When I was a little girl, we would visit Florida often, we had family friends there. One of my favourite memories of being a little girl in Florida is going to Seaworld. We would go each time we went to Orlando. I thought it was magical, I'd rather go there than Disney Land, I can remember that I always asked to go to Seaworld. Shamu was my favourite thing, closely followed by the dolphin nursery and I don't think I would be alone in saying that.
I would buy the Shamu teddy, and each time I came home I would go to the library and find as many books I could find about dolphins, porpoises, whales, you name it. I had a little girl's dream of becoming a marine biologist and spending time working with these animals. I even think for a while I dreamed of being a Seaworld trainer, actually in the water with these animals.
So, when I watched 'Blackfish' some time last week, I was in shock.
For those of you who haven't seen it, the film opens with some horrific footage of whales being captured. An interview with one of the men who captured them even said "This is the worst thing that I have ever done."
It then focuses in on the story of Tilikum, the largest whale in captivity, who is held at the Seaworld park in Orlando, meaning I have probably seen him in the flesh at least once or twice.
Tilikum has been responsible for 3 deaths since being in captivity, as a result of this he now spends the majority of his time in a pool, alone.
This first death occured at an earlier park which didn't have the best facilities. After the initial death when Tilikum was bought by Seaworld, his original trainers were excited, they thought he was off to a better life. In reality, after watching 'Blackfish', it would seem that it is a sad truth that Seaworld is the best that a whale in captivity can hope for.
The documentary almost focuses around the death of a very established and well liked trainer, Dawn Brancheau back in 2010. I must have been around 17,18 at the time, I heard absolutely nothing of the death myself.
The story of Tilikum however, barely touches the surface, it's also the fact that the whales live much shorter lives in captivity, that whales who would never normally leave their mothers sides are being forced to. (There's actually a part where they analyse one of the mothers calls and they find out its a long distance call as she tries to find her calf. My heart broke a little bit.) In the wild whales can swim up to 100 miles a day, but in places like this they receive little to no stimulation.
I mean, it's not a good comparison, but a lot of us have been watching Celebrity Big Brother, we've seen the effect of what a lack of stimulation does to some minor celebrities. Think of what years of it must do to these animals.
Another fact that really upset me is that Whales have been found to speak different 'languages' if you will. So when they are seperated from their pods, or even the whales they've spent their life in captivity with, they can't understand these new whales they're surrounded with. How isolated, bored and lonely would you be in a room of people you couldn't communicate with for hours on end?
Seaworld themselves refused to be interviewed for the film but have come out and condemned the information the film gives us as being false. However, I no longer trust Seaworld after listening to it's former employee's. Maybe 'Blackfish' leans too far to one side but I believe it's fighting for the right side of the argument.
I know I'm just someone that in the grand scheme of things doesn't really know what they are talking about and that I haven't even touched the surface of all the issues involved, but ever since I watched the documentary I've been trying to work it into conversations and it has been constantly on my mind.
When it finished, (at 1:30am with work the next day, not my best plan) I was so upset, I almost felt disgusted that I had ever been to Seaworld, never mind so many times, loved it so much, and wanted to be a part of it. I told myself that I wouldn't be going to Seaworld again, and I mean it.
However, how was I to know the truth? Especially as a little girl, I still wouldn't if it wasn't for this film. Seaworld have definitely wanted to keep this hush hush, with little talk of the 'accidents' even to it's trainers who are going in the water with the animals. Although, I do think Tilikum isn't the only one, just one quick google of "original Shamu" will tell you that the whale in question was retired from performing after she grabbed a trainers leg, refusing to let go, during a filmed publicity event.
Who knows what's happened that they've successfully managed to cover up?
And don't get me started on The Cove. Taije has a lot to answer for. A cove that is literally red with blood? Humans really are just awful.
I urge anyone to watch both of these films and educate themselves.
I know this doesn't really fit the bill of my usual posts, but I don't apologise in the slightest.
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