Blackfish Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite Talks In-Depth About Her Film

[@JaneDoexxx]

For their those of you who use Bridgette Pirtle as a defense for Seaworld, here is what Bridgette originally said after seeing Blackfish... "As the credits rolled, seeing my name within those of so many individuals I admire was amazing. I felt such a sense of awe & gratitude. I am very thankful that there are people like Gabriela, Tim & Manny that are capable of creating such an impactful film. I am very thankful for Sam, Jeff, John J, Carol & John H for having the courage to speak out & the influence to inspire individuals like myself to find the strength to share the truth with the world". This is a complete 180 from what she's saying now, and why? Blackfish hasn't changed. Not only was Bridgette praising Blackfish after it's first screening but also claimed to have seen the ghost of Dawn Brancheau in the audience & claimed Dawn approved of the film aswell. I would take what she says now with a pinch of salt. She also states to this day that Seaworld should end it's captive breeding programme & end animals used for entertainment!

[@niamhboydell3017]

Actually her opinion has changed a lot now, she now says blackfish is selfish and mis informative and is a misguided egocentric view of what a few misled individuals believe, 'it is anything but fact based'. She also stated while filming she felt prompted to compromise her core beliefs and believes waterworks should be reintroduced. You can read all of Bridgett's opinions here, centralfloridatop5.com/2014/07/22/bridgette-pirtle-seaworld-interview/

[@mushuk8114]

I love this director's interviews. I like that she's not an animal right's activist, and is someone who admits taking her kids to sea world, and she's right about that cringe factor feeling of watching animals for entertainment. She doesn't show judgement of the trainers or make sensational claims of animal cruelty at the park. She understands the best of intentions don't nessecarily translate to the best interest of the animal you are caring for. She's right that we're not being told more than we know already, she's just questioning . While her film may come across a bit scary and biased in the adverts, her interviews for me shows a very thoughtful, pragmatic person who doesn't alienate the public.

[@paulrichardson2273]

Hear Hear!

[@Aethuviel]

I see a number of SeaWorld apologists around these videos. But all they say is "not true not true not true", but they don't say what is ACTUALLY true. So come on, educate me, make me hate Blackfish, tell me the truth about the wonderful lives the orcas have in SeaWorld (as you claim) and actually put up arguments to refute all the points made in the documentary. I'm not holding my breath.

[@hardcoreking52]

SeaWorld.com/Truth I'm working for Sea World this summer and yes I've seen the movie Blackfish. Go to the website I put at the top. Believe what you want, you can say that the site is lies. I don't care what you think, I'm just giving you what Sea World is saying.

[@Aethuviel]

hardcoreking52 I have changed my mind drastically since I wrote this comment (I even made a video on the topic and am working on another one), but I'm letting my old comments stand. :P

[@hardcoreking52]

Fine with me. I just wanted you to see what Sea World is saying. I respect your views though.

[@lindsaysherman99]

I think that the trainers themselves are indeed very caring and loving towards the animals. However, it is the people higher up in the industry that I think are corrupt and don't care about the animals. Also, the people who capture the animals.

[@SakiLuvzRocco143]

this is an awesome documentary!! everyone should see it! i will never look at SeaWorld the same way ever again. Nor will I ever go to their parks. Shame on seaworld! they are disgusting

[@danhealy6057]

All I have to say is that blackfish is not true they love their animals care for them their tanks is all they know they do not no the ocean they were rescued as babies and brought to sea world but because of their injuries they were so sever that the animal was unable to be released therefor stays at sea world and some of the whales were born their you can't just throw an animal back into the ocean and leave it for dead the animals don't know their weight they don't know how to live in the wild if sea world released their animals they would die don't you think dawn would no better than to work at sea world if it was bad in the wild people in japan and many other areas are hunting and killing whales at sea world they are safe and happy

[@SakiLuvzRocco143]

Dan Healy yes there is absolutely nothing wrong with rescuing animals and caring for them knowing they're in a safer environment. But to force them...& yes they are being forced. To do tricks for crowds is so barbaric to me. If sea World did a catch a release type of program where the whales are released into a sea pen, that's different too. My point is they know it's right for them to be performing tricks. That's what I find so wrong about it

[@JaneDoexxx]

First of all, Sea World is not a charity, it is a company trying to make money. The whales years ago were captured in the wild (not rescued). Now they are bred in captivity & given anti physchotic drugs. They do not have to be 'thrown into the wild' as you put it, but in a sanctuary that's the next best thing.

