In 1970, off the coast of Washington, a group of marine mammal researchers herded and captured over 90 orcas into a large, three-acre net using speedboats, airplanes, and even loud explosives. The whales frantically searched for a way out. The deafening sound of the orca’s squeals, clicks, and screams were heard for miles. Young calves were ripped from their mothers while they helplessly watched their children being taken away from them. The whales did not stand a chance and this was only the beginning of their suffering. This was the first of many violent captures that would set a horrific precedent for years to come. Between the years of 1970 and 1985 off the coast of Washington and British Columbia, 307 orcas were captured and 55 were sent to SeaWorld where they would perform and die in small cement tanks. SeaWorld has a long and brutal history with the capture and confinement of orcas including premature death of the whales and even death of SeaWorld multiple trainers. For many years, things went unchanged and the whales continued to be hunted and sold into entertainment. One thing that started a change was the film, Blackfish. Blackfish is a documentary film that exposes what life in captivity is truly like for whales. The film sparked a movement that shifted the public opinion on the once magical SeaWorld to a much darker atmosphere. Blackfish is a crucial turning point in the movement to end whales in captivity because it provided the truth to millions of people about the cruelty and abuse killer whales face in captivity.

Shot for only $76,000 and initially released in only five cinemas, Blackfish didn’t immediately look like it would change a small corner of the world. The main focus of the documentary centers around one specific orca, Tilikum, and his involvement in the death of several people including an experienced SeaWorld trainer. Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the creator and director of the film, weighs in in an interview on why she decided to make Blackfish. “But something wasn't right. I remember asking someone why an orca -- a highly intelligent animal -- would attack its trainer or essentially ‘bite the hand that feeds it.’” After hearing the news about the death of SeaWorld trainer, Dawn Brancheau, Gabriela decided she would set out to find the truth about what exactly happened to the trainer. Little did she know, she would uncover years of cruelty towards these animals. The documentary begins with old footage of a whale hunt happening off the coast of Washington state. Here is where they captured 2-year-old Tilikum. Still considered a baby, Tilikum was brought to an aquatic animal facility in British Columbia called, Sealand. This is where the neurotic behavior of the young whale would begin to sprout. The whale was kept in a small 20 by 30-foot box, along with two other whales, each night for ten or so hours a night. The trainers also used punishment as a training method and the whales would occasionally go days without food. These things combined with the stress of the new environment led to what became Tilikum’s first incident, the death of Keltie Byrne. Keltie was a trainer at the Sealand facility. Eyewitnesses say she was walking on the deck when she tripped and fell into the tank with the three whales. As she was pulling herself up, Tilikum swam towards her and grabbed her by the foot. As the 22-and-a-half-foot beast dragged her under the water, people became worried when she didn’t resurface. Shortly after, the park decided it was time to shut down. They kept the incident quiet and blamed the incident on a trainer error. They were forced to sell the three whales and SeaWorld jumped all over Tilikum without knowing that he was potentially at fault for the death of Keltie. After adjusting to his new life in Orlando, Tilikum seemed to be doing okay. There were no incidents for almost 20 years besides a few signs of aggression which was typical for the trainers. One day, however, while doing the last show of the night, Dawn Brancheau, an experienced trainer, was attacked and killed by Tilikum. This was truly a turning point in the age of captive whales. Dawn was described as not only one of the nicest people, but also a safety fanatic. It was then that many trainers realized an attack could happen to any of them.  

After the 2010 death of Dawn, OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, prohibited SeaWorld trainers from entering the water with the whales without a physical barrier. This was a sign that changes were being made. Trainers risked their lives every day and a large part of the documentary included interviews with past SeaWorld trainers. Many trainers have come forward and discussed their time working at the facility and how poorly the whales were treated. John Hargrove was once the Senior Trainer at SeaWorld and author of the book, Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish. "It's time to stop the shows. It's time to stop forcing the animals to perform in basically a circus environment, and they should release the animals that are young enough and healthy enough to be released."

Blackfish is a rare occasion in which a documentary directed by someone with little to no influence yet shifts public opinion so much that it changes an industry. SeaWorld before and after the film are very different. The film caused people to turn their backs on SeaWorld as profits drop 84%, from $37.4 million in 2014 to $5.8 million in 2015, in the second quarter. SeaWorld also saw a decrease of 100,000 visitors in the year 2014 and a 33% decrease in stock price. This decrease is the result from the film. It is apparent that the public has sided with the documentary and starts the movement toward ending captive whales at SeaWorld.

Since the release of the film, SeaWorld has made many beneficial changes to its park. Not only has SeaWorld’s business been hurt, but they’ve been forced to make improvements because of the film. For example, SeaWorld Entertainment is in the process of revealing, The Blue Project, a killer whale sanctuary that will include an additional ten million gallons of capacity to the park. It is expected to be the largest under-water orca viewing attraction in the world. SeaWorld made the decision not to do an interview or comment on anything about Blackfish. This was very suspicious to some people and made it seem like the park had something to hide. Since then, SeaWorld has received constant negativity on social media and has been the recipient of countless protests. Finally, California state Assemblyman, Richard Bloom, unveiled to legislation that would ban the use of orcas in shows. He was one of many who saught out change after watching Blackfish. With 1.2 million people who have signed the petition, it is likely the bill will pass. 

As SeaWorld moves into an era free of captive whales, should they simply release them back into the wild? In a press interview, Chief Executive Joel Manby said, "Most of our orcas were born at SeaWorld, and those that were born in the wild have been in our parks for the majority of their lives," he said. "If we release them into the ocean, they will likely die." Because they spent their entire lives in captivity, they wouldn’t know what to do in the wild. The alternative would be to move them into enclosed sea pens. The downside of this plan would be the expense. Experts estimate it to run a half million dollars per year to maintain the enclosures. 

It is not often that a documentary cause such a drastic change. Only a handful have created such a buzz before such as Supersize Me and The Cove. For the film industry to be moving this way says a lot about the future. Overall, Blackfish is a film that made a legitimate change. . Blackfish is a crucial turning point in the movement to end whales in captivity because it provided the truth to millions of people about the cruelty and abuse killer whales face in captivity. 

 