. coverage of the news where you live. frank somerville, julie haener, week nights on ktvu, channel 2 news at sixth. [ music ] >> they are called killer whales and in at least three cases they have pulled human beings to their death. tonight we look at the history of the whale involved in all three of those human deaths. and another killer whale who first became the star of the movie free willy and later the focus of an international campaign to set him free. plus when killer whales and great white sharks face off. all straight ahead on "second look." >> hello everyone i'm frank

somerville. last february a small group of people at a theme park in florida witnessed something horrifying. shortly after the end of a show at seaworld in orlando a killer whale grabbed a trainer and dragged her underwater eventually killing the woman. it was the third human death attack involving the same whale. here is ken wayne's report from the day of that attack. >> we had a female trainer back in the whale holding area. she apparently slipped or fell into the tank and was fatally injured by one of the whales. >> the witnesses tell a different story. some say tillithe six ton orange can a physically snatched the trainer from the edge of the tank after a performance. >> he jumped up and grabbed her and started thrashing around and then her shoe fell off. he was thrashing her around pretty good. it was violent. >> the trainer is identified as 40-year-old dawn brandshow. officials say she was one of the most experienced trainers at seaworld, orlando. a witness took this home video before the attack.

some said the whales did not appear to be following commands. >> they had told us that something was wrong. and that they weren't cooperating. they were going to try to let them re-group and try it again. so we knew something wasn't right with the whales. >> reporter: this is the third death associated with the 30- year-old orange can a. in 1991 tilliwas blamed for the death of a trainer at an aquarium in victoria, b.c. in 1999 a man who snuck. >> seaworld in orlando was found dead in tillicum's tank. another pulled a trainer underwater at seaworld four years ago. he survived with a broken foot. federal investigators are in orlando tonight trying to determine exactly what happened. >> nothing is more important than the safety of our employers, guests and the animals end thrusted to our care. we have never, in the history of our parks, experienced an incident like this. >> these animals aren't happy.

happy orange yeahs, happy dolphins don't kill their trainers. >> reporter: some critics say training large wild animals for human entertainment is bad for people and animals. >> there is not one confirmed orange yeah attack on a human being in the wild. only in captain activity. >> reporter: last month the federal government fined seaworld $75,000 in connection with that orange yeah killing its trainer in february. inspectors from ocean yeah said seaworld had shown a willful disregard for employee safety. they said seaworld exposed workers to drowning hazards when working with killer whales. they have proposed banning trainers from working with tillicum, the whale involved not only in that deadly attack but in two other deaths over the past 20 years. so did the whale deliberately kill those three people or was it just being playful or maybe curious? experts offer different opinions in 2006 when another orca dragged its trainer underwater in san diego. ktvu's health and science

editor john fowler brought us this report at the time. at the end of the final show of the day at san diego's seaworld yesterday 17-foot long female killer whale kasatka pulled her trainer underwater by the foot. surfaced briefly and then horrified everyone. >> with the trainer's foot still in her mouth decided to go underwater a second time for a while. >> the killer whale pinned 33- year-old trainer ken peters understood water for almost two minutes. >> i don't get why he would do that, bite the trainer. it looked like he was biting him. >> it was just a tragedy because you just weren't sure what was going on until the rest of the trainers started tapping the water. >> reporter: peters got loose and was hospitalized in fair condition. the killer whale expert nancy black today told us she is not alarmed by this incident. >> killer whales are very intelligent and very curious. and i imagine, you know, sometimes they are looking for something new to do. to them it may not have been,

you know, like a purposeful, aggressive event but just a playful thing. >> there are times like this when they are killer whales and she did choose to demonstrate her feelings in a way that obviously was unfortunate. >> reporter: years ago i had the rare opportunity to go in the water with a captive killer whale at what was then marine world africa usa. but because of the animal's un predictability and numerous injuries, now only experienced trainers do this. i was cautioned then that the killer whale's playfulness could easily turn deadly by accident. [ applause ] >> reporter: biologist black says there are many opportunities to see these animals now in the wild there are they livelonger but that captive killer whales do allow many more people to see them. seaworld officials say no trainers went in the water with any animals todays and the whale will not perform at least for now. >> perhaps the most famous killer whale of his time was

