Documents from 1991 show why government allowed SeaWorld to bring Tilikum to Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — More than four years after killer whale Tilikum killed SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in Orlando, Channel 9 is learning more about why the government allowed the whale to come to the U.S.

WFTV's Lori Brown obtained newly released video and documents from 1991 that show SeaWorld executives had argued they were prepared to handle Tilikum even though he had killed his trainer in Canada just a few months prior.

In SeaWorld's permit application from 1991, an executive essentially blamed the Canadian trainer's death on the whale's lack of training and makes the case for why another death wouldn't happen in Orlando.

New video shows Tilikum's life before he was brought to Orlando.

The killer whale was captured in Iceland in 1983 at age 2 and was later taken to Sealand in British Columbia, Canada.

In February 1991, a trainer fell into a pool with three Orcas. Tilikum pulled the 20-year-old student to the bottom where she drowned.

Sealand later closed its doors and put Tilikum up for sale, but the law would only allow the whale to be transferred to SeaWorld under a medical emergency.

With another whale pregnant, SeaWorld requested a permit to take Tilikum "due to the disruptive and potentially harmful impact this male may have on the success of the mother calf nursing and bonding."

In video from 1991, SeaWorld makes its case for bringing Tilikum to Orlando.

"The problems with Tilikum staying in the medical pool may be serious. The medical pool is 31 feet long 23 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Tilikum is 20 feet long. Tilikum's stay in the medical pool severely restricts his ability to exercise since the pool is only slightly larger than the whale itself."

The permit application argued SeaWorld was prepared to take on the killer whale.

"SeaWorld's animals are all highly trained and are accustomed to interacting with trainers. Sealand's animals are essentially untrained."

Another statement read, "Since implementing this program, there have been no accidents involving killer whales at SeaWorld facilities."

Brancheau was killed in 2010.

SeaWorld released the following statement to WFTV:

"Tilikum came to SeaWorld 23 years ago under the authorization of the U.S. government pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the federal law that governs the importation of animals like Tilikum and the regulations under the Act.

"The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service reviewed and considered all the materials submitted by SeaWorld as well as others, including comments from the public, during the entire process, which was conducted in accordance with U.S. and Canadian law.

"SeaWorld could not have imported Tilikum without the permission of either the U.S. or Canadian governments after their respective careful review of all the facts and the record."

WFTV