A complete breakdown of the errors in Blackfish, along with references.
You can find it right HERE.
Enjoy.
You can find it right HERE.
Enjoy.
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A complete breakdown of the errors in Blackfish, along with references.
You can find it right HERE. Enjoy.
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Again, many people state that they trainers were not aware of the risks around the whales, in particular Tilikum.
Please read the Shamu Stadium Area Manual to see how Tilikum was always a specific concern. By Page #12 he is already mentioned as a special case a few times. I am still currently reading through the manual, but i can already see that any reasonable person would note that Tilikum is a special case, as he required additional safety measures. Below, is the Sea World Stadium orientation check list. As noted in the video, they stated they were not trained very well, they had no known risks of being in the water....Lets take a look here.... shamu-stadium-orientation-checklist.ashx DAILY PROCEDURES - Post one week: shows they review animal records, discuss spotting protocol, and the safety coolers. I would imagine they would have been informed WHY they need spotters.... Safety: Radio protocol for animal watch, Know location of Emergency Action Plan, Know location of Night Watch Animal Emergency Phone Tree. They even are required to discuss if some one just accidentally fell into the pool.....without an attack being required. And the last one under Safety, "Read Animal Profiles and Aggression Incident Reports Notebook".....clearly all staff have access to the incident. Area Approvals - post week one: all speaks to Non-Tilikum areas. Clearly, it was known by all trainers that Tilikum has some aggression problems. Educational Papers: Read Agression In Marine Mammals: Exploring the Causes & Possible Reduction Techniques. That is a huge orientation check list, that clearly ensures staff know about the animals, ensures that that staff know they are required to learn each animal, their profiles, and read on their incidents. It also required the staff to learn about Marine Mammals aggression. Clearly, Staff are orientated to it, and are aware of it. Again, another example of Blackfish not providing the appropriate information, ensuring a bias, one sided view point is achieved. Many accused Sea World of not speaking up, which was a sign of acceptance of the accusations brought up by Blackfish. The truth is.....Sea World had a lot to say, and it is right on their site.
http://seaworld.com/en/truth/truth-about-blackfish/ I have posted the document below for your ease. "Why “Blackfish” is Propaganda, not a DocumentaryWe object to Blackfish because its two central premises are wrong: (1) that life at SeaWorld is harmful for killer whales and for trainers working with these animals, and (2) that SeaWorld has attempted to cover up the facts surrounding the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010, as well the history of Tilikum, the killer whale involved in that accident. Nothing could be further from the truth. To make these ultimately false and misleading points, the film conveys falsehoods, manipulates viewers emotionally, and relies on questionable filmmaking techniques to create “facts” that support its point of view. Here are some significant examples with links to supporting documents: 1. Blackfish employs false and emotionally manipulative sequences concerning the collection and separation of killer whales: Through stock footage and video mismatched to the narrative, the film implies that SeaWorld collects killer whales from the wild and separates mothers and calves. NEITHER IS TRUE.
4. The film spins an entirely fictitious account of Dawn Brancheau’s death in order to advance its anti-captivity narrative. To support this bias slant, and specifically the idea that Tilikum was a psychotic and violent animal because of captivity, the film engages in a series of false and misleading statements about the circumstances of Ms. Brancheau’s death:
All of the falsehoods and misleading techniques in Blackfish are employed in the service of the film’s obvious bias, one that is best revealed near the end of Blackfish by a neuroscientist with no known expertise in killer whales. She claims that all killer whales in captivity are “emotionally destroyed,” and “ticking time bombs.” These are not the words of science, and indeed, there is not a shred of scientific support for them. Rather, they are the words of animal rights activists whose agenda the film’s many falsehoods were designed to advance. They reveal “Blackfish” not as an objective documentary, but as propaganda. " Yet another one of the interviewees speaks out against Blackfish and the single sided view it portrays. Congrats on misleading almost ALL of your interviewers, and using only the footage that meets the needs of the film...
thought you would be interested in the response from an interviewee from Blackfish... http://youtu.be/pM8mihrh3TU enjoy.... :) As many know, there have never been any recorded killings by an Orca in the wild. While one can argue this point around and around pointing out that humans didnt get in the water with them often, vs the millions of interactions they face in Sea World, the statistics do point out, that the only killings have happened in captivity.
