Letter To Manby Case Study

Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s activist documentary, Blackfish, spurred a significant public dialogue following its 2013 premier. The film centers on the role of Tilikum, an orca whale at SeaWorld, in the deaths of three SeaWorld trainers, including, most recently, Dawn Brancheau. Cowperthwaite follows a suit brought against Sea World by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), weaving together testimony of scientists, former trainers, and family members of the deceased, among others, to make a compelling case against SeaWorld’s practice of holding and performing alongside orcas. Nevertheless, after its release, the film drew criticism from some of its participants as well as Sea World itself. Cowperthwaite claims not to have tried to vilify SeaWorld. However, this claim seems dubious given the film’s fairly evident anti-SeaWorld bias.

The corporate officials of SeaWorld used facts to convince viewers to believe their credibility instead of those of BlackFish by different logistic angles such as their many years of being in business. They stated in the website that in the more than fifty years SeaWorld has been in business, they have built a diversified portfolio of 11 destination and regional theme parks which proves they are a well-rounded corporation. They inform the viewer that their programs and practices are based solely on the wellbeing of the animals; “Our advanced programming applies a broad range of best practices based upon behavioral enrichment, preventive health, veterinary medicine and facilities design and management. Our programs and policies are affirmed by numerous federal and state laws, including the Animal Welfare Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act and other statuses”(SeaWorld Website). They make it their priority to accommodate environmental, social and economic sustainability across the company and throughout their employee culture, which is a huge part of having a thriving business. With this aspect of the business, they show that they are reliable and a trustworthy corporation. They state in the website how they have over 21,000 team members nationwide, which appeals to how the crew members are treated across the country, otherwise they wouldn’t have any employees. They make many

Another incident that occurred was Dawn Brancheau’s death. In the days following the fatality, SeaWorld made a statement that her death was her own fault. This statement was obviously after further investigation. From the provided evidence, the audience can clearly see that SeaWorld did not want to be held accountable for their irresponsibility of managing the care and wellbeing of the whales and

Most people today have visited or at least heard of the popular tourist attraction, Seaworld. These tourists may think of it as a place to see marine animals do trick, like killer whales interacting with humans in a fun and entertaining way- but do we ever stop to think about the treatment or feelings of these creatures? After visiting Seaworld and seeing the famous Shamu, the thought of how living in captivity affects the animal had not crossed my mind. After researching I am now extremely concerned with the way these whales are impacted by spending their lives in bathtubs and forced to do tricks for food, all while humans are blindly funding this billion dollar business.

If you have ever been to Seaworld you would have had to go see the Killer whales in fact its one of the top attractions there. Through the eyes of a child, these gentle giants seem to be happy, healthy, and enjoying a playful game with their trainers. The question is are they really happy, do they get treated the right way, and why have there been deaths and injuries. Many people wonder about these things and after the movie Blackfish came out more and more people began to question how well Seaworld treats their animals. “The truth is that Sea World keeps its animals for entertainment and money and helps no one but themselves.”- Animal Legal Defense Fund

The documentary, Blackfish, proves that there was and still is quite a bit of controversy over whether it is ethical to keep Orcas in captivity. Some people believe that it is acceptable since the Orcas are being treated and fed well. Other people, however, believe that this is not ethical because being kept in a tank for twenty years leads to aggression and therefore is too dangerous for humans. The documentary proves that there are many incidents, in the past, where a whale has harmed their trainer. One example of this, that made people more aware of the danger, was the death of Dawn Brancheau in 2010 (Cowperthwaite & Oteyza, 2013). The incidence has led to many different debates over the years and Sea World has had to try to refute the claims that were made about them. The claims were regarding their treatment of the whales and other issues. However, Sea World was not

Since 1961, 157 orcas, or killer whales, have been ripped from their homes and shoved into captivity. 127 of these orcas are now dead. With the number of captured orcas plus the number of those born into captivity, The W.D.C. (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) reports that, “At least 162 orcas have died in captivity, not including 30 miscarried or stillborn calves” ( “The Fate”1). Out of the 127 taken into captivity, 44 have died in SeaWorld. There are currently 58 orcas residing in 14 marine parks in eight different countries. 24 of those orcas are held in SeaWorld’s three parks in the United States. Since 2002, 14 have been taken out of the wild and put into these marine parks. (“The Fate”1) It is not fair for these innocent creatures to be physically and mentally manipulated and damaged. Such brutality would not be condoned if it were targeted towards a human, and it should not be condoned when targeted toward an animal. Orca whales should not be held in captivity because they are forced to live in subpar conditions, they are mistreated while in captivity, and they are led to aggressive behavior.

