The Chilling Final Moments of Orca Trainer Zayne Marston Caught on Camera

A Routine Show Turns into Tragedy

What was meant to be a thrilling ocean performance at OceanSphere Marine Park on Saturday ended in horror when seasoned orca trainer Zayne Marston, 32, was fatally pulled underwater by the park’s largest killer whale. Visitors, including families and tourists, watched in disbelief as the event quickly shifted from spectacle to tragedy.

The Viral Footage

Footage now circulating online shows Marston performing a synchronized dive with “Luna,” a 5,000-pound female orca. Moments before the incident, witnesses say the trainer extended his hand toward her dorsal fin as part of a routine maneuver.

“He smiled, reached for her fin… and then everything went dark,” one shaken spectator recalled.

The video captures the whale’s sudden lunge, dragging Marston beneath the surface. Gasps and screams from the audience fill the background as park staff rush toward the tank, frantically attempting emergency protocols.

Eyewitness Reactions

Several visitors described the moment as “unreal,” with some children crying and others frozen in shock.

“One second they were in perfect harmony, the next he was gone,” said local tourist Amelia Torres.

Paramedics were on the scene within minutes, but Marston could not be revived after being recovered from the water.

Park and Expert Responses

OceanSphere Marine Park has since closed all live orca shows and released a statement expressing “deep sorrow” over the loss of a beloved trainer. Marine biologists are now questioning whether the whale’s behavior was a sign of stress and captivity-induced aggression, reigniting the long-standing debate over keeping orcas in marine parks.