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Stop supporting captivity of large aquatic mammals with Blackfish

By : Alfonso De Elias

Photo: Courtesy

Gabriela Cowperthwaite comes with BLACKFISH. Many of us have experienced the excitement and awe of watching 8,000-pound orcas, or “killer whales,” soar out of the water and fly through the air at sea parks, as if in perfect harmony with their trainers. However at this point may have destroyed the ability of some of the cetaceans to thrive in wild. Yet, in our contemporary lore this mighty black-and-white mammal is like a two-faced Janus—beloved as a majestic, friendly giant yet infamous for its capacity to kill viciously. BLACKFISH unravels the complexities of this dichotomy, employing the story of notorious performing whale Tilikum, who—unlike any orca in the wild—has taken the lives of several people while in captivity. So what exactly went wrong? Shocking, never-before-seen footage and riveting interviews with trainers and experts manifest the orca’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity over the last four decades, and the growing disillusionment of workers who were misled and endangered by the highly profitable sea-park industry. This emotionally wrenching, tautly structured story challenges us to consider our relationship to nature and reveals how little we humans have learned from these highly intelligent and enormously sentient fellow mammals. Even if the injuries they inflict on one another when kept in close proximity It’s not all about the trainers, the footage was there to be seen and conservation and rehabilitation is great for this animals but not for some ex trainers who defend the right of a good documentary that is only trying to prove the point that orcas and marine mammals belong in the wild and not a tank doing tricks for food. Two thumbs up for this film which makes us think about life in captivity of killer whales as they are separated from their biological mothers.

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