Captivity In Blackfish

The documentary Blackfish by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, is trying to persuade its audience that keeping orcas, or commonly known as killer whales, in captivity is a mistake. The director does this through rhetorical strategies. This film targets SeaWorld and its consumers in a logical way. “SeaWorld claims that orcas live longer in captivity than in the wild.

Since SeaWorld opened in 1964, the park has encountered harsh criticism from the public. Whether criticized for their ethics or their oblivious harm to animals, the underwater amusement park raises many ethical questions regarding the captivity of sea animals, especially orcas. Most people are uninformed about orcas to begin with, so they do not understand why SeaWorld is such a terrible place. SeaWorld exploits animals in their shows to bring revenue to their company, while disregarding the physical and mental health of the animals. Today, people have begun to see the reasons why SeaWorld should close. SeaWorld should close their doors due to their record of unhealthy orcas, their aggressive killer whale, Tilikum, and their dishonesty to the public.

By contrasting the natural behavior of orcas in the ocean with their behavior in captivity, the film emphasizes the importance of providing a more natural and enriching environment for these animals. It argues that SeaWorld's current practices do not prioritize the well-being of the orcas and calls for a shift towards the more ethical treatment of marine mammals. In addition, the documentary exposes the misleading information and marketing tactics used by SeaWorld to portray a positive image of their treatment towards orcas. By revealing the truth behind the entertainment industry's exploitation of these animals, "Blackfish" challenges the audience to question the ethics of keeping orcas in captivity for profit. While some may argue that SeaWorld provides educational opportunities for the public and contributes to conservation efforts, it is important to consider the long-term impact of keeping orcas in captivity.

Since 1961, 157 orcas, or killer whales, have been ripped from their homes and shoved into captivity. 127 of these orcas are now dead. With the number of captured orcas plus the number of those born into captivity, The W.D.C. (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) reports that, “At least 162 orcas have died in captivity, not including 30 miscarried or stillborn calves” ( “The Fate”1). Out of the 127 taken into captivity, 44 have died in SeaWorld. There are currently 58 orcas residing in 14 marine parks in eight different countries. 24 of those orcas are held in SeaWorld’s three parks in the United States. Since 2002, 14 have been taken out of the wild and put into these marine parks. (“The Fate”1) It is not fair for these innocent creatures to be physically and mentally manipulated and damaged. Such brutality would not be condoned if it were targeted towards a human, and it should not be condoned when targeted toward an animal. Orca whales should not be held in captivity because they are forced to live in subpar conditions, they are mistreated while in captivity, and they are led to aggressive behavior.

The film “Blackfish” by Gabriela Cowperthwaite reveals to the audience the effects of captivity on orcas, especially the orcas at SeaWorld. Specifically, the film demonstrates that captivity is traumatic for orcas, which may cause the orcas to be aggressive. Moreover, Cowperthwaite used information from a credible source and provided evidence to best convince the audience of the orcas’ mistreatment within the film. In particular, the film had experts to convey facts on the subject and showed different incidents of aggression by the orcas to prove the negative effects of captivity to the audience.

The trainers have witnessed the injustice of captivity and envision the future as one that will end capturing animals and broadcasting them as circus animals and also ending the forced breeding programs with the captive animals, and allowing the orcas bred already in captivity, not suited for the wild, to live in sea sanctuaries or sea pens, a more natural and suitable environment. Many people and organizations are reaching out to end captivity calling for the public, the media and scientific researchers to take

The Documentary Blackfish Shows how cruel the zoo and aquarium industry really is. This idea is further supported by Peta’s article. These texts all talk about how the animals are treated behind the scenes and what the effects of captivity are on the animal's behavior and physical condition. There are multiple pieces of evidence that show how animals change inside a cage. However, the opposite is also true.

“Can you imagine being in a small concrete enclosure for your life when you’re used to swimming 100 miles a day?” This is how captive dolphins live everyday, their natural habitat is swimming miles and miles in the ocean. When they get captured their lives change for the worse. In the past decade Seaworld and captive animals has been a controversial subject. Many people believe the keeping orca whales captive is damaging to the animal and affects them in a negative way. Others believe Seaworld is used to rescue animals and save them. The treatment of animals in captivity is cruel and should be stopped. Keeping animals captive is an appalling punishment.

