.

The fatal incident occurred during a rehearsal for a Christmas show. Martinez was performing a routine known as a “stand-on spy hop,” where the trainer stands on the whale as it lifts out of the water. But something went terribly wrong. According to eyewitnesses, Keto suddenly shifted, blocking Martinez’s route to safety. As the trainer attempted to swim away, Keto ignored standard hand signals and violently dragged him underwater using his snout.

The orca then reportedly engaged in rough, aggressive behavior with Martinez’s body. Despite frantic efforts from the team to intervene, it was too late. Martinez suffered catastrophic injuries, including internal bleeding, organ trauma, multiple fractures, and bite wounds.

An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as “grave injuries sustained during an orca attack.”

Following the incident, SeaWorld temporarily halted all in-water interactions with killer whales at its parks, underscoring the seriousness of the tragedy.

Martinez’s death reignited global debate over the ethics and dangers of keeping orcas in captivity. For many, it served as a chilling reminder of the unpredictable nature of these powerful marine mammals—and the risks faced by the people who work with them.

The conversation about animal welfare, trainer safety, and the future of marine parks continues to this day.