I obtained facts about serious problems that I was ignorant to prior to viewing Blackfish. Feeling shocked and horrified, every problematic concept portrayed in the film stayed with me after I closed my laptop. My mind raced over possible solutions to decrease the horrific events that were occurring in Sea World facilities.
By the year this film was produced, 2010, there has already been over 70 orca-trainer attacks. These were attacks, not accidents. Many Sea World representatives were shown several times in court justifying the actions of the orcas behind their vicious attacks. While the representatives claims that the whales were harmless and unaggressive, the film contradicted their claims with video evidence of attacks where no trainer error was present. Although it is not incorrect that trainer error was the cause of a few deadly endings, most of the incidents were solely whale initiated (Blackfish). Taking a closer look at Tilikum's collapsed dorsal fin, I learned that little to no wild orca whales develop one. I also learned that orca males can live up to approximately 60 years in the wild while females can live to almost 100, maybe more. In addition, I was informed that in captivity orcas typically live to about 25-30 years old. All facts ultimately proving the point that these massive, intelligent creatures do not belong in a large bathtub (Blackfish).
Ultimately, the main concept I learned was that orca whales living in captivity is demented. When the well being of the animal and trainer are both sacrificed, is a show worth it? Do we really want children growing up learning that these huge animals can and should be locked up in a swimming pool with a ridiculously small amount of living space anyways? I learned how inhumane Sea World really is and its effects on the marine life that lives within it.
2. What surprised you?
I had no idea these problems even existed. I was beyond surprised, I was taken aback, startled, and overall disgusted. The most surprising aspect of the film, however, was that after Sea World would have an accident with one of their trainers, they would only close their doors for a few days. In fact, After a trainer died, Dawn, the park opened back up on the day of her funeral (Blackfish). Sea World gave no sympathy and was quick to justify every accident with trainer error or accidental drowning. I was shocked they would simply open back up a few days later and have a show the day of her funeral. After every incident, Sea World would open back up like nothing ever happened. I could not believe people would let money dictate decisions in time of sorrow for every other employee and the victim's family and friends. Sea World should have paid more respect to the ones who were lost and improve their trainer-orca interactions every time to increase safety and reduce accidents.
6. Was there a specific scene or segment that stayed with you and caused you to be curious? Delighted? Angry? Motivated?
There were several scenes that left me with strong emotions; The film as a whole left me with feelings of shock, grief, and depression. However, this is my favorite question because I would like to further reflect on the scene explaining Alexis Martinez and his accident. Seeing his love in tears, Estefania Rodriguez, made me cry back. Her words made me feel as if I was going through the same thing. She explained that when Alex's boss called her to tell her about the accident, he said that Alex was alright, "It seemed as though his chest had burst...I couldn't understand why they told me he was fine" (Blackfish). I was left with intense feelings of sorrow and sympathy for Estefania, however, I also was curious. Alexis was the best trainer at a Sea World affiliated park off the west coast of Africa in Spain, Loro Parque. The orcas had come straight from Sea World although in court respresentiatives had denied affiliation.
My curiosity leads me to question why it was acceptable to bring these animals to a facility with less experienced trainers and lower quality pools than even the mediocre Sea World. As the film explained, the necessary renovations were never made to save money which resulted in sick orcas. Alexis, the park's best trainer, was the one who lost his life in the end. Former Loro Parque video supervisor, Suzanne Allee, explained how she knew the incident was bound to occur, "Everyone knew it was a tragedy waiting to happen, but nobody ever did anything about it" (Blackfish). Why wouldn't the park make the necessary improvements to ensure trainer safety and fit the needs of the incoming animals? How could such risky actions, or inaction, be acceptable? I was left curious about how one could be so cruel to let an accident happen to a man like Alexis when it could have been prevented.
Works Cited
Blackfish. Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Perf. John Hargrove, Samantha Berg, Mark Simmons, Kim Ashdown, Dean Gomersall. Magnolia Pictures, 2013.
