Review of Blackfish (2013) by Luke S — 05 Jan 2016

Black Fish is a controversial documentary written and directed by Gabriela Coperthwaite. It provides an inside look at Sea World and the brutal lives that the orca whales are put through during their captivity. Interviews with prior Sea World trainers and home video from visitors provide undisputable evidence to many tragic events that occur due to the whales being bottled up for so many years to be used as entertainment.

Black Fish starts out by talking about the fun of aquatic animal shows. Originally the documentary focuses on Sea Land of the Pacific. Sea Land of the Pacific is a much smaller facility than Sea World, where only some tricks can be performed, and the whales have even less space than they would at Sea World. But, Sea land of the pacific has something that Sea World wants. A young male orca whale named Tilikum. Tilikum would end up to be a six ton killer whale prided for his breeding ability. After events occur at Sea Land involving Tilikum, Sea World sees their chance. They buy Tilikum from Sea Land.

After sea land of the Pacific closes the documentary takes a total look inside Sea World. Sea World is a manipulative place where visitors are lied to about the age of the whales. Even trainers don't know the full story of what's going on. After a trainer is injured by a whale most trainers didn't even know the event happened, and they find out they are told it was trainer error. Even when a trainer is attacked but escapes, Sea World praises that as an example of their excellent training.

What really adds to the emotion is the addition of the study that whales can communicate like humans, and that they have emotions. As a result when a mother whale and her baby are separated the mother tries to use long range calls to reach her. The use of the prior trainers is probably what made this documentary so good. The unbiased opinion of the trainers only explains their feeling for the whales not what is best for Sea World.But, finally as the documentary continues more and more events happen that lead to a huge investigation on Sea World, and their court case against OSHA.