named kako the star of the movie free willy. and as a result a movement was underway in the mid 1990s to free kako. here is john fowler again with a report from july of 1995. >> reporter: activists want to release this captive killer whale kako, the star of the free willy movies. he was caught off iceland and kept on display almost all of his 16 years. now there is a chance he could start his journey to freedom this fall. activists say many other captive killer whales should also be released. >> marine mammals in general, dolphins and whales, don't do well in captivity and that capturing them to keep them in captivity is not a good thing. >> reporter: marine theme parks maintain that's an old idea based on old data. that today the world's 50 or so captive killer whales do very well at these million dollars animals get regular medical care and don't have to face the uncertainties of the wild. >> our animals live much longer

now than they did just 10-15 years ago. part of the reason is we have learned that in the wild they would be spending a great deal of their time in survival mode. and in a captive environment and a protected environment like this they don't have to do that. so there is a lot of time on their hand. we fill that time with social activities with us. >> reporter: in the wild killer whales kill to live. this small pod of killer whales attacked a much larger grey whale and her calf. in the dramatic struggle that followed, the killer whales drowned the greys, ate their tongues and then seemed to cavort. they are the ocean's un rivaled top predators and they hunt in groups, family units. >> they feed together. they ward off predators together. and that socialization is a key part of their survival. >> reporter: everyone agrees without a family, a single killer whale such as kako would very likely starve to death.

>> we can't find his family then it is going to make it very difficult or impossible to release him back into the wild. >> reporter: locating kako's family pod after nearly 13 years is just one hurdle. another is his learned behavior. in captivity, killer whales put on shows for food. a killer whale crushed and paralyzed this trainer during a performance. part of the problem may have been the killer whale was breeding. and experts tell us should not have been performing. some aquatic theme parks breed killer whales and the occasional birth can be part of the show. however, these births usually went poorly. of 27 reported births in captivity, only nine survived. at first nearly all died from the same trouble that claimed this newborn failure to nurse. the results lately are better. but this may be evidence that humans don't fully understand killer whales. experts agree a performing killer whale such as kako would have to learn natural behaviors, new tricks, if you like before it could be

released. how to find and capture live prey. how to avoid predators. literally how to survive without humans. >> there has only been a very few number of cases where animals have been in captive environments and been released successfully. they lose that instinct. >> nevertheless activists say kako's release begins around christmas. earth island institute is building the killer whale's new home right now on the oregon coast. it is a larger natural sea water tank where trainers will try to teach him to eat live food but won't make him perform. he will also be home to other marine mammals before released to the wild. before kako can be released vets will have to cure this ugly and contagious skin virus. someone will have to find kako's family half a world away. he will flown to a pen in iceland for an expensive and never before tried gradual

release program. it's a $7 million experiment critics say that ultimately hurts the cause of saving wild killer whales. >> there is only so much money out there for fundraising. if the money is going for a star animal, it's not going to save the environment or save the habitats of those animals that would france late to saving hundreds, maybe thousands of animals in the wild. >> kako is a special case. a sick orca everyone agrees needs better care. activists admit though the chances are small that a healthy captive killer whale would ever be released from a major marine park. >> still to come on "second look." we will show you kako's return to iceland and a bit later, two orcas take on a great white shark right off our coast. we will have the incredible video incredible video. ñsxóxgñ

as

. >> for most of two decades a killer whale named kako lived in captivity. after he started the movie free willy a move began to free him

from the mexico amusement park where he had lived for nearly ten years. in 1998 a massive logistical effort returned kako to iceland near where he was born in the atlantic ocean. but one looming question remained could he survive on his own after so many years in captivity? here is john fowler's report from september of 1998 on the day when kako landed in iceland. >> reporter: out of a confining concrete pool for the last time, kako the killer whale is on his way home. the five ton star of the free willy movies and his ten ton bathtub boarded an air force jet in oregon this evening. he couldn't be sedated. killer whales must be fully conscience to agree. air force flight kako one arrived over the islands late this morning iceland time. it wok eight and a half hours and two mid-air refuels to bring the killer whale movie star home. he got a huge welcome and hundreds of reporters from around the world.