Blackfish, a documentary by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, analyzes the horrific treatment, containment, and use of Orca whales within entertainment facilities. The discussion of treatment began in 2010, when Dawn Brancheau was killed and drowned by the whale, Tilikum. Since this incident, there have been multiple investigations into SeaWorld and similar facilities. It is argued that the whales should be released from these facilities due to the posed dangers they have to humans, and themselves.

Blackfish Impacts “Seaworld's whale performances may never be the same.” The film was wanting to be created because of the accident in 2010 with Dawn Brancheau and the Orca, Tilikum. The author of the CNN article, Gabriela Cowperthwaite said, “something about a ponytail, something about her slipping and falling, something about how this almost never ever happens because in these parks, the animals are happy and the trainers are safe.” , but when the researchers dug up the dirt on Sea World, it was released to the public in Blackfish, making them lose 84% in revenue and 2% in attendance.

SeaWorld has experienced many fatal accident over the years. One of the most calamitous incidents was the death of Dawn Brancheau. SeaWorld was confronted about the safety of the trainers. Gabriela Cowperthwaine, the director of Blackfish, proclaims that keeping whales in captivity is inhumane and treacherous to whales and humans. The audience is supposed to see how harmless the whales are throughout the movie.

SeaWorld claims that they take extreme measures to make sure all trainers and orcas alike are safe and sound when working with each other. Dawn Brancheau died in a horrible accident during a show and some people have woven a fictional account of what happened to prove that SeaWorld is hurting their orcas, both mentally and physically. People created a fictional idea around Dawn Brancheau’s death to deepen its argument. The scientists who are in the film have made very clear that they are against aquatic animals being used for entertainment for a long time, and have little to

The article “Marine mammals face threats in captivity” by David Rogers states how even in captivity animals are found in danger. An example of Rogers claim is Sushi the dolphin that died at Busch Gardens for $1.46 in pocket change. A record declare the seven month dolphin died of zinc poisoning. When the dolphin was cut open and examined they found 31 pennies, seven nickels, three dimes and two quarters. The pennies were deteriorating. The pocket change had been tossed into Sushi's pool by visitors for the playful bottlenose dolphin to chase. In Florida, the lives of Sushi and other marine mammals are only as safe as their human captors allow. The most threatful thing against the animals is the aquariums they are held in. ``We think there are problems with these facilities that aren't being recognized by the federal and state governments,`` Ken Johnson, field investigator for the Humane Society of the United States, said last week. ``Many of the facilities in this state are having problems with the care of their animals.``Governments are not enforcing rules for keeping animals in captivity safe;therefore, animals are being abused and die ,for lack of regulations.The article “Death claims SeaWorld's oldest orca ; It's the sixth killer whale to die at the park since '88 opening” by Scott Huddleston states that marine biologists at SeaWorld San Antonio are baffled by the unexpected death of an adult killer whale that had been at

The death of Dawn Brancheau made national news back in 2010. Dawn was working as an orca trainer at the SeaWorld of Orlando when the tragic accident occurred. While doing a relationship session with Tilikum, the largest orca in captivity, Dawn was pulled into the water and drowned. It was a story that not only shocked the nation but left people wondering how something so horrible could happen. Gabriela Cowperthwaite‘s use of the accounts of retired SeaWorld trainers exposed the harsh reality of captured animals in her documentary Blackfish. In creating a piece focused on the life of one orca, Cowperthwaite has allowed viewers to look into the lives of captured animals and has shown the greater social issue of animal rights, the treatment

Shots fired Gabriela Cowpethwaite, for her excellent effort in exposing SeaWorld for it’s true colors. In modest words, I suppose karma was Cowpethwaite’s main objective. Yet, to my amazement, I’m shocked that it took this long. After bizarre interviews referencing to SeaWorld death incidents, no-one except Cowpethwaite thought it was a bit cliché! Sure. Although it would be hypocritical for me to assume Blackfish was without fault, for myself there was beyond enough evidence to financially, mentally and physically drown SeaWorld, However, why is this industrial behemoth still swimming?

Imagine that your four years old and suddenly the world has you know it changes your spriped away for your family and you witness you family killed.This is exactly what happened to some of the Killer Whales and dolphins keep in captivity and yes now to this day this is illge but some of the killer whale and dolphins at seaworld today like Talcum is a Killer whale at Seaworld Florida who witness and live through exactly that.He was not alone many other Killer Whale and dolphins have the same story to tell.This is unexpected for us to do as a civilized society and it outraged me that we let this happen in the first place. Clovis,Chappy,Wally,Wanda and 196 other Orcas and dolphins passed away in cavity without being able to go back to where