'Black Fish'- Killer Whales in Seaworld (USA)

About a month ago now, I became aware of a documentary film by Gabriela Cowperthwaite called Blackfish. The film revealed the shocking truths concealed by Sea World, regarding the deaths of three people at the hands of Tilikum, the "notoriously aggressive" orca.

I have discussed, previously, my thoughts regarding keeping such huge sea mammals and fish in captivity; essentially there is absolutely no way we can satisfy their needs or replicate their natural environment. What is, perhaps, worse about Sea World, as opposed to the whale sharks in Kaiyukan Aquarium, is that the killer whales are forced to perform and participate in arduous training purely for our entertainment. Sea World boast many bold claims regarding the positive side of keeping Killer Whales in captivity, one of which being that they are able to live longer than in the wild; a claim which is simply not true. Not only this, but the killer whales at Sea World are actually taken from their mothers in the wild. This scene in the documentary is particularly distressing as the family of these baby whales look on, crying out, as their new young are hoisted out of the ocean.

Sea World describes its collection of killer whales a 'family' which, as the documentary outlines, is outrageous. Killer Whales have been shown, like humans, to develop intensely powerful familial connections. The whales at Sea World were taken from all over the world- bought and sold as though we have any right to ownership of them- they are essentially different races and have no connection with each other whatsoever.

This is particularly evident when addressing whale-on-whale aggression in Sea World's tanks which was amplified by the excessively confined spaces they occupy. This aggression and even killing of fellow whales, is said to be unheard of in the wild. When a new killer whale in Sea World begins its training, the trainers use an 'accomplished' whale to demonstrate and carry out commands alongside the new whale. The new whale, unsurprisingly, is unable to perform to the same standard, yet when they do not perform the task correctly, the 'accomplished' whale is also not rewarded. This puts the accomplished whale into an intensely frustrating double bind scenario which, of course, results in severe aggression and bullying of the new whale. In one horrific scene, the film shows the death of 'Corki', a female whale who was rammed against the side of the tank by a dominant female, fracturing her jaw and severing an artery in her head. She bled to death in the tank.

Some of Sea World's antics- not okay.

The documentary challenges the glorified and romanticised image of the Sea World trainer and the intensely desirable relationships they are seen to share with the whales. Interviews with many ex-trainers reveal that in working at Sea World, they became deeply aware of the ethical issues behind keeping whales in captivity, as well as recognising the dangerously unpredictable behaviour this causes in whales. They are often placed in rectangular tanks the width and length of their bodies, and in complete darkness. Is this a punishment? A psychologist in the documentary outlines that the conditions the whales are kept in, of course, lead to severe mental illness. They are essentially institutionalised and their behaviour is not conventional of wild Orca.

There is apparently no record of Killer Whale attacks on humans in the wild. Yet Tilikum has been responsible for the deaths of three humans in 1991, 1999 and 2010. The most recent was Dawn Brancheau, an established Sea World trainer, who was apparently pulled into the water by her pony tail. This was a statement from Sea World, who also stated that if Dawn were alive she would have said it was her fault. They shamelessly placed the blame upon an innocent woman who was not present to defend herself, as opposed to confronting the ethical and psychological issues with containing such intelligent, roaming animals in such limited conditions. Tilikum, now considered too dangerous to participate in shows, is retained alone in a separate tank where he is essentially used as a sperm bank to impregnate younger female whales. Almost able to recognise the futility of his own life, he no longer swims and, instead, floats aimlessly with his just above the surface; an image of complete tragedy.

The brain of the killer whale has been demonstrated to possess a entire part, affecting emotional intelligence, which the human brain simply does not have. We are unable to empathise with Killer Whales because they have no visual characteristics similar to ourselves, yet they are more intelligent than us. I have had a serious problem with the entire concept of Sea World for a prolonged amount of time now and felt Blackfish really supported my issues regarding the park. It is yet another example of humanity's unjust dominance over the wildlife of the world and our capitalist exploitation of nature. 

You can watch Blackfish online in many places as well as "taking action" here.