it was slightly damaged in the landing but in the water-filled transport box he had no problem. >> he vocalized into the box his way of using echo location to find out his bearings. but he was calm throughout the night, breathing comfortably. >> reporter: a special truck called kako to the tiny port town of himay. they have taken seriously five death threats made against the killer whale. but today children and townspeople cheered his arrival. in the free willy movies kako's character is befriended to help an orange can a leap a seawall to reality. he faces a greater obstacle, his own ignorance of how to survive in the wild. so in a small icelandic bay at the foot of towering volcanic cliffs the free willy foundation built a $$1 million net pen the size of a football field, a halfway house to freedom. today they eased kako into the pen for the first swim in the

chilly atlantic since he was captured near here 19 years ago. [ applause ] >> reporter: kako has spent the last two years here at the oregon coast aquarium in a larger cold water pool especially built for him. no more public shows but trainers have put him through his old routines and new training to teach him how to catch live fish. >> he is down at the bottom looking at it. starting to make a move towards it. >> it's not easy. he likely has never learned hunting skills before he was captured as a baby. >> it is in his mouth and let it out. >> trainers say the schoolg will have to continue in iceland. >> he is really a master full hunter. he has been a good student all along. we are very confident that he is going to get better and better at this. but obviously we move at kak06789's pace. and if that takes a long time that's fine with us.

>> good boy. >> kako's trainers say they dramatically have increased his fitness. his bent dorsal fin will likely never straighten out but grown in strength and size and in the crucial ability to hold his breath. trainers made sessions like this a daily routine. >> and you can see when you stand here for just a little while why we all love him so much. >> he is a wonderful animal. he has brought so many people so much joy, including the staff here at the aquarium that will, of course, be sad. but it is also a happy moment because he is moving on to the next step. >> he has surprised us all along in how well he has done. and yet we are very mindful that he won't be released to the wild unless he can thrive there. if he can't we will care for him for the rest of his live -- life to whatever degree he

needs us to. >> reporter: trainers say he will be better off there than in any concrete pool. the trainers who have signed up for possibly years on this rugged island today began to help this hand-fed pet aclimb mate to the ocean. >> he will be doing the same exercises with him. the same kinds of project, you know, the day-to-day workouts. and they are going to be -- he is going to be really substituting a set of stimuli instead of having a window full of childrens' faces, he is going to have a lot of the natural ocean around him. >> perhaps the most important part is the ocean sound. orcas hunt, navigate and visualize their environment acoustically. >> he will re-connect to the real environment and stop listening to garbage trucks backing up and fridge doors slamming and people talkg and laughing. he will listen to whales and to

the marine whales. >> reporter: for the first time in almost two decades kako can hear the calls of other killer whales. his own family may be swimming near these islands. millionaires, cooperatings and children around the world have raised millions for the free willy kako foundation. they spent $20 million so far. the pay off will come if they can get kako to survive on his own. he then can become the first captive killer whale set free. >> when we come back on "second look." a year after kako returned to iceland ktvu's john fowler checked to see how he was doing. we will have that report. also two orcas take on a great white shark as a boatload of tourists looked on. >> last week you saw breaking news where the chp is on the scene of several accidents. >> live coverage from the scene of breaking news. >> a pretty incredible scene out here on highway 37. this is very heavy metal cable that spilled out on to the roadway. >> weather in the area where you live. >> it will be cooler by the

coast. 90s inland and humid. >> live real time traffic. >> local news starts weekdays on ktvu channel 2 morning news.

