...Introduction A killer whale at its center, Blackfish is the first documental since Grizzly Man to show the reality of these captivated animals. This documental was released July 18, 2013; directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, what she presents to us is just something that needs to be presented to all the people from the planet. She went to the park and met the chief zoological officer Andrews, he’s been in the park since 1986 and he explains “that while part of the goal is entertainment, SeaWorld's aim is to use the shows to educate and inspire visitors, as a way to help conserve the environment and support wildlife.” There are a lot of people that are making interview and giving their opinion for SeaWorld to close and one of theme is the 81-year-old primatologist Jane Goodall said “whales and dolphins should never be held in captivity, and that the entertainment company known for its orca shows should be shuttered.” This film exposed the misery endured by SeaWorld's trained orca and the dangers posed to trainers working with stressed-out carnivorous whales. But to continue with my argument let me explain to you what is the documental of Blackfish. Movie Summary Report John Hargrove and Samantha Berg, a former SeaWorld trainer, tell why they decided to work with these animals, other trainers continue telling their story about how the decided to be a trainer for killer whales. They just fell in love with these creatures and they knew that was their future. To become a trainer...
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...mindset can be related to the corrupt place we have come to known called SeaWorld. February 24, 2010 was just another regular day for whale trainer, Dawn Brancheau. Today was another highly anticipated Shamu show displaying the training and talents of the biggest killer whale in captivity in SeaWorld’s history, Tilikum. What Brancheau and Seaworld did not know was that this day would infamously impact the “brand name” that Tilikum had begun for SeaWorld and that this event would trigger the movement to end killer whale captivity. The Birth Of A Murderer In 1983, a huge killer whale that would be known as Tilikum was caught in Iceland. After being captured in Iceland, Tilikum then spent...
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...For many years now SeaWorld has provided people with an opportunity to see many sea creatures and Killer Whales perform. These creatures have been trained over the years to perform various times throughout the day. Sea World, however, took these killer whales (orcas) away from their families and home. Throughout the years this has caused damage to the orcas causing rebellion and other forms of defiance. There have been many incidents following the rebellion of these orcas and yet nothing is done about the issue. Sea World should not keep killer whales against their will or keep them captive. Orcas are sea creatures, meaning they belong in the ocean. So why is it that they ended up in large fish tanks held against their will? SeaWorld claims to people that killer whales are better off under their care (Black Fish). Indicating that by taking the orcas from their families, it is rescuing them and giving them better help. Stating that they took them to show others how caring and talented they can be. The park implies that people will learn a lot about life in the sea. Many think that if they come to the park, they are doing a good deed and will be educated on life in the ocean. The employees working on the tours are also obligated to say all these lies to the guests about the park. For instance, a commonly asked question is why some whales have their fins bent, in other words, have a dorsal fin collapse. The park answers to guests that it is normal, but in reality that...
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...captive SeaWorld orca whale named Tilikum brutally drowned a forty-year-old veteran trainer named Dawn Brancheau during a live show performance. In one quick motion, Tilikum grabbed onto Brancheau’s arm and dragged her into the million gallon tank. With a blood-curdling scream, Dawn was dragged to the bottom of the tank and tossed around. In the autopsy report, Brancheau suffered an enormous amount of blunt force trauma due to the massive force of the twelve thousand pound animal slamming on top of her. The violent attack even scalped a layer of Dawn’s head right off. Yet, it was noted that the cause of death was drowning with “approximately four milliliters of fluid in her sphenoid sinus” (Autopsy...
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...with children of all ages were seated in Shamu Stadium waiting and watching for their star to give its world famous performance. His name was Tilikum and the 12,000-pound killer whale had performed the same routine with the same trainers many times before. However, on that day in February, something was different. News reports claimed that it was “trainer error’ that caused Tilikum to grab his trainer, Dawn Brancheau’s, ponytail and drag her into the water with him. It took the other trainers 45 minutes to extricate Brancheau’s body, which Tilikum held in his mouth and would not let go. All the trainers in Sea World, located in Orlando, Florida, as well as other locations throughout the United States, agreed that Tilikum was well behaved, easy to work with and always eager to please. So what exactly made Tilikum act so violently and take the life of his trainer? There is a reason that there have been no documented deaths of humans by killer whales in the wild – it is obvious that being forced to live and perform in captivity is the reason behind it. It has been argued and scientifically proven that no human being has ever been killed by a killer whale, or orca, in the wild. On the other hand, there at least a dozen documented deaths due to killer whales throughout the world. The main reason this is said to be true is because killer whales, which can grow to be more than 30 feet long and weigh up to 6 tons, are not meant to be kept in tanks and modules that are 20 feet wide and...
