What we know about the video of trainer Jessica Radcliffe being attacked by an orca

In recent days, a short but surprising video has made its way across social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X, and Facebook, racking up millions of views. In it, a woman identified as Jessica Radcliffe, a purported 23-year-old orca trainer, appears during a show at the Pacific Blue Marine Park.

The footage shows the orca lifting the young woman into its snout, but, in a dramatic twist, opens its mouth and dives in with her, pretending to have devoured her. The screams of the audience and her colleagues, who watch in astonishment from the shore, intensify the tension, until the video abruptly cuts out.

The Truth Behind the Hoax

Despite the shocking news, the story is completely false. Fact-checking outlets such as Snopes, the Economic Times, IBTimes UK, and Forbes confirmed that the clip was created using artificial intelligence (AI) and does not document a real event.

The clues that reveal the hoax are clear:

The water park doesn't exist: Pacific Blue Marine Park doesn't appear in official searches or on Google Maps. The closest thing is Blue Pacific, an apartment complex in Australia, unrelated to marine shows.

The trainer is fictitious: there are no previous records of a woman named Jessica Radcliffe linked to this work. The social media profiles associated with her name were created recently.

There is no recent history: no orca attacks on trainers at water parks have been documented in recent years.

AI as a Disinformation Tool

This case joins other fake viral videos, such as the emotional support kangaroo who supposedly couldn't get on a plane or the footage of Elton John singing Phil Collins in a hospital.

The difference is that AI can now generate scenes so realistic they confuse even experienced users.

These clips aren't simple edits: they combine nonexistent faces, voices, and settings with dramatic narratives that reinforce their credibility.

Among the signs that help detect them are subtle changes in textures, unnatural movements, the absence of reliable sources, and inconsistent narrative details.

When the attacks were real

Although the Radcliffe case is fictional, the history of orcas in captivity does include documented tragedies:

Dawn Brancheau (SeaWorld Orlando, 2010) was dragged to death by the orca Tilikum.

Alexis Martínez (Loro Parque, Tenerife, 2009) was killed by the orca Keto during a training session.

Keltie Byrne (Sealand of the Pacific, 1991) died after falling into a tank with several orcas, including Tilikum.

These real-life cases were analyzed in the documentary Blackfish (2013), which exposes the risks of captivity and its effects on the behavior of these cetaceans.

Conclusion

The video of the alleged trainer being eaten by an orca is a deepfake that never happened. Its massive reach reminds us of the importance of verifying information before sharing it, especially in an era where artificial intelligence can create stories that are as realistic as they are dangerously false.