Lighthearted @shamu Twitter feed disbanded

A day after a SeaWorld trainer died from being dragged underwater by a killer whale, the park has stopped posts on its lighthearted @shamu Twitter account.

Shamu is the famous name under which SeaWorld Orando’s trained killer whales perform in popular shows, doing tricks for audiences at the Florida park.

Dawn Brancheau, 40, had just finished a training session Wednesday when Tillikum, a 12,000-pound whale, grabbed her ponytail and dragged her into a 35-foot tank.

“At this difficult time, @Shamu will not be active. For Twitter updates follow @SeaWorld_Parks. http://bit.ly/b0oU3l” – read a post tweeted Thursday afternoon.

A post on Sea World’s blog said followers had been asking about the account’s silence since the accident.

“At this difficult time, @Shamu will not be active on Twitter, as users who follow @Shamu have come to expect posts that are light-hearted and perhaps a bit quirky,” the blog said. “SeaWorld’s other accounts, including @SeaWorld_Parks, will remain active and regular updates will be communicated through Twitter and other social networking platforms.”

The account, created about a year ago, had more than 9,900 followers as of Thursday afternoon.

Whale shows at the park also were canceled on Thursday.

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