Killer- whales will be killer- whales.

As most of us are aware, SeaWorld is facing a crisis in light of last's weeks incident in which one of a killer whale killed a trainer by forcing her underwater during a live performance.

All things considered, I think that SeaWorld has responded pretty well to this incident. Unlike the Toyota crisis, this is not something they could avoid. Plenty of tourists fell witness to the tragedy and some even captured it on video. However, I think they have been very upfront with everything. As they should be.

First, they have not dismissed the media or skirted around the issue in any way. Though Orlando SeaWorld President Dan Brown did not immediately correct a misrepresentation of the incident by a sheriff's spokesman who said the trainer accidentially fell into the water, two hours later, they acknowledged that the trainer had been forced into the water by the whale. Following that announcement, SeaWorld appointed its head animal trainer as the point person for the media to explain and defend its methods of training and maintaining its whales.

In my opinion, this was a very important element of crisis management for SeaWorld. Though they are working with killer whales in their unnatural habitat, they have given valid reason for putting trainers in the water with the animals. Trainers are allowed to work with whales from an underwater deck, that ranges from two inches to four feet deep, as long as they maintain adequate distance from the animals. Chuck Tompkins, corporate curator for animal behavior and training for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment testified that working from the submerged platforms can help trainers better assess a killer whale's behavior as they interact with the animal, but still remain in a position where they can more easily retreat if they sense the animal being insubordinate.

Further, they explain why they believe the incident occurred. Despite measures to protect trainers, the rules for lying down with the whales in the water are not concrete and they believe that lying down is a much more vulnerable position...which the trainer was. This speculation does not explain why the trainer was allowed to lay down, however, it responds to people's curiousity as to WHY it happened...a very important element in crisis communication.

Lastly, SeaWorld has outlined what they are doing to respond to the incident and prevent future occurances. Though they have resumed killer-whale performances, trainers are not being allowed to enter the water with the animals while the company reviews existing safety procedures. The killer-whale blamed for the incident will not be allowed to participate in any performances until that review is complete.

Though SeaWorld can only do so much to manage the crisis and prevent it from happening again, they can only do so much. It is important to remember that killer-whales will be killer-whales.

ev