Blackfish

Courtesy of www.imbd.com

Recently, I watched the 2013 documentary called Blackfish. Blackfish is about Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of several people, addresses problems within the sea-park industry, and man's relationship to nature. I’ve learned a lot about SeaWorld, and my opinion about them has grown even stronger. Tilikum, also known as Tilly, is a bull orca currently living at Sea-World in Orlando, Florida. He has killed three people. 

The first person he killed was a 21-year old girl named, Keltie Byrne. Keltie was a marine biology student and competitive swimmer. On February 20, 1991, Keltie slipped into a pool containing Tilikum and two other orcas, while working as a part-time trainer. The three orcas quickly took her under water and dragged her around the pool. With an audience watching in horror, she surfaced three times screaming before she drowned. 

Daniel P. Dukes, a 27 year-old man, was the second person to be killed by Tilikum. The day before he was killed, Daniel visited the park, stayed after, and evaded security. The next day he was found dead over Tilikum’s back. The autopsy found several wounds, contusions, and abrasions all over his body. They concluded that Daniel had been drowned. They found no drugs in his system, but he entered the tank anyway.

The third person killed, Dawn Brancheau, created the most controversy. Dawn was a 40 year-old trainer, who had known what she was she was doing. After a show, she was petting Tilikum  when the whale grabbed her by her left arm and pulled her into the water. The other trainers threw food and nets into the water to distract him, but nothing could stop him. Dawn was eventually released from Tilikum’s grasp, dead. Afterward, SeaWorld stated that the trainer was pulled into the water by her ponytail. However, witnesses stated that the trainer was pulled into the water by her arm. Seaworld lied and blamed it on Dawn. Saying that it was an accident, and that no SeaWorld trainer should have their hair in a long ponytail. The autopsy showed that she had died by drowning and blunt force trauma. Along with those injuries, her spine was severed and she had fractures in her jawbone, ribs, and a vertebra. Her scalp was completely torn off from her head and her left arm had been severed below the shoulder. 

Dawn and Tilikum. Courtesy of  www.cbsnews.com

Finally, after all of these terrible events, SeaWorld was sued 75,000 dollars. They use pressure hoses to calm the orcas down and the platforms have guardrails. But Tillikum is still allowed to perform. Even after his aggressive behaviors, Tilikum is still allowed to perform. Not to mention, that his sperm has been used to create more than half of the orcas at SeaWorld. Possibly, making their genes just as aggressive. 

I think that SeaWorld deserved worse than what they got. They keep orcas in concrete pools away from their real homes. And in the past they have kept them in twenty foot deep pools, two small for them to swim in, and too dark to see anything. Causing these whales to become aggressive. SeaWorld should have been shut down, what they have done, is devastating. They are holding these creatures hostage, and saying that they like what they do. But, there has never been any reported injuries to humans caused by killer whales, in the wild. They are generally gentle, friendly creatures until we take them out of their homes, so that we can have one hour of enjoyment. I believe that it wasn’t Tilikum’s fault, it was SeaWorld’s.