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...SeaWorld is not as amazing as it seems. Where does SeaWorld get their killer whales? Tilikum was a killer whale that had been caught when he was two years old, taken out of his home in the wild to be brought into captivity for SeaWorld. Tilikum was one of the most known killer whales SeaWorld has ever had. In the article “All's Whale that ends Whale,” He was brought into captivity in 1983. He was captured off the east coast of Iceland. SeaWorld wanted him because he of how big he was. At two years of age he was 11.5 feet long and they wanted to use him for the shows. The trainers started to train him and he caught on easy but if he would mess up or that day he decided to not do as many tricks as he was told to do, the trainers would either not feed him as much food as they usually would or they would put him in a tank with two to three other females. Female killer whales love to show that they are more dominant than the males, so when they put Tilikum in a very small tank with three to four female whales, they would go after him and bite his skin away, cut him open, or hit him with their tail. Tilikum...
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...change the world's view of whales. He has killed three people. Tilikum is a male Orca, more commonly referred to as a killer whale, with a complex background. In 1983 Tilikum was violently captured in Iceland and then illegally sold to 'Sealand of the Pacific' aquarium in Canada. He was two years old when this happened, ripped away from his family and cruelly sent to foreign waters. In the wild, Tilikum was used to swimming over 100 miles every day; in 'Sealand of the Pacific' Tilikum was used to floating in a concrete prison only ten feet longer than his body. When Tilikum was not confined in these small spaces, he was taken into a pool where he would perform tricks for audiences in order for him to receive food. The food was frozen fish which deprived the Orca of his necessary nutrients and food was withheld from Tilikum if he did not respond to the trainers' instructions. Tilikum was a highly intelligent whale and due to this he seems to have noticed his mistreatment. Tilikum began to become restless, frustrated with being trapped in a concrete box and performing tricks for slivers of food. The trainers registered Tilikum's agitation but they did not see it as being significant. It was too late when Sealand of the Pacific finally realised that Tilikum's emotions were important. In February of 1991 a part-time trainer at Sealand fell into the pool whilst Tilikum was performing with two female Orcas. Tilikum, along with the other whales, began to drag Keltie Byrne...
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...We often go to watch killer whale shows without thinking twice about what really happens behind the scenes. As an audience, we simply enjoy the show, and then leave. But behind all the tricks and splashes, lies an ugly truth about the state of killer whales at theme parks. In the documentary Blackfish, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, killer whales are naturally affectionate, harmless to humans, and strongly family-oriented. However, when held captive in unnatural environments, killer whales will show a malfunction in behavior, causing injuries and deaths of trainers. The techniques used to show this are communicative function and illumination theory of truth. To begin, the first technique used in this documentary is communicative function. Communicative function is implemented to inform viewers of the message the documentary is trying to convey. In the context of the documentary, the evidence and statistics prove the danger that comes with captivating killer whales. For example, Tilikum, the famous orca at SeaWorld, killed three killer whale trainers. This technique is used to inform the viewers of the violent behavior demonstrated by captivated killer whales. This technique allows us to observe the aggressive behavior shown by the orcas towards its trainer. In this documentary, an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) expert stated, “what we learned, is that they are amazingly friendly and ...
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...argue against the idea that the killings of trainers were caused by the aggressiveness of the killer whales, it always boils down to the philosophy that the oppressed creatures naturally fights back. And if the killer whales fight back, pitiful are the trainers who will get victimized. “Blackfish” is a documentary of how ORCAs like Tilikum were captivated in various environments and put to captivity to be trained for animal shows. The documentary presents the owners of the animal show businesses like Sea World as the villains while the former trainers of Sea World who disclosed issues about the killings of their colleagues, and all the informants who told the truth are the heroes. The good thing about the documentary is that they have variety of sources. They even spoke to the diver that who explained how ORCAs are captured. That person was even one of those who captured Tilikum. The documentary also put in the film how the killer whales were trained and tamed by specialist who used their knowledge on psychology to control creature that naturally thrive in the wild. Most of the informants in the film had their first hand encounter with Tilikum and other killer whales. Also, most of them have knowledge of the cruelty in the whole issue of animals in captivity and the specific cruelty that Sea World has committed against Tilikum. However, the trainer-divers who connect with the whales for exhibitions...
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...Martha Sugalski states, “Seaworld’s whale performances may never be the same”( Documentary). Orcas named as Blackfish are highly intelligent and the largest member of the dolphin family. A documentary about blackfish produced by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The main purpose of this documentary was to focus on the consequences of keeping Orcas in captivity for entertainment purposes. After viewing the Blackfish documentary and reading articles about Orcas, the argument against killer whales in captivity is justifiable because of Orcas treatment, the dangerous work environment, and the physical and psychological well-being of the Orcas. Killer whales in captivity are justifiable because of the Orcas treatment. In the documentary, Orca Researcher Howard Garrett stated, “So the adults without young went East into cul-de-sac. And the boats followed them...
