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The article titled "SeaWorld Unleashes 8 Assertions About ‘Blackfish’ and Filmmakers Respond" by Bryce J. Renninger talks about SeaWorld's take on the documentary Blackfish. Shortly after the release of Blackfish, SeaWorld responded with claims about the "false" information that the film showcased. In this article, the filmmakers respond to SeaWorld's claims that they do not mistreat their animals. There are so many interesting takeaways from this article. The fact that SeaWorld took the time to respond to "false" allegations and not defend their treatment of their whales shows how uncaring they are toward their animals.

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SeaWorld Unleashes 8 Assertions About ‘Blackfish’ and Filmmakers Respond

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SeaWorld Unleashes 8 Assertions About ‘Blackfish’ and Filmmakers Respond

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The Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act of 2017, or ORCA Act, was passed to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. In this new bill, "exceptions" that the original bill had were removed. The bill certifies that unlawful breeding and capture of orcas is prohibited with little to no exceptions. This is a step in the right direction for the conservation of orcas, but there's still a long way to go!

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There is one version of the bill.

To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit the taking, importation, and exportation of Orcas and Orca products for public display, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Mr. Connolly, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Heck, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Ms. Lee, Ms. Moore, Mr. Polis, Mr. Smith of Washington, and Ms. Speier) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit the taking, importation, and exportation of Orcas and Orca products for public display, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the "Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act of 2017".

SEC. 2. Prohibition on taking, importation, and exportation of Orcas and Orca products for public display.

(a) Prohibition on permits for taking or importation.-Section 104(a) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 ( 16 U.S.C. 1374(a)) is amended to read as follows:

"(a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary may issue permits which authorize the taking or importation of any marine mammal.

"(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no permit may be issued by the Secretary that authorizes the taking or importation of any marine mammal of the species Orcinus orca, or any marine mammal product that consists, or is composed in whole or in part, of such species, for the purpose of public display.

"(3) Permits for the incidental taking of marine mammals in the course of commercial fishing operations may only be issued as specifically provided for in section 101(a)(5) or 306, or subsection (h) of this section.".

(b) Prohibition on exportation for public display.-Section 102 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 ( 16 U.S.C. 1372(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:

"(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, it is unlawful to export any marine mammal product that consists, or is composed in whole or in part, of the species Orcinus orca.

"(h)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, it is unlawful to export any marine mammal of the species Orcinus orca-

"(A) for a purpose other than to transport such marine mammal to a marine mammal sanctuary; and

"(B) without a determination by the Secretary that the transportation to such sanctuary is in the best interest of the individual marine mammal.

"(2) In this subsection, the term 'sanctuary' means a place of refuge where marine mammals-

"(A) live in a setting as close as possible to their natural environment;

"(B) are prioritized individually with respect to well-being and autonomy; and

"(C) are not used for profit or bred.".

SEC. 3. Prohibition on breeding of Orcas.

The Animal Welfare Act is amended by inserting after section 26 ( 7 U.S.C. 2156) the following new section:

"It shall be unlawful for any person to artificially inseminate or breed a marine mammal of the species Orcinus orca for purposes of using the progeny of such species for public display.".

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Text - H.R.1584 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act of 2017

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There is one version of the bill. To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit the taking, importation, and exportation of Orcas and Orca products for public display, and for other purposes.

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In the video game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Dual Destinies, there is a character named Orla, an Orca Whale, who is on trial for killing her trainer. I have attached a video of a gamer who recorded this specific case and posted it to YouTube. It shows how Orla is unable to defend herself. In fact, the game even makes reference to this at around 20:38-21:51 They mention how even though we don't know her thoughts, she needs to be defended by those around her who are passionate. We seem to have a savior complex for animals where we feel the need to protect and speak for those who can't speak for themselves.

