Documentary: Blackfish

[Dulcee]

Will you be watching Blackfish on CNN tonight?

I'm so torn. I worked in an aquarium for a long time. We took great care of our kids and I still strongly believe aquariums and zoos serve a very real need.

But, I have a hard time with large whales in captivity as we can't come even close to supplying their habitat needs.

I know some of the footage in this documentary will probably break my heart.

[PirateLover]

Bumping this old thread because DH and I finally got around to viewing this documentary last night. Like Dulcee, I also believe that modern zoos and aquariums play an important role in conservation and preservation of endangered species; but, the older I get the more distaste I gain for forcing animals to perform for entertainment. We went to a circus about 6 or 7 years ago and left feeling utterly deflated and depressed, and vowed never to go again. After viewing the Blackfish documentary/expose, whatever you want to label it as, I of course did my due diligence and and read the counterpoints. What I came away with is this: Whether or not the specifics presented in the documentary are 100% accurate is not the biggest concern for me. I'm sure the movie had some bias. However, I do not believe that Orcas should be used for entertainment as they are in the Shamu shows. We spent a few hours yesterday at a local aquarium and saw some fabulous exhibits and were quite impressed with the habitats, but as Dulcee said in her original post, there is no way an institution could come close to providing a comparable habitat to that of the wild for Orcas. (We have been seeing this same thing play out with Elephants in zoos across the country in the past decade).

In a perfect world, the only time I would like to see Orcas in captivity is on a temporary status for rehabilitation, and released when they are healthy. I don't believe in releasing to the wild animals who have in captivity for their entire lives, but breeding in captivity should cease. They belong in the open ocean. :twocents:

[BrerGnat]

I totally feel the same way. I know NO documentary is without bias, but having seen wild Orcas myself, and knowing what I do about their lives in the wild, there is no way to justify having them in captivity and making them perform. I am far from an "activist", but it is clear as day that the ONLY ones who benefit from this are the executives of Sea World and other marine parks who engage in similar practices. I am done with Sea World. It always felt a little wrong to me and this documentary was enough to push me firmly to "never going there again."

FWIW, it was the expose of SW's "breeding practices" that really bothered me the most about Blackfish. The lies about how all the whales were "rescued" just made me feel sick.

[BrerGnat]

I read Sea World's "response" and was not impressed by it at all. It seemed to primarily use misdirection to make its point. There was a whole lot of "but look at all the GOOD things we do" rather than point blank proving that they are not engaging in the practices shown. It is like a serial killer who says "but I volunteer at the Soup Kitchen every week, so I must be a good person." Sorry, but the ONLY appropriate response from Sea World would be something along the lines of "Yes, we have made mistakes and put profit ahead of the best interest of these creatures. From this point forward, our orca breeding program has been discontinued and we will no longer use whales for performances. We will work on getting our current orcas into sea pens to live out the remainder of their years in a more natural environment." Anything short of that is not good enough for ME personally.

[BrerGnat]

So, you won't accept a confession unless it's "Guilty", then?

No, I just won't support any other position financially. It is very easy for me to never spend a penny at Sea World again, and I don't plan to until they put an end to their orca shows, breeding program, and captivity practices. You can teach and amuse without exploitation.

Sea World didn't commit any crimes. They don't have to confess anything. However, they should be open to accepting that attitudes change with time and their refusal to address this reality and change their ways will eventually be their downfall. It's already happening with the massive decline in attendance numbers. Their response was too little, too late IMO.

[PirateLover]

I am definitely on the same wavelength as you, Nat. Eric, I read every single counter point that SeaWorld released. As I just said, I didn't even view the documentary until yesterday, after spending a day at an aquarium. So I am far from an armchair activist. The documentary definitely practices misdirection on a number of issues. But just as I will no longer pay Ringling Bros. for circuses, I will not be spending my money at SeaWorld as long as they continue to exploit the animals. I don't care if they didn't actually capture them. I honestly don't really care if they covered up the deaths/injuries of trainers, either because if true, that doesn't shock me, as they are a for-profit business. Plain and simple, I just think it's wrong for these animals to be bred and kept in captivity solely to entertain, when they belong in the open ocean. Blackfish didn't really change my mind- I felt that way to begin with. But the segments showing the Orcas in the wild and discussing their intelligence just really drove that home for me.

[Carol]

If you haven't seen THE COVE, please watch. Dolphins need to be free too.

No way I'd ever spend a dollar at Sea World again.

[jsnolea12]

"The Cove" is the most gut-wrenchingly sad movie I've seen in a very long time.

[NJGIRL]

I haven't seen either of the documentaries that were mentioned but I don't believe any wild animal should be contained in an unnatural environment for profit....that includes the elephants, lions, tigers, zebra etc. in any zoo around our country. Most zoos don't provide anywhere near a natural habitat for these animals. Animals are "traded" from zoo to zoo on a regular basis and this is usually based on making money. Many older animals end up suffering at substandard facilities.

I have never been to Sea World as an adult and never will go.

My son has never been to a circus. When he was in second grade his class went for their class trip. Only two of us parents kept our kids home. My son didn't understand it at the time but I feel it was a lesson in compassion for him at an early age. Many parents later told me they should have done the same.