Telha
Alexis Martinez was a Spanish animal trainer. He worked at Loro Parque’s Orca Ocean in the Canary Islands, specializing in working with orcas.
He tragically lost his life on December 24, 2009, during a Christmas show rehearsal.
Two months before the more widely known death of Dawn Brancheau in a SeaWorld orca attack.
To compound concerns, this incident came two years after the park similarly downplayed another orca attack as an accident.
Alexis Martinez and Keto
Martinez, 29, had been training orcas at Loro Parque for three years.
His partner, Estefanía Luis Rodriguez, described him as “handsome, generous, and funny.”
She shared that Martinez had recently voiced concerns about his work at Orca Ocean, noting that the killer whales had become increasingly disobedient, disruptive, and aggressive.
The park initially described his death as an unfortunate accident, stating his body showed no evidence of violence.
However, the autopsy revealed extensive trauma, including crushed organs, a fractured chest, and bite marks.
Keto, the 6,600-pound male orca involved, was born in captivity in 1995 at a SeaWorld park and had never seen the open ocean.
Keto performed at parks in Ohio, Texas, San Diego, and eventually the Canary Islands.
The fatal incident occurred during his third year at Loro Parque, where he was one of four orcas loaned from SeaWorld.
