Evaluation on the documentary "Black Fish" starring killer whale Tilikum!

           The film Blackfish has recently placed huge criticisms on the establishment SeaWorld. Blackfish released on July 19^th, 2013 and was directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The movie shows real life devastating consequences of keeping these wild animals in confinement using the killer whale they have names “Tilikum”. SeaWorld is a marine mammal theme park located in multiple locations throughout the world. Establishments such these are often overlooked by many people, especially those who actually care about the well-being of marine mammals. There is no denying that these employees and trainers put on a great and fascinating show, but it is not worth the harm to these animals. Sea World’s living conditions for killer whales is pitiful and painful to watch. Blackfish was made with intentions to open the eyes of all its viewers and raise awareness about captivity. A species that is meant to swim hundreds of miles a day has now been trapped in a tank not much bigger than their massive bodies. There is no valid argument that makes forcing a living being out of its natural habitat and keeping it in captivity is moral. Not only are the conditions in these establishments completely unethical, they put everyone’s lives in danger, human or mammal. The biggest misconception for many visitors is the fake smiles these animals give off that actually have nothing to do with their true emotional state. Blackfish takes a stand against these misconceptions which I will explain through an evaluation of their star performer, Tilikum.

            Blackfish introduces each of the whales that have been kidnapped from their ocean homes and placed in captivity. Not counting those who have already passed, SeaWorld has five Orcas still in confinement. The documentary’s main focus is on the killer whale named “Tilikum” whose captivity resulted in the deaths of three individual’s. Tilikum was ripped away from his ocean and family so he could be placed in a claustrophobic tank, all for a substantial profit. The film begins with the story of trainer Dawn Brancheau. In 2010, Brancheau was violently attacked and killed by Tilikum right in front of a SeaWorld Crowd. One slip and fall into the water was all it took for Tilikum to attack. This first portion of the film has you feeling confused and almost resentful towards Tilikum. Further along, it becomes much clearer and logical for the actions of Tilikum when they discuss and show their inhumane living conditions. You soon find out that this is not the first time Tilikum has attacked and killed, yet they continue to keep his progressively psychotic being in captivity. Why? Because SeaWorld’s only concern is to put on a great show to make great money. They keep Tilikum to expand his breed and make more orca’s at the expense of everyone’s lives, of course.

            Blackfish makes it clear that these animals should not be held in captivity. The conditions would eventually drive ANYONE out of their normal mind. Orca’s are one of the world’s most intelligent and emotional beings. The hardest part for me personally to watch was when Tilikum and his mother were abruptly separated after spending everyday together. They show the devastated mother’s nonstop screaming for Tilikum to come back to her. Even trainers express how demoralizing and upsetting the situation was to watch. It is a scene that you will never forget. They also show how Tilikum’s dorsal fin had sadly limped and curled over after the separation. A collapsed dorsal fin is a sign of an unhealthy whale. The film points out how trainers at SeaWorld say all male fins are collapsed, which is of course entirely false. This is not the only information we found out they falsely tell their audiences. Orca’s on average live between 70-90 years in the wild. Trainers say on average they live 30-50 years, which is true only when they are placed in captivity with unnatural living conditions. Blackfish also makes the point that these trainers have no real background knowledge of these animals. Their job is to train and nothing else. When they create what seems like a loving and harmless connection with a whale, they are being incredibly deceived. No one knows what is going on in the mind of such a dangerous animal that has all the reasons in the world to go psychotic and act out so suddenly and irrationally. This is just one of the many examples the movie uses that contribute to an orca’s life threatening behaviors.

            The majority of training methods that were shown in the documentary were upholding food so that the animals like Tilikum would be forced into unnatural and repetitive behaviors. The hunger only forces them to forget any of their basic natural instincts. Food was the way trainers got the whales to do what they wanted. If they didn’t obey, they would not get fed. Upholding food was also the only way trainers could force the whales into their small metal tanks where they would be cramped up in all night. A scene in the movie shows Tilikum being severely injured in his tank attempting to move but every move only ended up with more and more slashes of metal against his skin. These animals are meant to freely swim hundreds of miles a day, not bang up against the metal walls they are being enclosed in.

           The movie Blackfish only hopes to inform the world about the potential danger captivity can create using the real life devastating events involving Tilikum. Time and time again the documentary emphasizes that the whale performances were never even slightly educated practices but only acts of exploitation. Everything about it is simply immoral and life threatening. The disturbing consequences presented in the film does nothing but prove our inability to control the animals we can capture and confine.  After watching this film, you are exposed to many misconceptions you probably never would have thought about. The truth is these issues are real and happening today. The depriving conditions of confinement at Sea World caused a great amount of psychological stress for Tilikum which explains why he has acted out so viciously multiple times.  It is known that captivity will not be completely put to an end without some serious controversy and battle, but Blackfish has captured and even persuaded many people in this fight to end captivity for animals like Tilikum everywhere.