Everyday thousands of people pour into SeaWorlds all over the globe. They come to ride thrilling roller coasters, interact with various aquatic life, buy adorable souvenirs and take Christmas card worthy family photos. Mostly they come for the famous killer whale “Shamu” and his friends. The Shamu shows have been happening at SeaWorld since 1966 and have become the main show stopping attraction. Kids excitedly bounce in their seats waiting for the show to start while parents adamantly try to avoid sitting in “the splash zone”, but once the huge, beautiful animals come out, everyone is entranced. How could anyone not be amazed by one of the most deadly ocean predators performing charming tricks just feet away? That was until 2013 when the documentary, “BlackFish” was released. The movie exposed the ways killer whales are suffering in captivity. Ways that are not only having dangerous effects on the orcas but on their trainers too. In 2010 a trainer named Dawn Brancheau was dragged into the water by one of the killer whales after a performance and held under until she died. “Blackfish” emphasizes that this violent behavior towards humans is unheard of in the wild. The documentary shines a light on how outdated keeping killer whales in captivity is. The practice could easily be equated with having elephants and lions perform in the circus. Yet killer whales are still in captivity all over the world and the question of why seems to be on everyone’s lips now that they know how detrimental it is for the animals. Killer whales are continuing to be kept in captivity because if SeaWorld admitted that they were wrong and were mistreating these animals, it would be a PR disaster. SeaWorld is trying to appear to change their image in a positive way while also doing the least amount possible. It seems like SeaWorld completely ignores scientific facts and keeps feeding the public their own versions of facts in hopes that people will believe them. There is so much evidence that killer whales are too large and intelligent to thrive in captivity. Big changes need to be made, especially from a company that revolves around loving the ocean and everything in it.  

“BlackFish” revealed the dark side of keeping killer whales in captivity. The movie focuses on the Orca, Tilikum and the multiple deaths he was responsible for. It investigates the factors that caused an animal, that has never killed a human in the wild, to kill two people. The documentary brings to light how similar killer whales in captivity are to unhealthy killer whales in the wild. Things like collapsed dorsal fins and short lifespans that are common in captivity are exposed as very unnatural in the wild (BlackFish, Cowperthwaite)  People were scandalized by the news that Orcas were not having the time of their lives in captivity. The documentary unveiled all the ways killer whales are suffering in their confinement and the public seemed to collectively turn against SeaWorld. People were not always so willing to fight for these animals’ rights though. Until the mid-20th century Orcas were seen as dangerous, bloodthirsty animals. This concept was destroyed in the 1960s with the capture of a killer whale named Namu (The Center for Whale Research). In the first two months of his captivity over 100,000 people came to see him (The Center for Whale Research). People stopped being afraid of killer whales and started adoring them. This is how the captivity of killer whales started out in such a positive light. Keeping killer whales in captivity was making people love them and want to learn about and protect them. Aquariums and parks were making a lot of money and the whole world was falling in love with an animal they used to be terrified of, no one was thinking about the serious negative effects captivity would have on the Orcas.  People often argue that keeping killer whales in captivity is necessary in order to study and research them. Conversely, research has proved that killer whales in captivity act differently than killer whales in the wild so studying them in captivity can not lead to accurate research. Killer whales have habitually showed signs of stress while in captivity that SeaWorld tries to claim are normal behaviors. For example, killer whales in captivity will repeatedly chew on the walls and bars of their enclosures which Dr. Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist, refers to as, “abnormal behaviour carried out by captive animals. It is most common and acute in wide-ranging carnivores, and many scientists believe it is linked to stress” (Healthy in Captivity, Bonnin). SeaWorld has said it is just killer whales “manipulating their environments” (Healthy in Captivity, Bonnin) and is nothing to be concerned about. The behavior does seem cause for concern though because it breaks and wears down their teeth which can lead to infection (Healthy in Captivity, Bonnin).  In addition, killer whales are extremely social and intelligent animals that are also very family oriented. Killer whales travel in groups called “pods” that each have their own unique hierarchies and “dialects” (Smart Social, Gorman). Killer whales in captivity are unable to form pods and can become lonely and isolated. These animals, like humans, are not going to get along with every other orca they meet. If the captive killer whales do not connect with one another it would create a negative social atmosphere. It is natural for killer whales to be gregarious and their imprisonment prevents this. These animals are unable to act in captivity as they do in the wild so it seems rather pointless to study them in confinement. There are no reasons to keep killer whales in captivity that are not outweighed by negatives. It is apparent that the reason they are still in captivity is because of the money they bring in which is entirely unethical. 

