Blackfish: Hearing the Cry of Orcas in Captivity
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Cast: Tilikum, Jeffrey Ventre, Samantha Berg, Kim Ashdown, Dave Duffus, Dean Gomersall, Ken Balcomb, Carol Ray, John Hargrove, Kelty Burn, Howard Garrett, Jeff Andrews, Suzanne Allee
Killer whales have been the monarchs of the ocean for millions of years. Regarded as one of nature’s most beautiful and powerful animals, these gentle giants are powerless against a force that threatens to destroy their world forever. Blackfish follows the life of the orca Tilikum as he is taken from his family as an infant and brought into captivity to be used for the entertainment of man.
The bond between orcas in the wild is one of the most intimate and powerful illustrations of family in the world. The relationship between individual orcas – and especially between a mother and her child – is infinite and unbreakable: they remain bonded as a family for life. When the bond between individual orcas is severed –whether by natural or malignant forces - the excruciating pain that follows in the aftermath of such a tragedy is heartbreaking. As the reality of separation becomes apparent, one can tangibly hear the anguish in the whale’s song…they are mourning the loss of their family.
When one considers the incredible notion of interacting with an animal like an orca in captivity, there is a certain responsibility that accompanies with that privilege. If one fails to have respect for that power and the animal that they are communing with, then the fragile bond that is established between humanity and nature is shattered. The truth is, whales should not be confined in captivity...they should remain free. The very fact that people are dying while they try to transform them into domestic attractions and victims of monetary gain only serves to strengthen that presumption.
As I witnessed Tilikum’s journey unfolding, my heart ached, not only for him but for all of the whales I saw. He was stolen from his mother as an infant and taken to Sealand, a small marine park, where he was starved and tortured by his trainers and viciously attacked by the other whales. After the tragic death of one of Sealand’s trainers, Keltie Byrne, Tilikum was transported to Sea World in Orlando, Florida to serve in their “breeding program”. Although the trainers at Sea World had a stronger understanding of how to commune with Orcas, the extreme confinement and consequential trauma resulted in Tilikum causing the deaths of two other trainers at Sea World, and ultimately, shackled him to a life of painful solitude.
As I watched the tragedy of Tilikum’s story, I don’t contemplate why he is responsible for the deaths of three people. Instead, I ask myself why not! The complete lack of compassion for this extraordinary animal, as well as the extreme disregard for his well-being is nothing short of absolute torture. His actions were not the consequence of his own insanity, but rather a reaction to the excruciating pain and confinement that he felt while in the care of people who failed to understand him or even try to listen. While I am in no way making light of the tragedy connected to the three trainers who died while in Tilikum’s presence, my heart feels equally burdened with pain as I witness the silent suffering of a truly remarkable animal because humanity saw his pain and failed to acknowledge it.
I dedicate this article to Tilikum, the orca whose story inspired this film, to Keiko, the orca who inspired a similar story, to the mother whales whose children torn from their hearts and forever lost, and to the trainers Dawn Brancheau, Daniel Dukes, and Keltie Byrne, whose lives were lost working with these noble monarchs of the sea.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Cast: Tilikum, Jeffrey Ventre, Samantha Berg, Kim Ashdown, Dave Duffus, Dean Gomersall, Ken Balcomb, Carol Ray, John Hargrove, Kelty Burn, Howard Garrett, Jeff Andrews, Suzanne Allee
Killer whales have been the monarchs of the ocean for millions of years. Regarded as one of nature’s most beautiful and powerful animals, these gentle giants are powerless against a force that threatens to destroy their world forever. Blackfish follows the life of the orca Tilikum as he is taken from his family as an infant and brought into captivity to be used for the entertainment of man.
The bond between orcas in the wild is one of the most intimate and powerful illustrations of family in the world. The relationship between individual orcas – and especially between a mother and her child – is infinite and unbreakable: they remain bonded as a family for life. When the bond between individual orcas is severed –whether by natural or malignant forces - the excruciating pain that follows in the aftermath of such a tragedy is heartbreaking. As the reality of separation becomes apparent, one can tangibly hear the anguish in the whale’s song…they are mourning the loss of their family.
When one considers the incredible notion of interacting with an animal like an orca in captivity, there is a certain responsibility that accompanies with that privilege. If one fails to have respect for that power and the animal that they are communing with, then the fragile bond that is established between humanity and nature is shattered. The truth is, whales should not be confined in captivity...they should remain free. The very fact that people are dying while they try to transform them into domestic attractions and victims of monetary gain only serves to strengthen that presumption.
As I witnessed Tilikum’s journey unfolding, my heart ached, not only for him but for all of the whales I saw. He was stolen from his mother as an infant and taken to Sealand, a small marine park, where he was starved and tortured by his trainers and viciously attacked by the other whales. After the tragic death of one of Sealand’s trainers, Keltie Byrne, Tilikum was transported to Sea World in Orlando, Florida to serve in their “breeding program”. Although the trainers at Sea World had a stronger understanding of how to commune with Orcas, the extreme confinement and consequential trauma resulted in Tilikum causing the deaths of two other trainers at Sea World, and ultimately, shackled him to a life of painful solitude.
As I watched the tragedy of Tilikum’s story, I don’t contemplate why he is responsible for the deaths of three people. Instead, I ask myself why not! The complete lack of compassion for this extraordinary animal, as well as the extreme disregard for his well-being is nothing short of absolute torture. His actions were not the consequence of his own insanity, but rather a reaction to the excruciating pain and confinement that he felt while in the care of people who failed to understand him or even try to listen. While I am in no way making light of the tragedy connected to the three trainers who died while in Tilikum’s presence, my heart feels equally burdened with pain as I witness the silent suffering of a truly remarkable animal because humanity saw his pain and failed to acknowledge it.
I dedicate this article to Tilikum, the orca whose story inspired this film, to Keiko, the orca who inspired a similar story, to the mother whales whose children torn from their hearts and forever lost, and to the trainers Dawn Brancheau, Daniel Dukes, and Keltie Byrne, whose lives were lost working with these noble monarchs of the sea.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.