but there is a stat many are not paying attention to..... Of the four documented fatal attacks on humans, one orca was responsible for three of them. Tilikum, the subject of the film Blackfish, was one of three orcas that killed a trainer who slipped into their tank in Canada in 1991. In 1999, after he was moved to SeaWorld, a man who snuck into the park at night was found dead in his tank, while in 2010 he dragged one of his trainers into his tank and killed her. At 22.5 feet long and 12,000 lbs, he is the world’s largest orca in captivity. He performs art SeaWorld to this day, but not alongside trainers. So, if i give the benefit of the doubt to the Blackfish movie, and let the death of the gentlemen who jumped the fence, land directly on Tilikum (wounds were found to be post death in autopsy), but lets say it was all Tilikum....One whale is responsible for 75% of deaths over 20+ years. Just an interesting statistic. another interesting bit of information, is the list of the highest risk professions int he world.....
There is nothing to do with training of wildlife, marine life, or any animal in that case. I have worked in 5 of the professions listed above. now lets look at the highest death rates in a profession....
again....i don't see the trainers in any of those. loosely "fishing workers". but we all know that means open sea fishing, not training an Orca. So, i am curious....the argument made is that the animals lash out from being captive and are being aggressive, yet there are minimal deaths, there is a huge team of people assigned to each animal, with hours and hours of interactions, along with research and breeding programs. Can the "danger" be taken out of the conversation? its not rated on the OSHA high risk/fatality lists. Just thinking out loud..... #Seaworld #Blackfish see article below from HERE. yet another odd relationship, and February 27, 2014|By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. on Thursday filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor, asking the agency to examine the conduct of an investigator who led the probe into SeaWorld's safety practices following the death of an Orlando trainer killed by a park killer whale in 2010. In a complaint lodged with the Labor Department's Office of the Inspector General, SeaWorld accused U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator Lara Padgett of leaking confidential company documents to the makers of "Blackfish," the controversial documentary that is sharply critical of SeaWorld and killer-whale captivity. SeaWorld alleges Padgett shared materials with "Blackfish" producers that she obtained while investigating the Feb. 24, 2010, death of Dawn Brancheau, who was battered and drowned by the six-ton orca "Tilikum." That investigation led OSHA to charge SeaWorld with "willful" safety violations — its most severe classification — and to recommend that SeaWorld trainers never again be allowed to perform in close, unprotected contact with the giant marine predators. SeaWorld has appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. Brancheau's death is also the subject of "Blackfish," which contends that abuses in captivity may have led Tilikum to lash out violently against his trainer. Blackfish Associate Producer Tim Zimmermann has said Padgett did not provide the filmmakers with any records or other assistance. "In fact, we repeatedly tried to secure interviews with her, her OSHA supervisor, Les Grove, and OSHA attorney John Black, and were refused each and every time," Zimmermann said in January. SeaWorld also accused Padgett of ethical lapses for socializing with the cast and crew of "Blackfish." Photos surfaced last month of Padgett posing with various "Blackfish" personnel at several movie premieres, including its global premiere in January 2013 at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. Padgett has declined to comment on the controversy." Yes, Dawn's family has spoken out against the movie Blackfish HERE.
but to just highlight some of the points, i will like to first quote the letter from the family, as we can see how the Director used a situation to attempt to push her movie forward: "There has recently been an abundance of attention focused on the film Blackfish. As the family of Dawn Brancheau, we are continually asked how we feel about the movie. We would like to take this opportunity to write briefly about the film so we can move on and continue our efforts to make the world a better place in honor of Dawn. First and foremost, we are not affiliated with this movie in any way. We did not assist with its creation and were unaware of its content until the film was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. The Dawn Brancheau Foundation as well as our family members have never and will never accept any compensation from its production. The film has brought a great deal of attention to the welfare of animals, and for that we are grateful. However, Blackfish is not Dawn's story. Dawn Brancheau believed in the ethical treatment of animals. Dawn followed her dreams and became a marine animal trainer. She loved the whales and was proud of her work as a trainer. Dawn thrived on introducing the whales to the audience and educating them about the animals in her care. Dawn would not have remained a trainer at SeaWorld for 15 years if she felt that the whales were not well cared for. Trainer safety was important to Dawn, and it remains important to us as well. Our family always supported Dawn and we continue to support Dawn's friends and co-workers who currently care for the animals she so loved. Since Dawn’s death nearly four years ago, the media has focused mainly on the whales. A human life was lost that day and it feels as though some believe her death was just a footnote. Dawn's death is central to our story. In 2010, we created the Dawn Brancheau Foundation in her honor to continue the legacy of the work important to Dawn during her life. The Foundation focuses on improving the lives of children and animals in need, inspiring others to follow their dreams, and promoting the importance of community service. The Foundation will continue its efforts to make a difference in our world. We are grateful for all the caring individuals who help us keep Dawn's light shining brightly. The Family of Dawn Brancheau will not be making any further statements and we ask that our privacy be respected." "The statement is very powerful, and the family's actions show that they still support SeaWorld Orlando. For example, they were present at Jungle Jack Hanna's opening show at kick-off weekend of the park's Wild Days event. You can hear Hanna's touching tribute to Dawn in the beginning of the video accompanying this article. "(www.examiner.com) This movie was propaganda at its worst.
