Dolphin Bites 8 Year Old Girl at SeaWorld Orlando

[Wendy]

Jillian Thomas loves dolphins, so her parents planned a trip to SeaWorld so she could see her favorite animals. When she had fed her fish to the dolphins she lifted the plate to show her mum it was empty, the dolphin jumped out of the water and shut its mouth around her hand. Jillian's dad, Jamie Thomas, was videoing and caught the whole incident on camera.

"The first thing I thought was I would have to jump in the water and save my daughter's life," Thomas said. "I literally thought she was going to be pulled into the water."

Amy Thomas said they each paid $7 extra to feed fish to the dolphins at the popular attraction. Guests are given instructions not to wear loose jewelry, touch the dolphin’s head and, under any circumstances, move the paper tray holding the fish from the edge of the pool.

“I am such an overprotective parent that if I knew my child might get bitten I would not have even let my daughter do this,” she said. “But I felt safe. Everyone just imagines dolphins as smiling, nonbiting animals with knobby teeth. You forget these are wild animals.”

It was the second time that day her daughter had visited the dolphin cove and Jillian may have forgotten the rules in her excitement, her mother said.

“The second it happened, one of the employees came over to Jillian to ask her if she had a positive experience and realized she was bleeding,” Amy Thomas said. “(Jillian) made a mistake, but you can’t hold a minor responsible for that.”

A first-aid provider treated Jillian’s wounds and asked if she had had a tetanus shot, but her parents were told they had no reason to worry.

They expected a manager to talk to them but they were given ice and a bandage, the family said.

“It was strange how they downplayed the whole thing,” Thomas said. “At the time we thought we were at fault but these are children. We just want other parents to know the dangers.”

When he asked employees whether bites occurred frequently, they replied that it was rare.

The Atlanta-area family said they don’t plan taking any legal action against the theme park but would like officials to either raise the age for children participating in the attraction and remind parents that dolphins bite.

SeaWorld officials said in a statement they had not seen the video but are taking the matter seriously.

“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our guests, employees and animals,” the statement said.

[Lisa1976]

I read about this too, talk about blown out of proportion. The kid was waving that box about, not paying any attention, poor dolphin probably thought it was a fish.

[Keith]

Yeah totally

[foreverducky]

I agree.

[Esmeralda]

I saw this on video clip and the dolphin was going for the tray thinking it still had fish in it... it accidentaly caught the girls hand in its mouth by doing that. It was NOT attacking the girl... all blown out of proportion as usual. The girl didn't want a fuss made of it, it was the parents hell bent on taking a video of the hand, she was asking why do they need a video of it and I heard her Dad say... it's very important.

I immediately thought... oh oh... compensation claim coming.....

Give me a break.......

[uscwest]

They actually interviewed the little girl on the Today show. She didn't think much of it herself and even knew what she had done wrong. She said it wasn't the dolphin's fault.

[Esmeralda]

Exactly! It was the parents who got hysterical about it.

[Slowhand]

I immediately thought... oh oh... compensation claim coming.....

The whole thing seems a bit "fishy" to me.

[Tink]

If Seaworld isn't going to have enough workers present to guard against a child's natural behavior with dolphins who have their own set of natural behaviors, then they need to change the way they do things.

Those are wild animals penned up in small areas and fed by people of any age who do not know what they are doing.

Is it the dolphin's "fault?" Of course not. Nor is it the child's. Now that it's happened, Seaworld needs to put other measures in place. Don't permit the paper containers on the edge, have a different set up. Something.

The dolphins need as much protection as do the visitors.

[Wendy]

If Seaworld isn't going to have enough workers present to guard against a child's natural behavior with dolphins who have their own set of natural behaviors, then they need to change the way they do things.

Those are wild animals penned up in small areas and fed by people of any age who do not know what they are doing.

Is it the dolphin's "fault?" Of course not. Nor is it the child's. Now that it's happened, Seaworld needs to put other measures in place. Don't permit the paper containers on the edge, have a different set up. Something.

The dolphins need as much protection as do the visitors.

completely agree.