As a child, I loved SeaWorld. But who wouldn’t love a theme park filled with performing dolphins, orcas and other various species of wild sea creatures?
Fast-forward about 10 years.
I am sitting here feeling incredibly guilty for ever paying the price of admission to the park after watching the recently-released documentary “Blackfish.” The film, released last July, documents the unfair and usually inhumane practices of SeaWorld. One does not need to pay incredibly close attention to the film to recognize the blatant disrespect and disregard the amusement park has for its many marine mammals that they hold in captivity.
You can hear the genuine sadness and regret in the voices of the many retired SeaWorld trainers and various staff members in their testimonials featured in the film.
“I guess I feel bad that it took me so long to see SeaWorld’s true colors. I look back and shake my head at how I took them at their word for everything,” former SeaWorld trainer Kimberly Ashdown said. “They have an answer for everything and those answers are a culmination of corporate PR, years of practice and learning how to answer the hard questions.”
Even after the death of a trainer, Dawn Brancheau, SeaWorld did not change its training methods or routines.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has asked that SeaWorld separate trainers from the animals during the live water performances.
Learning that the park would consciously put the animals and the trainers in numerous situations that they were not comfortable with is a chilling realization.
“Safety protocols were in place but we bent the rules constantly. What good are rules if you do not abide by them? The rules are just on paper. For example, they would ‘promote’ trainers to do certain behaviors before an important show just so that the show would be full of all behaviors possible,” Ashdown said. “Jozu (and other animals) would be used even if they were not feeling well … and if you complained about your own personal safety, you went on the sidelines … I went to Shamu — the place management knew I didn’t want to go.”
Naturally, these whales are not violent creatures in the wild. However, what SeaWorld is doing to them is making them violent, aggressive and in some cases deadly.
The truths that were uncovered stung the minds of the crew and viewers alike. Director Gabrielle Cowperthwaite accomplished exactly what she set out to do: raise awareness and spark activism about a topic that has been largely overlooked by the public until the release of this film.
“I think the most disturbing issue for me, that came forth during the first week of shooting the film, was when we learned of the family structure of the Orca, and of how SeaWorld would separate these truly sensitive creatures from their natural groups and force them into small tanks to create their own ‘SeaWorld families,’” “Blackfish“ cinematographer Chris Towey said. “This is devastating to the animals and puts so much undue stress upon them. How anyone, upon hearing this fact, could allow this to continue is beyond me.”
Celebrities have even taken action on the issue by taking to their Twitter accounts speaking out about the cruelties of the corporation.
“I highly recommend all of my fans watch #Blackfish and never go to @SeaWorld again. Used to love that place. Beyond heartbroken #FreeTilly,” Ariana Grande tweeted.
I sincerely hope that the media firestorm that has risen around the documentary isn’t just some fad. Hopefully the pressure from the media and various activist groups around the world will be enough for SeaWorld to change their dangerous and unsafe practices.