Blackfish

blackfishmovie.com

‘Blackfish’ successfully made a wildlife documentary into a thriller. Experts psychoanalyzing, witnesses testifying, video evidence... all pointing to one deranged killer, protected by a 1.4 billion dollar corporation - the 5.6 ton killer whale, Tilikum, owned by SeaWorld Entertainment.

hommage-orca.skyrock.com

The film follows Tilikum from his capture in 1983 when he was just 2 years old. Orcas share a similar lifespan to humans and at just 2yrs old he was already 13feet long. His first new home was a tiny cement tank in Hafnarfjörður Marine Zoo, near Reykjavík, Iceland. He was then transferred to Sealand, a 100x50ft pool where he regularly endured painful attacks from two female orcas, not helped by the fact that trainers were withholding food. At night he was forced into a tiny metal shack with the two vicious females and emerged with bloody wounds and scratches.

Dawn & Tili - greenglobaltravel.com

He was transferred to SeaWorld, after the death of trainer Keltie Byrne, in 1991 after she fallen into the whale pool. Although I’m not convinced the attack from the whales was malicious, I know for sure that it would not have happened at all, had the whales not been in captivity in the first place. In 2010, Dawn Brancheau, an experienced trainer, was dragged from the poolside and held underwater. Her bones were broken, her head scalped and her skin mauled. This time, it was the whale that came to the trainer, not the other way around. We cannot argue that THIS time, the attack was not malicious. However we wish to frame orca captivity and convince ourselves that it has been researched and facilities are sufficient, every human can see that a tiny pool in the US can never match up to the world’s ocean. It’s cruel, however we wish to change that image for our moral conscience and however much we convince ourselves that it’s ok because it’s in the name of entertainment.

examiner.com

I felt on edge every time we watched footage of trainers interacting with the whales. I was waiting for them to pounce, waiting for them to drag the next victim to the bottom of the pool as 'Kasatka' did with Ken Peters, who miraculously managed to stay calm and save his breath. It was like watching a tiger play with its food and all I could think of was the Jaws theme tune as my heart rate raced to match.

It's not often that I watch documentaries about animals, mainly because I don't believe that any nature observing documentary can beat Planet Earth, but 'Blackfish' is different. It explores one of our largest mammals almost as a human. It analyses his behavior, it points the finger towards all those times that SeaWorld SHOULD have stopped trainers getting into the water with the orcas, before the worst happened. But they didn't. They had all the warning signs but money meant more to them than the lives of all their orcas and their trainers.

seaworldofhurt.com

There was an incredible amount of footage from personal video cameras, showing some of the most intimate, and scary episodes of the Tilikum story. Yes, the film is edited so that sometimes, other whales are shown in Tilikum's stead, whilst the narrator is still talking about him. But they identify that the audience is intelligent enough to tell a bent fin from a straight one. It’s a remarkable amount of archive, and I’d like to know more about its sourcing. As much as the film may be bias against SeaWorld, there is no doubt that Tilikum’s years in captivity, whether he is representative of all orcas or just himself, has left his behaviour unpredictable and therefore dangerous.

melissasmith.hubpages.com

In the wild, orcas can travel up to 100 miles a day, which of course, no pool in any location can ever match up to. No pool is sufficient enough to hold these mammals, and to make them perform, is probably the only freedom they get. But is it right? Did we not learn anything from Free Willy? (I'm joking – although you should read this article about how the film casted it the same year as Keltie’s death: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/26/world/americas/orca-trainer-tilikum-keiko/ ). The argument of the film is not that orcas, or even Tilikum, are inherently bad, no, in fact it's clear to see that many of the orcas have real bonds with their trainers. It is that man-made captivity frustrates them, and pressures them into the unpredictable. Wouldn't you get a little bit angry being dragged from your family and put in a tiny pool when you are used to the freedom of the ocean. Will it ever really be safe for trainers to swim side by side with whales in captivity?

outsideonline.com

The film does a great job of pulling together the facts of SeaWorld’s neglect, through some emotionally driven interviews with those who knew the whales and the victims. There is a particularly moving account from the mourning fiance of Alexis Martinez, a trainer murder by a SeaWorld killer whale, at Loro Parque, renowned for its poor facilities and lax training requirements. She reveals that she was told Alexis was fine, before stepping into the morgue and seeing his body, with his chest completely deflated from the attack of orca Keto. I cannot imagine what that must have been like.

(in red) Tilikum's enclosure after Dawn's death

There are well-researched extracts from the courtroom transcript, personal video recordings, an interview with a whaler, images of the enclosures, SeaWorld advertisements AND the revelation that after multiple opportunities to comment, SeaWorld declined the offer to have any involvement with the film. They say actions speak louder than words – and the effects of this film, carry that message quite profoundly.

thewire.com

It’s not as clear cut as the internet suggests. It seems that everyone has a vested interest in either liking or disliking the film. Many people have challenged ‘Blackfish’ for inaccuracies and accused it of exploiting and sensationalising tragedy- of which I do agree on the premise of Keltie’s death but not on a wider scale. I also disagree with the stance taken on Taku as he 'tries to crush' SeaWorld trainer, Sam Davis in 2005. there is no evidence that it was done out of malice... how is  a 5 tonne whale supposed to know that splashing about with a human might crush him to death? Similarly, people have slated SeaWorld and accused it of concealing tragedy without truly understanding the facts. We know that SeaWorld has since, taken action. Michael Scarpuzzi, the vice president for zoological operations and trainer for SeaWorld San Diego said in 2013, 

‘"We have altered how we care for, display and train these extraordinary animals. We have changed the facilities, equipment and procedures at our killer whale habitats. The care and educational presentation of these animals at SeaWorld has been made safer than ever’.  

So there are faults and misconceptions on both sides of the argument.

huffingtonpost.com

My opinion still stands that as a film, ‘Blackfish’ was brilliant. It may not have been directed brilliantly, due to it mainly being made up of contributor response and archive, but it was well put together. I find it hard to deny that you will ever be more moved or opposed to animal captivity than after this film. You end up loving and hating the killer at the same time and despite internet comments stating that it is an insult to Dawn’s death, I came away with a  remarkable respect for the trainers that work with these animals and with an awareness that perhaps what we sacrifice in the name of entertainment, may not be as magical as we'd like to believe. In my view it’s a ‘must-watch’ regardless of which side of the fence you sit on.

More on 'Blackfish':

Here's SeaWorld’s reaction to the film: http://blackfishmovie.com/news/blackfish_seaworld_bites_back/15297?seaworld_reacts_button

Here's a blogpost about how the film is misleading: http://melissaasmith.hubpages.com/hub/blackfish-film

Read more about Tilikum’s Story here: http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/30-years-three-deaths-tilikums-tragic-story/

Here’s a report on Tilikum’s Treatment: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/new-video-unearthed-of-unacceptable-killer-whale-treatment-1.1962379

Here’s some information on the death of Alexis Martinez: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-zimmermann/death-at-loro-parque-the-_b_902863.html

And finally, here's a much more extensive review of the film 'Blackfish': http://www.rellimzone.com/2013/12/movie-review-blackfish-2013/