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Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies (English, Blind) - Turnabout Reclaimed (DLC Case) Part 2

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In this cartoon, illustrated by Rick London, we can see there is an interview with employees taking place at what looks like SeaWorld. The employees are happily talking about people who live in “bathtubs” and how they are just as likely to live as long as people who do not live in bathtubs. In the background, we can see orca whales feeding fish to the humans while they are laughing, clearly entertained by the humans in the water. We can see on the people’s faces that they are scared and clearly unhappy which is a nod to how orca whales feel and are treated while in captivity (London, fig 1).

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The 2013 documentary Blackfish focuses on Tilikum, an orca who was captured in 1983 off the coast of Iceland. Tilikum was involved in the deaths of three people during his time at SeaWorld. In the documentary, former SeaWorld trainers who have worked with Tilikum were interviewed and describe their experiences working with him. The documentary also delves into the consequences of keeping orcas in captivity, not just at SeaWorld but at aquariums across the globe.

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Here is a link to more informations about the ORCA Act: 

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Here is a link to more informations about the ORCA Act: 

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Bok, Chip. Chip Bok’s Editorial Cartoons. 2010. Cartoonist Group, www.cartoonistgroup.com/cartoon/Chip+Bok%27s+Editorial+Cartoons/2010-02-25/4459.

Branch, John. Cartoonist John Branch on SeaWorld’s Orca Decision. Rivard Report, 2016. San Antonio Report, sanantonioreport.org/cartoonist-john-branch/?

Cowperthwaite, Gabriela. Blackfish. Magnolia Pictures, 2013.

Demarest, Theresa. Keiko: The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy. Joshua Records LLC, 2011.

@DolphinProject. “Do you know the difference? Read more about killer whales in aquariums here: https://bit.ly/2JChXVl Artwork by Bob Krieger #DolphinProject #Captivitykills #Killerwhale.” Twitter, 26 Mar. 2019, 9:55 AM., twitter.com/Dolphin_Project/status/1110540670022938625.

Kendall, Jonathan. PETA Seeks Animal-Cruelty Charges Against Miami Seaquarium. 25 Aug. 2020, www.miaminewtimes.com/news/lolita-2020-peta-seeks-cruelty-charges-against-miami-seaquarium-11645755.

London, Rick. “Orca Captivity The Story Behind The Cartoon by Rick London.” RICK LONDON SYNDICATION, 22 May 2015, ricklondonsyndication.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/orca-captivity-the-story-behind-the-cartoon-by-rick-london/.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies. Capcom. Episode: Turnabout Reclaimed (in English). 2013.

Renninger, Bryce J. “SeaWorld Unleashes 8 Assertions About 'Blackfish' and Filmmakers Respond.” IndieWire, IndieWire, 15 July 2013, www.indiewire.com/2013/07/seaworld-unleashes-8-assertions-about-blackfish-and-filmmakers-respond-36897/.

Schelling, Ameena. “World's Loneliest Orca Still Stuck In America's Tiniest Tank.” The Dodo, 25 March 2016, www.thedodo.com/lolita-orca-miami-1687088860.html.

United States, House. Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act of 2017. March 2017, https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1584/text.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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The article "World's Loneliest Orca Still Stuck In America's Tiniest Tank" by Ameena Schelling tells the story of Lolita is a 50+ year old orca who has spent most her life in captivity. She is currently housed at the Miami Seaquarium. She has been without an orca companion for nearly 40 years! The tank that she is being housed in is the smallest tank in the United States!. The area she has to swim is only 80 feet by 35 feet and only 20 feet deep. This is not nearly enough space for such a large animal. Orcas are social animals so the fact that she has not been in contact with another orca since 1980 is a staggering bit of information. The Seaquarium has stated that their mission is to educate the public about the importance of conserving marine animals, but their treatment of Lolita seems to show the opposite.

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Lolita - the unlucky orca who's spent 45 long years in captivity - isn't going anywhere, the Miami Seaquarium announced this week.

Lolita is both the oldest orca in captivity and the orca with the smallest tank in the U.S. Captured from the wild as a 4-year-old calf in 1970, the 49-year-old orca has spent most of her life in the Seaquarium's undersized tank, which is only four body lengths long and 20 feet deep.