As a young child there has been so many commercials about how SeaWorld is such an amazing place for marine life animals, yet what we do not know is that most of these animals have been held in captivity against their will. Just think about it, these animals’ are made to perform day in and day out for a huge crowd, yet we do not stop and think about what it would be like if we ourselves were held in captivity. Although awareness needs to be brought to this issue, it can make this situation a touchy subject. However, awareness does need to be brought to attention of people who support these amusement parks. The life of orca whales held in captivity are dangerous and have suffered a great amount of distress.

Animal captivity acts as a broad way for the public to view and enjoy wild species. However, “it transforms helpless, harmless animals into aggressive, agitated monsters” (4). “Wild animals should never be kept in captivity- especially not at SeaWorld Parks” (7), and little did you know that kept Animals in captivity are deprived of their loved ones, their freedom, and their personal will to carry on, which lead to them becoming highly aggressive. The conditions in captivity are horrifying and disgusting. The animals have to have a better place to live in so that they will have the capability of striving. Why do you think so many species are in danger of going extinct? Many believe that SeaWorld is a family-friendly incorporation and an

The documentary “Blackfish” shows the horrifying reality of what it’s really like keeping animals in captivity. Things that I was impressed by in this movie was the fact that when SeaWorld was first opening they needed orcas for the park, and they would go to the Puget Sound, herd the mother whales and babies, then trap them in a net and take the baby orcas. This relates to the film’s position on whether orcas should be held in captivity because, they had interviewed a guy who had the job at the time to capture the orcas. In the beginning he explained how he was so excited to be doing that job, and that he thought he was doing something amazing, but by the end of the interview he explained how it was of the worst things he has ever done in his life. He described how the mother whales would cry and that some of the baby whales didn’t make it to the trip back.

As orca whales live in captivity, one is bound to question what the long term effects of living in such a confined space will be. Is it enjoyable and safe, or are the orcas just another pawn in someone’s game of chess? SeaWorld claims on its website that “at SeaWorld, the whales live in safe, sophisticated habitats, receive world-class medical care and are continually engaged socially, mentally and physically (“SeaWorld Cares”)”. However, evidence contradicts these statements. Former whale trainer Samantha Berg says “SeaWorld is simply making money through the exploitation of orcas”. SeaWorld is a money driven company, imprisoning the whales in an unhealthy and unnatural habitat. In their own environment, orca whales are very

“If you love something, set it free.” This is a quote that has circulated for years, and nowhere else is it more applicable than in SeaWorld’s parks. Trainers and corporate alike claim a deep love for the animals they keep captive, but in recent years, the topic of holding orca whales in captivity has become more controversial than ever before. The CNN documentary “Blackfish” brought the conditions Seaworld provides for its orcas to the public eye in a way that had not been done before, which led to much public outrage. The containment of orca whales for educational and entertainment purposes has, in almost every way, been brought into question. Ranging from the physical and psychological damages they experience, the issues in their family structures, and the dangers that their human trainers experience, orca whales are not fit to be kept in captivity.

Allowing the killer whales of SeaWorld to stay with their family would help more than anything. Orcas are incredibly emotional creatures and are very protective of their young, so when they are separated from their family it causes them great distress, but this does not stop the big companies from separating families. Most animals in captivity have been living there their entire lives. This means that they do not know how to hunt or behave as a wild animal should, which leads to the second way to fix the problems of captivity. Samantha Berg, a former SeaWorld trainer suggests, “They should release the animals that are young enough and healthy enough to be released.

The zoo is packed with children, running everywhere. They laugh and smile as they watch the animals at the zoo sleep. What these children do not realize is that these animals are dying on the inside. Animals that live at the zoo are extremely depressed. These animals can suffer severe psychological disorders from being out of their natural environment. But others argue that keeping these animals in captivity will help keep endangered species alive. However, the disadvantages of keeping animals in captivity are becoming more and more serious, and more people are beginning to believe that animals should not be held captive. Animals should not be kept in captivity because of the negative impact it can have