Blackfish (the documentary on captured Killer Whales)

[Jondalar]

I recently watched this documentary on Netflix and it sickened me to the core. If you want to watch a GREAT documentary on the plight of captured Killer Whales, then watch this. You won't forget it. Seaworld sucks!!!!!!!! I am totally disturbed by this documentary.

Have any of you seen it?

[olive]

heart ,cheap trick ,Willie Nelson and recently Trisha Yearwood have all backed out of playing there. absolutely horrible the way they treat these animals

[becca]

It is an excellent doc. I remember when Keltie Byrne was killed in my hometown in Canada (Tillicum is a local tribal name) and how the press and authorities back then found Sealand covered up details about the treatment of the whales and the circumstances of their employee's death. People who paid attention here knew that this particular whale should not have been in with others let alone performing or in much contact with so-called trainers. It never should have been stolen so young from it's pod in Iceland for the sheer greed of people to have more money and for no other reason. Now there had been some serious study done by people (Dr. Spong) associated with Sealand at one time, but that had nothing to do with the show-biz attraction aspect, the entire continuing operation was not ever for genuine educational purposes. I saw a show at the Sealand Of The Pacific where the first trainer was later killed, when it was Haida and Chimo, and I had a great interest and learned practically nothing. They jumped through hoops, the splashed, and they were described as having humanistic personalities. On your way out you were encouraged to buy stuff based on their trademarked personalities at a gift shop.

The whole thing remains sad and pointless. Even though the capturing of these whales is long past in the waters I travel through, current wild orca whale pods are slowly declining because of environmental degradation... yet now they are looking to increase oil tanker traffic further here on the tail of new pipelines being given a green light. There will never be enough money for some people. People suffer as well as the other creatures because of this.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by olive

heart ,cheap trick ,Willie Nelson and recently Trisha Yearwood have all backed out of playing there. absolutely horrible the way they treat these animals

And Joan Jett has demanded they cease using her music in the shows.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

I recently watched this documentary on Netflix and it sickened me to the core. If you want to watch a GREAT documentary on the plight of captured Killer Whales, then watch this. You won't forget it. Seaworld sucks!!!!!!!! I am totally disturbed by this documentary.

Have any of you seen it?

Jondalar, if you haven't seen it already, I suggest you watch The Cove as well. It's more about dolphin slaughter, but the main reason those dolphins are gathered in the cove in the first place is to capture wild ones to sell to SeaWorld and other water parks.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by becca

It is an excellent doc. I remember when Keltie Byrne was killed in my hometown in Canada (Tillicum is a local tribal name) and how the press and authorities back then found Sealand covered up details about the treatment of the whales and the circumstances of their employee's death. People who paid attention here knew that this particular whale should not have been in with others let alone performing or in much contact with so-called trainers. It never should have been stolen so young from it's pod in Iceland for the sheer greed of people to have more money and for no other reason. Now there had been some serious study done by people (Dr. Spong) associated with Sealand at one time, but that had nothing to do with the show-biz attraction aspect, the entire continuing operation was not ever for genuine educational purposes. I saw a show at the Sealand Of The Pacific where the first trainer was later killed, when it was Haida and Chimo, and I had a great interest and learned practically nothing. They jumped through hoops, the splashed, and they were described as having humanistic personalities. On your way out you were encouraged to buy stuff based on their trademarked personalities at a gift shop.

The whole thing remains sad and pointless. Even though the capturing of these whales is long past in the waters I travel through, current wild orca whale pods are slowly declining because of environmental degradation... yet now they are looking to increase oil tanker traffic further here on the tail of new pipelines being given a green light. There will never be enough money for some people. People suffer as well as the other creatures because of this.

I feel so bad for Keltie. Her death didn't matter to them. What a tragedy. Tilikums life is also a tragedy. Thanks for your post.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Jondalar, if you haven't seen it already, I suggest you watch The Cove as well. It's more about dolphin slaughter, but the main reason those dolphins are gathered in the cove in the first place is to capture wild ones to sell to SeaWorld and other water parks.

I have seen it and it made me sick. It's a great doc. I do think Blackfish is more powerful because they expose the way Seaworld manipulates things for money. I have watched this doc over 15 times.

[Jondalar]

Does Stevie let Seaworld use her music?

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Does Stevie let Seaworld use her music?

Thats a good question .I know that Bob Barker of the Price is Right is protesting against Sea World with their doings with whales and other activities.

[becca]

There are lots of businesses that use education as window-dressing while doing real harm, somehow when it's intelligent animals it seems a bit worse as they have few legal rights. Performing animals equals show business and not education however. Giving them names and humanlike personalities (there were many Shamus I believe as there were many Flippers) is all about merchandizing. There was a sled dog business that simply disposed of unneeded dogs after demand for their 'experiences' for people wound down following the Vancouver 2010 olympics. In Russia they're quite upfront about similar dog being destined for fur coat collars. I used to take care of a McKenzie River husky and they are extremely trusting and loyal and I have no doubt he would have given his life if I were endangered.

I am used to seeing Orcas in the wild, they can be very friendly, and unfortunately that has helped endanger them in some ways and make them easier to capture. It was interesting how Tillikum's pod intelligently tried to evade capture back in he past when he was taken as a baby from them. I have been scared by large whales in when I was in a small boat but so-called 'killer' whales are definitely a happy sight along with dolphins. I'm sure they could play with me to death though if kept in a very small and boring to them enclosure. Tillikum was abused and essentially made retarded despite obvious intelligence shown for performing.

[Jondalar]

Tilikums life has been terrible and really sad. He was treated poorly by other whales too. I cannot wrap my head around how Seaworld justifies taking babies away from their mothers. That is sooooo tragic.

[jannieC]

I have not seen it but will make it a priority. And (somewhat unrelated), I adore Bob Barker. Such a wonderful man and activist.

[BombaySapphire3]

When I was 12 my parents tookme to Sea World in San Diego.Now this was nearly 40 years ago but they then had a "petting pool:" with a bunch of Beluga whales and dolphins swimming around in circles in a fairly small pool.It really disturbed me then and I never went back to that or any other park featuring performing marine mammals.

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by jannieC

I have not seen it but will make it a priority. And (somewhat unrelated), I adore Bob Barker. Such a wonderful man and activist.

I love Bob Barker.He just turn 90 years young on Dec 12th.He is still helping out and getting his words out to stop animal cruelty.

[Jondalar]

It's almost criminal that this documentary was not nominated for an Oscar. It's the most talk about, influential documentary of the year. I thought it was a shoe-in to win. The Academy sucks.