Tilikum Imagine being captured and taken away from your family at a young age to live in captivity. This is exactly what happened to an orca whale named Tilikum. Tilikum was born in 1981 and lived at SeaWorld of the Pacific in South Oak Bay, British Columbia. He currently is located in SeaWorld Orlando, Florida. He is the largest orca living in captivity.…
As a child, I remember pressing my face against the TV being in absolute awe when I saw a SeaWorld commercial with the infamous Shamu jumping out of the crystal clear water. Years later I look back at my foolish innocence and open my eyes to what really happens behind the closed gates of SeaWorld. Shamu and other orcas alike are put on a spectacle with lights, music, and talented trainers for the smiles and laughter of the audience and used as a ticket selling mechanism for the multibillion-dollar company. In 2013 a documentary film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite was released on national television on CNN; this film is known as Blackfish. Using the rhetorical components ethos, pathos, and logos Blackfish opens the gates to what really happens…
Blackfish has shown that keeping killer whales in captivity brings danger to the whales themselves, the whales they interact with on a daily basis, and the people around them. The film uses many rhetorical techniques such as pathos, ethos, and logos, to demonstrate that it is inhumane for whales to be held in captivity. Killer whales are very human-like in terms of their brain…
The propaganda piece Blackfish tried to turn it’s audience against the idea of whales held in captivity, yet the film was ineffective because it utilized emotional appeal, inappropriate diction, and contained many logical fallacies thus alienating those that viewed the piece. Blackfish, commissioned by CNN Films and directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, is a response to the, amongst other things, taking whales from the wild, separating whales from their mothers, and keeping them in a miniscule enclosures, and perhaps most recently the death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau. What Blackfish aims to accomplish is emotionally connecting with it’s audience, more likely than not being those who do not know much about orca whales in captivity. Where…
In 2010 at SeaWorld Orlando, Dawn Brancheau was brutally attacked by a SeaWorld orca named Tilikum. Blackfish is about Tilikum the orca and his conditions at SeaWorld and others left in captivity for years. Aristotle’s notion of proof was used in this documentary through logos being very informative of the mistreatment of the orcas. Next, they use pathos through the trainers sharing emotional details and interviews of the victim’s family. Lastly, they used ethos by having people that actually worked there share facts, and having video footage to back up what they stated.…
The psychotic beast may not always be in the cage, but instead in front looking in. SeaWorld, a popular marine amusement park and research center, has been housing along with showing captive Orca whales for over 40 years; thus, making them one of the parks biggest attractions and bringing in a substantial portion of SeaWorld's profits. The dramatic over sensationalized reveal of the conditions of SeaWorld's Orcas was brought to light within the movie Blackfish, by Gabriella Cowperthwaite, and caused biased allegations to develop within the minds of the public. The prevailing attempts by SeaWorld to improve the condition of the Orca's lifestyles after Blackfish's unmasking continues to be inadequate.…
Blackfish: Documentary Analysis Blackfish is an award winning documentary, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, which captures its audiences and takes them on an informative journey that tells a riveting story. This documentary showcases an argument about Orca whales in captivity and the safety of the trainers. The purpose of this documentary is to bring to light if animals, specifically Orca Whales should be held in captivity and if it is a safety issue for the animal trainers. Briefly in the documentary we are shown an injured Orca whale named Tilikum, after another Orca whale ,from a different Pod, has attacked him. Through the arguments of first hand experiences of trainers and workers, as well as addressing the separation of Orca whale pods, and the scientific data about Orca whales the creators of Blackfish strengthen their arguments for wanting the public to be enraged at Sea World.…
Did you know there are about 17,000 individual animals in the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium located in Omaha, Nebraska? This is America’s largest zoo, yet this is only one the 142 accredited zoos across America, this may seem like a lot, but America only has a handful of zoos compared to the 414 zoos located in Germany. One of the many positives that zoos and aquaria provide is there revenue and job opportunity. Just in America the annual zoo revenue averages at about $5,136,250,000 and they offer about 142,000 jobs (Statistic Brain Research Institution, 2015). The economic factors of the zoo are huge.…
Captured Entertainment In a notorious documentary directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, stories of remarkable yet highly viscous orca whales are recognized. In this film, Blackfish, former SeaWorld trainers and employees are interviewed in order to discover and expose the truth about the astounding conditions and treatment of these well cherished killer whales. While held in captivity, the orca whales exemplify horrific and shocking behavior, that would not otherwise exist in the wild. Blackfish thoroughly illustrates why holding these beloved and majestic animals in captivity is not only detrimental to the whales themselves but also to the people around them.…
The Effects of Orcas in Captivity Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of the killer whale shows at SeaWorld? So much preparation goes into the shows at SeaWorld. This causes frustration within the whales that can result in whales acting out on other whales and SeaWorld trainers.…
Freedom for Orcas Places such as SeaWorld have been open for years intriguing the population with its spectacular shows. Millions of people visit these marine mammal parks each year looking to have an up close experience. People have the chance to swim with dolphins or go on one of the multiple roller coasters. SeaWorld mesmerizes the public with its numerous marine shows, but the show that makes SeaWorld stand out from the rest is the Shamu Show.…
SeaWorld is a family oriented, recreational theme park where individuals can pay around 80 dollars for one day admission to experience live orca shows, ride roller coasters, and visit animals in the aquarium exhibits. SeaWorld is an entertaining vacation option; especially for families. Although, many people who have visited SeaWorld do not know the behind the scenes care of the orcas in captivity. SeaWorld mistreats orcas, which in turn creates stress, and a shorter, unhealthy, and unhappy life for the whales in captivity.…
Big Whale, Little Pool Did you know that 38 orcas at Seaworld have died prematurely and not one in captivity has reached its maximum life span? Recently, there has been controversy surrounding SeaWorld’s use of killer whales in shows. I believe that SeaWorld should not be allowed to keep these majestic animals for entertainment purpose because it is unnatural for these animals to live in such confined spaces and dangerous for the trainers, the public, and the whales.…
While growing up in America, I have always been brought to zoos and aquariums. These animal holding locations give people an opportunity to see animals up close and personal. But to what expense on the animals does this bring? Blackfish is a documentary about Orca whales being held in captivity around the world and the effect it brings to the animals. This documentary provides the real information on how an animals can lose their natural abilities to live.…
They explain most of the animals are saved or rescued, some of the animals would die without zoos, and as long as zoos treat the animals nicely they’ll be happy and…