“BlackFish” had more than just a social impact, the film had plenty of negative effects on SeaWorld too.  Soon after the documentary was released SeaWorld lost 15.9 million dollars on an event they were hosting (Whale of a Problem, Duhon, Ellison, Ragas). The CEO, James Atchison, claimed the loss was due to high ticketing and poor weather (Whale of a Problem, Duhon, Ellison, Ragas). This was one of the first instances of SeaWorld refusing to acknowledge “BlackFish” or the potential consequences it had. SeaWorld’s disregard for the film seems like a tactic to save themselves by not associating with the film’s claims. A 2016 case study of strategic communication referred to SeaWorld’s evading behavior as, “one of pure advocacy with a defensive posture” (Whale of a Problem, Duhon, Ellison, Ragas). It appears that SeaWorld felt the best course of action to protect their public image was to distance themselves from the controversy by ignoring it. In September of 2014, as attendance continued to decline as well as stock prices, SeaWorld finally acknowledged that the negative publicity from the documentary may have had an effect (Whale of a Problem, Duhon, Ellison, Ragas). They were then sued by their investors for previously being misleading about the cause of the decrease in attendance (Whale of a Problem, Duhon, Ellison, Ragas). As their initial approach backfired SeaWorld had to change tactics. The case study cited above describes the changes as, “SeaWorld’s strategy evolved into communication backed by tangible business actions that showed efforts to at least partially listen to and address stakeholder concerns” (Whale of a Problem, Duhon, Ellison, Ragas). SeaWorld was only willing to make changes when they realized how much money and business they could lose. An analysis of SeaWorld’s actions prior to the release of “BlackFish” reveals that they attempted to avoid the backlash in hopes that it would blow over and no changes would have to be made. It appears that SeaWorld was not concerned for their animals, just concerned for their public image and their business. 

In 2014 SeaWorld issued an official response to “BlackFish”. While they were initially hesitant to acknowledge the controversy, they realized it was not going to disappear overnight. Their main claim was that the film was “propaganda” and not a true documentary (Truth about BlackFish, SeaWorld). SeaWorld said the filmmakers used, “false and emotionally manipulative sequences” in the movie (Truth about BlackFish, SeaWorld). It seems excessive to call a documentary that is trying to raise awareness for animals rights “propaganda”. SeaWorld has put themselves so far on the defensive end that they are accusing this film of employing tactics dictators use to manipulate their citizens.  In order to discredit the sources “BlackFish” used they said, “BlackFish relies on former employees, most of whom haven’t worked at SeaWorld in nearly 20 years” (Truth about BlackFish, SeaWorld). Seeing as SeaWorld has had killer whales since 1966 a worker who left the company 20 years ago still seems qualified to talk about the program. Most astoundingly SeaWorld tries to convince people that Tilikum was not displaying aggressive behavior when he killed Dawn Brancheau saying, “the film falsely suggests that Tilikum had become psychotic and aggressive” (Truth about BlackFish, SeaWorld). As stated previously, there has never been a report of a killer whale causing the death of a human in the wild (Not Be Kept, Hogenboom) It cannot simply be a coincidence that the only times killer whales have killed a person was while they were in captivity. Tilikum killing Brancheau can not only be described as aggressive behavior but also anomalous behavior. Behavior that was brought on by the psychological strain of being kept in captivity. In a report on killer whales Dr. Rose wrote, “The aberrant behavior seen in captive orcas is suggestive of abnormal social and psychological development of animals raised in or born into artificial social groups and ‘habitats’” (Killer Controversy, Rose) It is not surprising that animals so unsuited for captivity have lashed out. No one is trying to blame Tilikum for his aggression but by ignoring it SeaWorld is perpetuating the problem and allowing for dangerous incidents to happen again. With so much evidence that killer whales do not thrive in captivity, SeaWorld’s complete denial of everything said in “BlackFish” makes them appear uncredible and untrustworthy. In a manipulative fashion, they did not address the accusations right away either but waited to see if it would turn into a big enough problem. How are people supposed to believe SeaWorld’s side of the story when it is so apparent they are allowing their animals to suffer. 

