Review of Blackfish (2013) by Corvin — 18 Jun 2015

Whether through brilliant editing and brilliant subject selection or through genuine portrayal, the trainers come off as wholly sympathetic. And it is clear that many of them are distressed over the treatment of the animals in their care and over their own participation in the exploitation of killer whales.

Seaworld Parks & Entertainment, meanwhile, comes off as devious, ruthless, and wholly unsympathetic. For me the salient points in determining that those running the park are indeed all of the above are the lies they told the public through their trainers.

First lie: Orcas don't live as long in the wild as they do in captivity. This is a blatant falsehood, the lifespan of orcas in captivity is much shorter than that of orcas in the wild. Only through cunning manipulation of statistics can Seaworld even attempt to assert otherwise. Orcas in the wild have a lifespan similar to humans. In captivity, it's a rare orca that lives to see age 30.

Even worse is the lie that calves are not separated from their mothers (as told to the public in Seaworld's spin ads after Blackfish released). Calves are indeed separated from their mothers, and when Seaworld denies this, they are using verbal trickery and hoping viewers don't realize that in the wild orcas stay with their mothers all their lives. So when Seaworld says it doesn't separate calves, what it means is, it permits calves to stay with their mothers for a certain number of years before separation. This does not mimic wild behavior. In fact, Seaworld does not even wait until the calves are in their teens to inflict separation, even though orcas don't reach full maturity until then.

When a trainer expressed her concern over a calf being separated from its mother, she was mocked ruthlessly by a Seaworld exec. The trainers have genuine love and concern for the animals in their care, but the corporate decision makers are infinitely ruthless.

Furthermore, orcas are not in family groups while in captivity. Orcas from different parts of the globe (with correspondingly different languages and customs) are forced together in ways that would never take place in the wild. And because of the close quarters, all orcas are forced into unnatural acts of aggression, since a dominant member cannot chase away a rival because there is no open ocean for the rival to flee to.

Finally, it is evident from the documentary that, while the trainers were dedicated and to some extent well-trained, they were not always made aware of the dangerous nature of their employment. Attacks were explained away as trainer error or non-aggressive behavior, and the danger presented by Tilikum in particular was not fully revealed to his trainers, though it was clearly known to the higher ups.

I grew up in Orlando, and I have many happy Seaworld memories, but I'm convinced by Blackfish: Orcas don't belong in captivity.