Based on my experience noted in the Introduction, i questioned the entire aspect of this movie. I was seriously intrigued by what this movie was going to tell me. I wanted to know what was really going on behind scenes. What are the conditions, are the animals abused, how does Sea World capture their animals? The movie created more questions then answered any. While i do respect what the movie was attempting to portray, the clear lack of evidence, vague stats, and limited number of interviews left me wondering some of the following questions:
The more i dived into the situation, the more i realized there are two completely different stories, and there is much more here then a simple BLACKFISH LIED! The methods used by the producer to acquire the interviews were controversial. You can read the article HERE. She goes on to question the insight of the other interviewees. Remember how i asked what the training levels of the staff int he video were.....i should also ask, "what was the cause of them leaving....did they quit? Were they fired? what were the issues behind the employees departure?". Bridgette answers that as well: "One of the most disappointing things included in the film was Jeff and Sam’s critiquing of Dawn’s last session. There are quite a few double standards that are entwined within and around the film that became apparent to me as I began to ask the right questions and ultimately trust in my own beliefs and my own experiences. This one sat wrong with me from the first viewing. Seeing a veteran of 16 years be criticized by individuals unaware of Tilikum’s history, people unaware of Dawn’s relationship with Tilikum, and people who hadn’t a clue of the context of the current state of killer whale training – much less the context of that session – was disgusting and disrespectful. Jeff Ventre was fired for multiple safety violations in the water with killer whales. Sam wasn’t given the opportunity to gain enough experience to begin to critique Dawn’s actions. John Jett felt Tilly was ‘frustrated’ based on poor observations from a poor behaviorist. These trainers were poor with their relationships – if they believed in them at all – and they were poor behaviorally. Dawn would not have made the decision to continue on with a session if Tilly was behaviorally poor, as these three imply. In the words of Jeff, it is in my ‘humble opinion’ that their disrespectful insight is from inexperienced trainers suffering from ‘trainer-itis’ who did not have the privilege or opportunity to make a connection with the animals they briefly worked with long ago.” The unfortunate part about this movie, was that i was really looking forward to seeing how the animals were indeed treated in the modern day environment. Instead, i got fed 35+ year old footage, with "dangerous" themed music. My personal favorite example of media influence, is the part in the movie, where they are speaking of the dangers of working with a Orca, and they show the gentlemen bleeding from his face, leading you to believe he was attacked. Truth was, the trainer hit his head on the projection screen. Here is another link to a former trainer coming forward HERE. Unfortunately, when you take this argument online, people immediately determine that he is paid by Sea World. In fact, when i discuss and make points, i too am attacked as a paid Sea World rep online. I am not paid by Sea World. I just challenge the vaguely answered, and the leading questions, along with misleading visuals and music. I also get very curious when i know a story has specifically discarded interviewees that stated positives about a company, and the "documentary" discards the because it doesn't meet the view of the movie. is it not interesting when of the more than three hours of interview footage Simmons provided for the documentary, less than three minutes were used, even though he was the only trainer in the film who regularly worked with Tilikum. As i take on discussions online, i will post on here and with responses. I will sort out the "i hope your kid falls in the pool", and "i hope you don't breed", "i hope your family dies" comments i get....or maybe i will save that for a special post. ha ha. -Peter- |