Without admitting any wrongdoings, SeaWorld has coincidentally announced some changes they are going to be making to their Orca program. They are planning on phasing out the killer whale performances and ending the breeding so that the group of killer whales they have now will be the last (Healthy in Captivity, Bonnin). While it is great that sometime in the future there will be no more killer whales at SeaWorld, the future could be at least 30 years away. Stopping the killer whale shows is not enough to fix the many issues until the animals have all passed away. SeaWorld had plans to expand their tanks and make them more interactive for the orcas which they called their “Blue World Project” (Healthy in Captivity, Bonnin). Unfortunately, ever since they were pushed to end the breeding program plans for “Blue World” have also stopped. In an article where the author, Liz Bonnin, got to interview SeaWorld’s Vice President of Veterinary Services about the orca program, Bonnin wrote, “But now that the breeding programme has come to an end, so it seems have plans for Blue World” (Healthy in Captivity, Bonnin). The fact that SeaWorld does not want to put the effort into improving their orcas’ lives now they will not continue breeding them and making money off them says a lot.  The tanks the animals currently reside in are only 35 feet deep and about .03 miles (SeaWorld of Hurt). In the wild, killer whales dive up to 1000 feet and can swim 100 miles a day (SeaWorld of Hurt). In no way are these current tanks suitable. Swimming around and around in the same area has to being boring to such an intelligent animal. Many people in the scientific community think sea pens are a perfect way for the orcas to live out the rest of their lives (Healthy in Captivity, Bonnin). Sea pens are large enclosed areas in the ocean that could keep the animals safe and close to SeaWorld but give them plenty of room to swim. SeaWorld is opposed to this idea giving flimsy excuses such as, “the orcas would be exposed to pollution” and that, “our killer whales are thriving right where they are”  (Healthy in Captivity, Bonnin). First of all, it has been proven that the animals are not “thriving right where they are”. Secondly, being exposed to pollution seems like a small price to pay for  the orcas to have a lot more freedom. SeaWorld could want to keep the killer whales in their current tanks because the public will continue to have access to them which means money. It could also be that SeaWorld fears moving them to sea pens would prove that SeaWorld was lying when they denied all the claims made in “BlackFish”. These big changes SeaWorld claims to be making seem like empty promises. 

SeaWorld used to be seen as the epitome of ocean conservation and exploration. They were a whole park dedicated to the wonders of an unexplored world. Recently, it appears that that SeaWorld cares more about making money than doing what is best for the wildlife they built their business on. SeaWorld may be responsible for teaching people that killer whales are incredible animals that should not be feared, but their methods are now outdated. The world knows more about killer whales now than we ever did which means we know how unsuited they are for captivity. It may seem easy to study killer whales in captivity but because of the way captivity changes their behavior, it is much more effective to study them in the wild. Furthermore, with so many technological advancements, we no longer need the advantage of keeping killer whales in a confined space to research them. There are no longer reasons to keep killer whales in captivity besides for our own enjoyment which is completely selfish and unfair especially knowing how they suffer in captivity. The documentary, “BlackFish” was made to raise awareness about the effects captivity has on killer whales and to inspire change. While millions are people are now against keeping killer whales in captivity, SeaWorld has, unfortunately, failed to reform their killer whale program in substantial ways. SeaWorld used manipulative tactics when responding to the controversy “BlackFish” created. They only started to make changes when the public turned against them, resulting in financial loses. If SeaWorld truly cared about their animals they way they claim to, they would not deny the overwhelming proof that killer whales in captivity are not nearly as healthy as those in the wild. Killer whales in captivity are lacking socially, physically, and psychologically and SeaWorld should want to change that. If SeaWorld wants to redeem themselves a great start would be creating sea pens for their killer whales to live out the rest of their lives in. Sea pens would give the animals a lot of room to swim and a more interactive environment to keep them occupied. The fate of SeaWorld relies on how they continue to treat their killer whales but they seem to still only be concerned with saving their business. SeaWorld might not be willing to make changes themselves but the public may just force them into it. Hopefully, in the near future the world will see the day when killer whales are not longer being kept in captivity.         