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...Essay Black Fish Since 1964, killer whales; also known as the orca, (Orcinus orca) first to put in a cage for the world to see. The view of the killer whale has shifted from a dangerous killer to a cuddly animal. Theses whales have gone from a sea creature shot at by humans, to the star money maker at theme parks. Both images become one-sided, putting the creature into stereotypes. Orcas resemble humans, very complex, intelligent, and also taken advantage of. As of today, they stand as the largest animal and predator to be put in the smallest captivity. The killer whales beauty has mesmerized humans for years, but captivity not only breaks down the physical and mental health of these creatures, and also puts others in danger. Studies have shown the life expectancies of an orca in captivity remain well below the life of a wild counterparts. Industries claim that the achievements in veterinary care and nutrition have made a life of orca far better, but studies prove that the whales act much better in the wild. In 2007, SeaWorld responded to questions asked by KGTV and stated “We have often said that 30 years is a good estimate of average killer whale lifespan as we can exceed that age, as evidence by one of ours, Corky. She is at least 40 and perhaps as old as 42. Biology of Marine Mammals said that female killer whales in their studies group had a mean life expectancy of 31 years and males just 19 years”(Rose). The average whale can live up to 100 years old in the wild...
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...“SeaWorld’s Weird Science” stated, SeaWorld has been going through some difficult times since 2013. The reason why they have been under the microscope is because of what a movie by the name of “Blackfish” said about them. It stated that they have been keeping killer whales caged. The video specifically mentioned a killer whale named Tilikum that is kept for his sperm. Tilikum is approximately 33 years old and has fathered around 31 babies. His sperm is used to generate the majority of SeaWorld’s killer whale population. Also, it was referenced that SeaWorld responded to the film by using science as their primary reasoning for keeping an estimated 50 orcas in captivity. They stated that their purpose for having these mammals living in captivity...
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...spectacular stunts that are performed by the killer whale and his trainer may leave you speechless. Killer whales have spent more than 50 years in captivity, and has caused much controversy as to whether they should be freed. What some people don't think about is what the effects are of having killer whales in captivity versus keeping them in the wild. Some things that differ wild killer whales from captive killer whales are how much they travel, the diet of the whales, amount of injuries, and their family dynamics. Killer whales that are in the wild travel many miles every day alongside their families, also known as pods. Infact, “Southern Resident Killer Whales travel on average of seventy five miles a day.” (“Center for Whales”). They can also reach speeds as fast as thirty miles per hour. Killer whales in the wild are free to roam wherever they desire with their families. On the flip side, killer whales that are captive are trapped and ripped away from their families. Also, killer whales have a lifespan in the wild of about fifty to eighty years, while in captivity the killer whale’s lifespan is much shorter, being twenty to thirty years. This is caused by stress and not being cared for the...
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...In the movie “Blackfish” by Gabriela Cowperthwaite talks about the enclosed habitat of killer whales. By 1960 a large exhibition when on to catch killer whales to put on for entertainment. Over the course of catching killer whales over 70 different incidents have happened. Leading thus killing many helpless trainers . The filmmaker uses a lot of ethos, pathos and logos in the film in many different ways to persuade the audience that the containment of killer whales is inhuman. In the Documentary Blackfish the director uses logos to persuade the audience by explaining the differences between the lives Orcas live in captivity versus their natural habitat. In the video he explains how many of the male killer ways left in captivity dorsal fin are collapse caused by them not being able to swim freely and being fed unnatural diets like thawed dead fish. In contrast, only 1% of male orcas have their dorsal fin collapsed. Another point the director makes is how orcas are kept small confinements with up four orcas. The small confinements cause the orcas to get aggressive inflicting harm on one another, leaving scars and/or even resulting in death. In comparison orcas in the wild don't tend to fight each other and if they were too they have the freedom to flee the conflict way unlike inside captivity. It is unreasonable to keep...
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...In 1964 Seaworld was founded by four young men, David Demott, George Millay, Ken Norris, and Milt Shedd, who all graduated from The University of California, Los Angeles. These boys set out on a dream of constructing an “underwater restaurant”, however, “the concept grew into a marine zoological park on 21 acres along the shore of Mission Bay in San Diego” ( “Seaworld: Waves of Growth”). Seaworld began with merely sea lions and dolphins in one location, but the parks have evolved to now house 22 killer whales, along with thousands of other animals, which they have been successfully breeding for 40 years in their three different parks. This world famous theme park takes pride in the fact that they have not taken an orca from their natural habitat...
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