Though orcas are highly social and Lolita would have lived with her family for her entire life in the wild, her sole companion, a male named Hugo, died in 1980. She's been alone ever since, though she currently shares her tiny home with a few dolphins.

When SeaWorld announced last week that it would end its captive orca breeding program, the Seaquarium followed with an update of its own indicating Lolita's situation won't be improving anytime soon.

"We will continue our commitment to education, conservation and the appreciation for all marine species, including Lolita, our resident Orca [sic]," Andrew Hertz, general manager of the Miami Seaquarium, said in a statement. "All of the residents at the park play an important role in the mission of Miami Seaquarium to educate the public about the need to conserve the marine environment and its residents."

Unfortunately, the message seems to indicate that Lolita's stuck in her tiny tank for the foreseeable future - despite the many voices calling for her release to a sea sanctuary, or at least a larger enclosure. The park also highlighted its revamped orca show, which, it says incorporates "important educational and conservational elements."

"Several months ago the killer whale presentation at Miami Seaquarium transitioned into an educational presentation about killer whales, their natural behaviors and the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population," Hertz said.

But according to one marine biologist, the Seaquarium's new show is anything but educational.

"I literally burst out laughing up in the bleachers ... after they said killer whales vocalize with their blowholes," Dr. Naomi Rose, Ph.D., an orca expert and marine biologist who works with the Animal Welfare Institute, told The Dodo about a recent trip to see the revamped show. "It was so bad. It's so wrong."

Rose said that not only does the show not endorse conservation, but it also gets some facts about orcas completely incorrect. "It's like they just took all this really cool information ... and just threw it in the trash," she said.

For one, as noted above, Rose heard the trainers tell the audience that orcas communicate through their blowholes, and then had Lolita demonstrate. Rose said that, while she's heard wild orcas make snort-like noises through their blowholes, it's far from a communication method.

"It's not a vocalization," she said of the blowhole noises. "It's like burping ... it is not something that you would actually consider a communication sound."

Rose also said the show's focus on conservation ended up being a "grim and bitter" presentation on how terrible the wild was - an approach, Rose explained, that would hardly inspire people to want to preserve it.

"They wanted to explain to people that Lolita was never going to leave ... and the only way they could get that across was to paint how horrible [the wild was]," she said. "They just went on and on about how grim it was."

The show's focus on the southern resident killer whales, a population of orcas that lives off the Northwestern Pacific coast, is significant as Lolita was one of a generation of babies stolen from the southern residents in the 1970s. The calves ended up at SeaWorld and the Seaquarium, among other parks, and the southern residents never quite recovered from the loss of an entire breeding generation.

They're currently listed as endangered, making Lolita an endangered orca. Her family members are likely still alive and swimming free.

While the show might not appear at first to have implications for Lolita, Rose said it's indicative of a bigger problem within the captive marine mammal industry.

Captive marine mammals, particularly endangered orcas like Lolita, are regulated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The MMPA requires that facilities have an education or conservation program in place in order to display marine mammals.

But according to Rose, once a place like the Seaquarium or SeaWorld is approved to exhibit orcas under the MMPA, there are few check-ups or opportunities to confirm the facility's education or conservation program meets any sort of standards. "They let the industry self-regulate," she said.

And that means that places like Miami Seaquarium can continue to exhibit animals like Lolita in the name of education and conservation, even when they're telling the public completely incorrect facts about orca biology.

"The only reason they're [aquariums] able to display these animals is because, under the MMPA, they're [NOAA] assuming it's for conservation," she said. "The government should say something."

Of course, unless the policy changes, Lolita's future is in the hands of the Seaquarium, which seems determined to milk whatever money it can from the aging orca.

"The marine mammal shows at Miami Seaquarium are constantly evolving," Hertz said.

If only they'd evolve into something a bit kinder.

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World's Loneliest Orca Still Stuck In America's Tiniest Tank

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Lolita - the unlucky orca who's spent 45 long years in captivity - isn't going anywhere, the Miami Seaquarium announced this week. Lolita is both the oldest orca in captivity and the orca with the smallest tank in the U.S.

