To think everybody should watch Blackfish (repeated 2230, Monday, BBC4) if they haven't already?

[needasilverlining]

Disclaimer: Not an activist, not keen on PETA or other extremist animal rights organisations - just someone who tuned in because the documentary got a good write-up.

It is a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking look at orcas in captivity: intelligent, social animals who live in family groups they never leave, swim up to 100 miles a day, have a language unique to each pod and can live up to 80 years. Confined to bare concrete tanks, separated from their offspring and forced to do fucking tricks for dead fish before they die after half of their wild lifespan.

I know world hunger, Syria, FGM and plenty of other things are more important, but this truly is a stain on our species' already appalling record on animal treatment. And more to the point, it's very easily fixable.

Watch it - honestly it is haunting and shaming.

I'm scared of flying so sea world would never have seen me anyway

Signed the petition.

Won't watch it sounds very upsetting. But will do all I can to support any campaign against these parks ( have never visited one)

I just watched this on Netflix and thought it was worth resurrecting this thread to remind people that it exists. It's such a good documentary. I have never been to Seaworld and always thought it was cruel to keep wild animals in tanks/cages but I had no idea how bad it was.

When Tilikum was first in captivity, he was 'trained' by being left with older dominant females and they were all deprived of food which meant the older ones took it out on him by 'raking' him with their teeth, which made him bleed. He was also left in a 20ft by 30ft tank when the park was not open, which essentially amounted to 2/3rds of his life. It basically sent him mad and it looks like this was one of the major reasons he killed people.

The footage of Ken Peters being dragged down to the bottom of the tank repeatedly by another killer whale was one of the most terrifying things I've ever watched.

Going to watch it on Netflix. Can also recommend the book Death at Seaworld. Riveting and so sad.

It's horrendous. I've always hated orcas in captivity and campaign against it. Blackfish has been such an amazing turning point because the film really reaching people who otherwise may never have thought too much about it. I went to a screening where one of the trainers from the film was there answering questions. She said she genuinely hadn't realised until she started working there. Such intelligent, social animals shut in tiny pools and separated from their families. I really hope more people watch it and vote by boycotting sea world as long as they keep these animals

Yanbu it was very very .

Was a difficult but necessary watch.

I can't believe there's enough fucking idiots on this planet who pay and go to these places in the first place.

I haven't seen this but I will watch it if it's on Netflix.

We were aware of the welfare/cruelty issues with Dolphins in captivity and for that reason avoided parks displaying them or dolphin swims when in the Carribean. It's shocking how many people simply don't care though.

Yep it's on Netflix now Midori. Although I do really care about the animal cruelty side of it, it is also absoutely unbelievable how these centres also apparently kept the details of previous orca attacks from their own staff, who then had no idea of the risks they were taking going into the water with the whales

I watched this a while ago. Absoloutly heart breaking. Orcas have been my favorite animal since a little girl. I could never go and see them in captivity. Another good watch is Luna. Saving Luna / the whale.

Beautiful animals.

It is so distressing to hear and it's been going on for days. It's the same thing, isn't it? Am seriously thinking of becoming vegetarian.

You would be better off just stopping drinking milk.

A few years ago I saw some dolphins in captivity in Australia, they had been used in shows and then the place I saw them in had tried to reintroduce them in to the wild gradually but they didn't cope in the wold, they were begging for fish from fishing ships rather than catch their own, one died so they recaptured the remaining two were recaptured to save their lives.

The place was basically doing it's best and they had much more room than most captive dolphins and they seemed happy, in that they had a calf, but of course that causes more problems.

I haven't seen Blackfish, but it must be pretty persuasive. I would love there to be Blackfish types of documentaries about a range of animals kept in captivity - personally I absolutely hate birds in cages, 'inside' cats and dogs left in solitary confinement for hours everyday. I would love people to be more concerned about cruelty around them and in their own homes.
Why is there such concern for whales separated from their young, yet nobody cares about the calves/lambs/piglets taken away every day? Is it just because you haven't seen it?

Just watched this on Netflix, absolutely heartwrenching. This is the exact reason why I refuse to go to zoos and places like this as I think it's so cruel to keep animals caged for our pleasure.