THIS is the horrific moment an injured killer whale is left to spurt blood at an aquarium show as shocked families watch on.

The traumatic footage from China shows blood seeping from the killer whale’s underside while the aquarium staff member does nothing to help.

The creature is made to pose at the Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park with it’s tail and head curved upwards by its trainer as it bleeds onto the wet floor.

In an even darker turn, the killer whale can be seen to slowly slip back into the water nearly upside down, almost as if it is fainting.

The awful moment happened on November 10.

It was reportedly confirmed to local media the following day that the whale had suffered a serious injury.

Park officials said the orca had been accidentally scratched while playing with toys during the show and that its trainers had taken care of it as soon as they noticed it was bleeding.

This didn’t do anything to ease the shocked reactions from attendees, who can be heard gasping in the clip.

As the sea creature moves its left flipper, the blood is revealed to everyone watching, possibly including small children.

The whale sticks its head out of the water after returning to the tank, asking its trainer for some fish.

This incident follows a long and storied history of controversy surrounding keeping killer whales in captivity.

It is a deeply frowned upon act around the world, with many activists claiming the practice is cruel.

They also state that it leads to massively decreased lifespans for the killer whales.

Animal conservation groups, including PETA and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation campaign, report massive psychological issues with captive orcas.

Up to 90% of captive male orcas suffer from dorsal fin collapse, a condition often associated with stress.

In a report, PETA say that: “The stress of the captive environment is manifested in “physiological and behavioral abnormalities indicative of psychological distress and emotional disturbance,” including stereotypic behavior, unresponsiveness, excessive submissiveness, self-inflicted physical trauma and mutilation, compromised immunology, and excessive aggression.

“Among other things, the physical constraints of the artificial enclosures at SeaWorld limit their opportunity to exercise, disperse from incompatible pairings, escape from conflicts, or engage in natural types of behavior, such as swimming at high speeds or diving,causing them extreme stress and frustration.“

The group also went on to stress the intelligence of these animals: “Orcas are extremely intelligent mammals whose brains arehighly developed in areas responsible for complex cognitivefunctions, including self-Awareness, social cognition, culture,and language“.

This is certainly not the only time animals have suffered injuries at an aquarium.

In June, CCTV camera footage shows an Arapaima fish smash through the lid and crash onto the floor.

The creature had spent its entire six years of life in an increasingly small aquarium.

The owner said it was not only very expensive, but it was a pet and he was devastated at its loss.

Arapaima fish, however, can often become irritable in artificial environments and may leap out of the water if they feel constrained or harassed.

The fish had already smashed against the lid of the tiny aquarium before the fatal accident.

This incident quickly sparked heated discussions on the Internet, with one person saying: “I feel like the family is very slow to respond.“

Another user said: “The fish is too big to handle.“

A third commented: “The tank is too small.“