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As we can see in this cartoon, two humans are watching an orca whale presumably for entertainment. The man asks the woman, "Wonder how much is costs to breed killer whales?" and the woman responds with, "Millions of dollars and 3 lives so far." I think that this cartoon references the fact that breeding orca whales costs millions of dollars. This cartoon may also be referencing the fact that SeaWorld kept breeding the same whale, Tilikum, who killed three people. SeaWorld has covered up the deaths of their employees who lost their lives at the hands of the orca whales (Bok, fig 2).

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Keiko: The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy

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Keiko: The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy

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Keiko: The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy is about Keiko, an orca whale, who was used to portray a fictional character named Willy. In the movie, he is rescued from a marine park and released into the wild. However, that is not the case for Keiko in real life. This documentary tells the life of Keiko after the successful movie and what happened to him after he was rescued and then eventually released into the wild. The documentary shows that public outcry and activism can make a difference.

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Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy Director's Cut is an all new, re-mastered version of this Award Winning Documentary with 5.1 surround sound and never before seen footage with Spanish Subtitles and Closed Captions.

You can also purchase the Blu-ray version

Or the Original 2013 Blue Carpet version.

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Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy Director's Cut is an all new, re-mastered version of this Award Winning Documentary with 5.1 surround sound and never before seen footage with Spanish Subtitles and Closed Captions. You can also purchase the Blu-ray version Or the Original 2013 Blue Carpet version.

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Here is more information about SeaWorld's response to Blackfish:

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Here is more information about SeaWorld's response to Blackfish:

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SeaWorld and a former executive said they would pay $5 million to settle claims that they misled investors by playing down the negative impact of the documentary "Blackfish." Credit... John Raoux/Associated Press

When the 2013 film "Blackfish" highlighted the story of Tilikum, a captive orca that killed a trainer, it spurred widespread anger over the confinement of the whales by companies like SeaWorld.

There were months of news articles. Angry musicians refused to perform for SeaWorld's parks. Attendance dipped.

It was all part of what regulators are calling "the Blackfish effect" - a spiraling crisis that threatened SeaWorld's reputation, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Privately, SeaWorld officials were deeply concerned. But in public, for months after the documentary was released, the company denied or played down "the Blackfish effect," regulators said. The law requires publicly traded companies to inform investors of circumstances that could materially affect their business.

This week, the S.E.C. announced that SeaWorld Entertainment and its former C.E.O. have agreed to pay $5 million in fines "to settle fraud charges for misleading investors about the impact the documentary film Blackfish had on the company's reputation and business," according to an agency statement.

SeaWorld has neither admitted nor denied the allegations. In a statement Wednesday, the company said it was happy to have "resolved this matter and to continue to focus on delivering superior guest experiences, world-class animal care and rescuing animals in need."

The S.E.C. declined to comment beyond the statement and its court filings. In 2017, the company revealed that the United States Justice Department was criminally investigating statements by SeaWorld and some of its executives about the impact of "Blackfish."

The Justice Department declined to comment Wednesday. A SeaWorld spokesman did not respond to questions about that investigation.

The news of S.E.C.'s settlement, which would still need to be approved by a federal judge, comes as a debate continues about the captivity of the highly social, highly intelligent whales. Once showcase performers at marine parks, they now are a source of perpetual criticism.

"Blackfish," directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, focuses on the killing of a trainer, Dawn Brancheau, by Tilikum in Orlando, Fla., in 2010. "Blackfish" looked at the mental state of whales taken from their pods in the wild and raised at marine parks.

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Tilikum, the captive orca who killed a trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., in 2010 and was the subject of "Blackfish," died in 2017. Credit... Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

SeaWorld responded with a public-relations campaign, including a letter to movie critics that said "Blackfish" was misleading and agenda driven.

In 2016, SeaWorld said it would phase out orca performances and stop breeding the animals. Tilikum died last year. SeaWorld now has 21 whales at parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio, Travis Claytor, a spokesman, said. He said the animals have lived in human care for most of their lives.