. >> in 1993kako the killer whale was literally the biggest star in hollywood after he appeared in free willy. he was the focus of intense efforts to return him to the wild. in 1998 a massive campaign brought him to iceland near where he was born. in 1999 ktvu's health and

science editor john fowler prepared this report on how he was doing. >> reporter: winter weather is setting in on the island. icy winds whip the floating pen where kako the killer whale has spent the last 14 months, watched around the clock by handlers. >> when storms break the former star of the free willy movie still leaps on command, responding to signals learned during years -- years as a performer killer whale in mexico city. handlers here have been trying to wean him away from human contact. >> we don't want to make eye contact with him. we don't want to encourage him to watch our movements and follow what we are doing above the water. it is difficult, you know, because you develop such a bond with kako, but it is the best thing for him. >> reporter: they are hoping to release him into the wild as soon as he is ready. but despite their efforts, kako

still has not mastered catching live food. most of his diet is hand-fed. you may recall that more than a year ago when we visited kako at an oregon aquarium, just before he flew to iceland, handlers were optimistic then he would be released perhaps in a few months after the move, that he would quickly figure out how to hunt. >> he is down at the bottom. he is looking at it. starting to make a move towards it. >> this is critical behavior. without it experts say he would starve in just a few weeks in the wild. critics point out that dolphins released in the ocean after captivity never got over hand feeding. and would have died if they weren't rescued. five years after kako the killer whale was returned to iceland where he was born and a year national after he was released into the wild, the world's most famous orca died in 2003.

experts say kako was about 25- year-old and fell victim to pneumonia. when we come back on "second look," the incredible video of two killer whales attacking a great white shark.

. killer whales and great white sharks are two of the oceans most feared predators. and from time to time, they come face-to-face. it happened in the waters off the island back in 1997 as a boatload of tourists watched two killer whales attack and kill the great white shark. and someone captured the battle on tape. here is randy shandobil's report from october of 1997. >> reporter: the waters near the idle some -- islands some 30 miles off the coast of san francisco are choppy so it is difficult to see. but if you look closely there it is. the 20-foot long killer whale coming to the surface with a ten foot long great white shark in its mouth.

the two greatest predators the of the sea fighting to the death. >> is he eating the shark? >> jesus. oh, my god. >> the oceanic was leading a tour group on a cruise when they spotted two orcas, a mother whale and her calf. suddenly off to the right. >> there was a large sort of brown-ish grey object swimming through the water just under the surface in the general direction of the orcas. and shortly thereafter the largest orca, presumably the mother, changed course and swam over on an intercept pass with this large shark. there was loud thrashing and then the whale and shark briefly disappeared under the waves. >> we could see very clearly the diagnostic pointed head of the white shark, the very dark back and the light underbelly. >> reporter: in the orcas mouth? >> in the orcas mouth, yes. it was incredible. >> the oceanic society boat

radioed an alert to a great white shark expert stationed on the island. that expert peter pile raised to the scene with a special underwater camera. observers say it appeared that the mother whale first killed the shark to protect its baby. and then fed the shark to the baby. killer whales have been known to kill seals, dolphins and even other species of whale, but never had anyone heard of an orca attacking a great white. >> no one that i know of would never even have considered a normal or natural happening. no one had ever reported it. >> reporter: marine biologists say the surprising orca attack on a great white just points out that for all they have learned in recent decades about underwater life there is still an ocean of information left to learn and no doubt other surprises still lurking in the deep. >> in this attack four years ago off the island a killer

whale or orca killed a great white. at first thought to be a mother orca defending her calf. but now scientists say one of two adult female orcas simply attacked and then ate the white shark. >> at one point holding it up almost as if it was holding up a trophy. then it disappeared under the waves and the other killer whale joined it and then the feeding began. >> and that's it for this week's "second look." i'm frank somerville. we will see you again next week. ktvu, channel 2 news at 5, straightforward coverage of the bay area's news. plus weather forecasts for the area where you live. am frank somerville, weekdays on ktvu, channel 2 news at 5.