Blackfish By Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Blackfish is a documentary directed by filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite in 2013. The documentary shares a story of an orca named Tilikum, who has killed three individuals while kept in captivity. This documentary uses footage to portray Tilikum as a killer whale that has not lived a pleasant life at SeaWorld, leaving the viewers feeling very emotional. What most people fail to understand is that Blackfish is mostly told by former SeaWorld trainers and does not provide balanced and accurate information. This documentary is propaganda, rather than an actual documentary; it manipulates the audience to believe that killer whales should not be kept in captivity, when they actually should. The documentary states that orca species are “amazingly

In the documentary, a former SeaWorld trainer was interviewed. He stated that "in a reputable breeding program, rule number one is that you certainly would not breed an animal that has shown a history of aggression toward humans” (Blackfish). In this statement he is talking about how Tilikum is the most used whale towards the breeding program that takes place at SeaWorld. However, his statement is contradicting the films message, which is that killer whales only kill because they are psychologically impaired from being held captive. The trainer also states that an orca that is even more aggressive and tempered would have the best sperm in order to continue the breeding program. The trainer’s statement is not scientifically correct, because there is no such thing of a gene passing down that induces captive psychosis. All the statement does is make the audiences believe that it is true and make them think that SeaWorld is not doing a good job of taking care of the animals. Blackfish provides false facts for the lifespan of killer whales. The film states that killer whales can live

Both genders are capable to reach sixty through ninety years of life. The false information that Blackfish is responsible for makes the audience believe that captivity is reducing the lifespan of killer whales by a dramatic amount. Many people believe that SeaWorld is just an entertainment park that looks to make its money. However, people fail to respect that SeaWorld provides conservation, rescue, and education towards all its animals. In the documentary there is no mention that SeaWorld helps conserve, rescue and provide education. “SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. Announced a commitment of $1.5 million over three years to partnership with The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the Killer Whale Research and Conservation Program. SeaWorld’s $10 million pledge to fund research and conservation for killer whales in the wild is the largest private commitment of its kind “(SeaWorld Cares). The animal exhibits and shows are used to increase the knowledge of visitors in order to encourage them to care about all animals around the world. Visitors at SeaWorld have the option of enrolling into educational programs. These programs create a better understanding on how to protect the wildlife. Some perks are