Recall that Logos is the writer's - or in this case the producer's - appeal to logic and reasoning. If you need more in depth information, feel free to visit (or revisit) the introduction page here.
Claim and reasons
The documentary Blackfish argues that Orca whale captivity in places like SeaWorld and Sealand can, in many ways, be harmful both to humans and to the species. The cruel treatment the whales receive in captivity - being punished for not complying with trainer requests, being kept in small, tight spaces sometimes up to 14 hours a day - can exert the whales and drive them insane to some degree, leading to poor health and dangerous behaviors. In order to back this claim and demonstrate the negative effects of whale captivity in the entertainment business, the producers of Blackfish use a variety of evidence and data gathered from theme parks and business enterprises.
the story of tilikum
In order to provide evidence for its claim, Blackfish primarily focuses on the story of Tilikum, the largest Orca currently in captivity.
Tilikum's journey began when he was just two years old in Icelandic waters. Here, he was separated from his family and natural habitat and held in a small cement tank as he awaited his transfer to Sealand in Victoria, Canada. Once he was transferred, he was kept in a tank with two other Orcas, and he wasn't treated very nicely. As a part of training, the whales would have food withheld from them if they failed to perform a task; since Tilikum was a new, young whale, he often messed up - preventing the other two whales from receiving food. This led to a lot of frustration, which was taken out on Tilikum as the two other whales raked his body by digging their teeth into him.
Tilikum's journey began when he was just two years old in Icelandic waters. Here, he was separated from his family and natural habitat and held in a small cement tank as he awaited his transfer to Sealand in Victoria, Canada. Once he was transferred, he was kept in a tank with two other Orcas, and he wasn't treated very nicely. As a part of training, the whales would have food withheld from them if they failed to perform a task; since Tilikum was a new, young whale, he often messed up - preventing the other two whales from receiving food. This led to a lot of frustration, which was taken out on Tilikum as the two other whales raked his body by digging their teeth into him.
This brutal treatment likely led to accumulated aggression in Tilikum, which manifested itself on February 21, 1991. During a performance at Sealand, trainer Keltie Byrne fell into the pool with all three Orcas where she was repeatedly dragged to the bottom by Tilikum until she ultimately drowned.
Shortly after the incident, Sealand closed its door for good, and Tilikum was on the market, where he was quickly grabbed by his current home, the popular attraction SeaWorld. There, Tilikum cost the lives of two more trainers – Daniel P. Dukes in 1999 and Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Tilikum scalped and dismembered Brancheau, as well as broke many of her bones, before drowning and killing her.
Now, Tilikum exhibits signs of mental instability - he often chews on metal concrete parts of the tanks and floats lifelessly in the water for hours at a time. These antisocial behaviors have never been observed in wild Orcas.
Shortly after the incident, Sealand closed its door for good, and Tilikum was on the market, where he was quickly grabbed by his current home, the popular attraction SeaWorld. There, Tilikum cost the lives of two more trainers – Daniel P. Dukes in 1999 and Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Tilikum scalped and dismembered Brancheau, as well as broke many of her bones, before drowning and killing her.
Now, Tilikum exhibits signs of mental instability - he often chews on metal concrete parts of the tanks and floats lifelessly in the water for hours at a time. These antisocial behaviors have never been observed in wild Orcas.
Not convinced?
To some people, the story of Tilikum might seem like an isolated incident - leading them to question the validity of the argument Blackfish presents. The documentary, however, also pulls from other sources of evidence to support its argument from a logical standpoint:
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warrant, backing and qualifier
Every argument has its limitations, and Blackfish has its fair share. Without any stated acknowledgment, the documentary assumes that we not only care about the safety of the trainers, but the sanctity of the animals and their preservation in the wild as well. This is likely because Orcas are an integral part of our planet’s ecology, and tampering with their ecosystem can have harmful effects on not only humans, but other animals, too. In addition, the safety of trainers is more important than the entertainment that the whales provide.
While Blackfish creates a fairly sound argument, its reasoning can't be directly or immediately extrapolated to reality. Meaning, though many people do recognize, to some degree, the moral issues of holding whales in captivity, the whales are a large part of the entertainment business and bring in a lot of revenue for amusement parks. It is, thus, irrational to expect these business to completely stop capturing and using killer whales.
While Blackfish creates a fairly sound argument, its reasoning can't be directly or immediately extrapolated to reality. Meaning, though many people do recognize, to some degree, the moral issues of holding whales in captivity, the whales are a large part of the entertainment business and bring in a lot of revenue for amusement parks. It is, thus, irrational to expect these business to completely stop capturing and using killer whales.