"The best place for these killer whales is to be with our dedicated and world-renowned animal care specialists, who have and will continue to provide each of them with the world's best possible care," Mr. Claytor said.

In its complaint against SeaWorld, the S.E.C. said the company was already concerned about the impact "Blackfish" would have on its business even before the documentary was released. After it was released, attendance dropped, but SeaWorld told reporters that it could "attribute no attendance impact at all to the movie," according to the complaint.

SeaWorld stock prices dipped with negative publicity, the S.E.C. said.

A study of SeaWorld's reputation showed that 32 percent of people who were aware of "Blackfish" had lower opinions of SeaWorld, even if they had not seen the movie, the S.E.C. said.

But at a strategy meeting about SeaWorld's reputation, the company excluded the results of the study, the regulators said.

"As a result, SeaWorld's then chairman of the board never saw the study and was not aware of its results," the S.E.C.'s complaint said.

After "Blackfish" aired on TV at the end of 2013, a member of SeaWorld's communications department called the company's reputation "positively radioactive."

SeaWorld also found attendance down 13 percent at the beginning of 2014 from the year before. One executive called the situation "grave." But the company did not attribute that decline to the movie until August of that year.

In private, James Atchison, the former C.E.O., said the negative trend around the company's orca program "will not diminish anytime soon, as the film will likely gain an Oscar nomination when they are announced in mid-January," according to the S.E.C.

But in speaking to news reporters, Mr. Atchison said he could not connect the attention "Blackfish" was getting to any negative impact on the business.

As it turned out, Blackfish did not gain an Oscar nomination, to the delight of SeaWorld investors.

When the company finally acknowledged the "Blackfish effect" months later in a filing, the company's stock price fell nearly 33 percent, from $28.15 to $18.90 per share. SeaWorld Entertainment closed Wednesday at $30.59 per share.

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SeaWorld Agrees to Pay $5 Million in 'Blackfish Effect' Case (Published 2018)

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When the 2013 film "Blackfish" highlighted the story of Tilikum, a captive orca that killed a trainer, it spurred widespread anger over the confinement of the whales by companies like SeaWorld. There were months of news articles. Angry musicians refused to perform for SeaWorld's parks. Attendance dipped.

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Official measurements of Lolita's tank by APHIS inspector Dr. Kristina Cox. Image by APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) Official measurements of Lolita's tank by APHIS inspector Dr. Kristina Cox. Image by APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) Miami New Times (link)

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In this cartoon, we can see two orca whales who look to be enjoying their time at SeaWorld. They are happily watching a human in a tank, who clearly looks unhappy, but instead of worrying for the human's health or wellbeing the whales believe that the humans are happy and their trip to SeaWorld is rather educational (Branch, fig 3).

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For more information on the Free Lolita movement or orca whales in general:

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For more information on the Free Lolita movement or orca whales in general:

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Orca Network: Enhancing awareness of the Southern Resident Orca (killer whale) community to foster a stewardship ethic to protect and restore orca habitat.

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This cartoon is very simple, but it has a great message. In my opinion, this cartoon speaks for itself. The top picture is of an orca whale, also called a killer whale.
The bottom picture has the caption "Whale Killer" and there is an illustration of an aquarium. The caption "Whale Killer" implies that aquariums are dangerous environments for orcas whales due to the small tanks that they are kept in. Orcas whales are confined to these small tanks in aquariums, which could lead to their death. Aquariums are meant for entertainment, so quite literally, these whales are "dying" to entertain you (Kreiger, fig 4).

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The novel Lolita: The World's Loneliest Orca by William Neal goes more into depth about Lolita's life.

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This book tells a true story about a killer whale kept in captivity. While sobering, it is an important topic for kids to understand, that keeping these magnificent creatures locked up for life in concrete bathtubs is unbelievably cruel and unfair.

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juvenile fiction / animals / marine life

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Lolita: The World's Loneliest Orca - Kindle edition by Neal, William. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Lolita: The World's Loneliest Orca.