Daniel P. Dukes

Daniel P. Dukes
Born	1972 (1972)
💀Died	(1999-07-06)July 6, 1999 SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida, United States(1999-07-06)July 6, 1999
Cause of death	Drowning, animal attack (orca)
💼 Occupation
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Daniel P. Dukes was an American man from South Carolina and the second victim out of three deaths attributed to Tilikum, an orca whale belonging to aquatic American theme park chain SeaWorld. Dukes's death gained renewed attention, along with the earlier death of Canadian victim Keltie Byrne, when the 2013 documentary Blackfish investigated the 2010 death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau, who had been recently killed by Tilikum. Dukes is known for the controversy surrounding his death; SeaWorld has consistently maintained that the man was a homeless vagrant who simply climbed into Tilikum's pool and drowned, while Dukes's coroner's report, along with animal rights advocates for Tilikum, have pointed out that Dukes's corpse was found severely mutilated by the whale. Unlike Byrne and Brancheau, Dukes is generally regarded by the media as a trespasser and nuisance rather than a direct victim of Tilikum, although this perception has been challenged with the release of Blackfish.

Early life

Little is known about Daniel P. Dukes in his early life. A known drifter with a love of nature and environmentalism, Dukes was from the state of South Carolina and was 27 years old at the time of his death. Dukes had a troubled life, notorious among peers for acts of petty theft and marijuana usage, as well as general vagrancy. These details about his life were often brought up in media reports by SeaWorld.

Death

At some point in the night on July 6, 1999, Daniel P. Dukes, who had hidden in the SeaWorld theme park, emerged from elsewhere in the park and went to the whale pool where Tilikum resided. Because SeaWorld claims to have no security tape footage of the pool on that night, it is unclear whether Dukes fell or climbed into Tilikum's pool. In any case, the following morning, Dukes was discovered dead in the water by SeaWorld staff, draped over Tilikum' backside as the whale swam around. According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) report, OCSO received a 911 call from SeaWorld at 7:25 a.m., almost simultaneously with Dukes's body being spotted. OCSO immediately dispatched Detective Calhoun who arrived at SeaWorld eight minutes later. Dukes's body was discovered at 7:20 a.m., OCSO received a 911 call at 7:25 a.m. and was on scene by 7:33 a.m. Dukes's corpse was retrieved and later identified as Daniel P. Dukes by official name.

Media reports and coronary records conflict over the intensity of Dukes's injuries and cause of death. SeaWorld has maintained that the man's death was a drowning. It was later revealed in Blackfish that Dukes's coroner's report recorded severe injuries inflicted by Tilikum. The whale had, for example, gnawed on the man's penis until it fell off, appearing to have eaten the genitalia as it was never discovered in the water, and left numerous contusions and bruises on Dukes's corpse.

A lawsuit was filed by Dukes's parents in 1999, two months after the death had taken place. This lawsuit was later dropped.

Significance

Daniel P. Dukes's death gained renewed attention after the 2013 release of Blackfish, where it was revealed that Dukes was the second victim of Tilikum nine years after the whale had killed Sealand of the Pacific trainer Keltie Byrne, and ten years before Tilikum had attacked and killed SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau. Blackfish was the first media to explore Dukes's death extensively.

Unlike Byrne and Brancheau, who were both respected and beloved animal trainers, Daniel P. Dukes was a homeless vagrant with a history of petty crime, mental health issues and drug usage. The lack of early relevant coverage on his death later became noted for the way that the media and investigators handle the deaths of homeless and mentally ill individuals, particularly the lack of dignity ascribed to such cases. The Dolphin Project noted that Dukes was described by SeaWorld as a filthy man with poor hygiene spotted at the park mumbling oddly to himself, and argued against SeaWorld's unflattering description, stating, "Daniel Dukes was a troubled individual with a history of petty thefts, marijuana use, and questionable decisions but as a human being, no death is meaningless. Unwittingly, Dukes will forever be remembered as Tilikum’s second victim and SeaWorld’s first major incident."

The case of Daniel P. Dukes has become a frequent example in arguments over the welfare of marine mammals in captivity. Marine mammal trainer Ric O'Barry argued that Dukes was probably not near Tilikum's tank with any form of malicious intent, but instead that the nature-loving man was "fascinated" by the whale and wanted to visit it. He further argued, "I think the whale probably pulled [Dukes] down, held him underwater. I don't think they know how often we breathe. The problem is that the whales have nothing better to do, O'Barry explains. "They're bored. We literally bore them to death. It's like you living in the bathroom for your life."

See also

• Death of Dawn Brancheau
• Death of Alexis Martínez
• Death of Keltie Byrne

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