[@SakiLuvzRocco143]

Yes Mary Flavin !!! I agree thank you

[@tisharawalker9313]

Love this documentary. !! I use to love going to sea world when I was a kid... but now I have a change of heart. The media is always ripping a story up and putting it together to come out as something else and I'm pretty sure that's exactly what Sea World does as well. Sea World only cares about the money they make... they don't care about the whales, the trainers... nothing. All they see is CASH! It's really disgusting. But I'm glad someone decided to show the true colors of this theme park and hopefully a change can be made.

[@sweetbutsour91]

I think this is a great documentary. It is wrong to have such emotional and intelligent whales kept in small tanks in forced pods. Is the film a simplistic overview? Yes. It's a mainstream documentary. I'm just thankful that it's out there and creating awareness. Anyone who takes this documentary at face value and fails to then do more research of their own are as bad as the people who ignorantly feed this multibillion dollar industry. I personally believe that it is time to put a stop captivating whales. Human intervention is doing more harm then good and I think anyone who loves these creatures would happily wave them goodbye. No, the current captive whales couldn't be released into the wild, but options such as creating 'sea pens' would surely be much more healthy way for them to begin their retirement. SeaWorld is business that runs and makes their choices based on profit. If you want to protect these animals you may want to begin looking at organisations that protect, study and conserve them in the wild where they belong.

[@colemarie2548]

Not once did the movie or trainers say that they didn't care for the whales. On multiple accounts the trainers being interviewed stated how much they cared for the animals, sometimes that's the only reason they kept their job. I think she did a good job at showing how sick and wrong sea world is, and that is quite evident as other publications with different supporting facts have come forward in the last year or 2 as well. The only people I will bad for while watching this film is the families of the victims and of course the poor ORCHAS not killer whales.

[@chookfeather]

It's interesting that Alex Martinez was killed by a killer whale just months before Dawn during a training session, he received virtually the same injuries that Dawn did yet this was not mentioned.

[@22zoflo22]

Dear seaworld supporters: I have done lots of research myself and I know lots of facts and statistics that can prove my points but if you forget about the facts for a second and take a look at what your arguing for, you will see how inhumane seaworld is. There is no way to justify keeping large intelligent mammals in a small concrete tanks, keeping them away from their natural habitats, forcing it to do tricks so seaworld (that you need to remember is a company, not a charity) can make lots of money which they then spend on themselves. They don't give a shit about its animals, its workers or you.

[@JaneDoexxx]

Well said Zoe, I couldn't agree more :)

[@therealist8454]

Great job Gabriela. You let the world know how seaworld really works those managers should be in jail they dind give the trainers the information they needed and they treated the wales like cashcows.

[@courtenaynorthfield6001]

somebody please tell me if this interview is promotional or investigative???? I am a journalist student and I need help

[@monochromedx]

I don't think Gabriela's intentions were to make every consumer hate Seaworld, she's even stated that she wants people to come to their own conclusions, given that they know the underlying truth of what HAD occurred in Seaworld. Its difficult to quantify because whales are animals, and they can undergo stress, and the situation that happened with Brancheau was very unfortunate. Animal's have emotions, and this is just a lesson learned, I suppose.

[@mikerotch5610]

anyone else watch this for their school assessment?

[@leyj_]

You can't blame Seaworld for the captures though. Seaworld themselves have only ever captured two orcas. Tilikum himself was captured by another, similar park. But when that park shut down, nobody would take Tilikum, but if Seaworld hadn't taken him he would have been killed. This documentary is one sided as hell, the only seaworld trainers featured were former ones, mostly ones that were fired.

[@StephanieLorenG]

THANK YOU

[@JaneDoexxx]

Sea world didn't take Tilikum for his own good, they bought him off Sealand for breeding. Fact!

[@StephanieLorenG]

Sophie Flude Animal Husbandry is a general term applying to both the breeding and care of an animal. At Sea World, the term is used to describe the one on one sessions between trainer and orca, building a bond. That is the way this term is used with most professions of this nature.

[@JaneDoexxx]

Sea World claims another victim! Nanuq a Beluga whale has died at Sea World as a result of an infection in the jaw. The infection was allowed to get so severe that by the time Nanqu got vetinary care it was fatal. Well done sea world! Another life claimed.

[@alinasir5928]

they should just take all the whales in seaworld and release them together they would form there own pack and they would be ok in the wild if they release them all at once

[@babblesthebeagle8999]

kids should care as much about the orcas now and freeing them from tanks as they did about keiko and how they managed to get him out of a tank and into the ocean

[@theboeingfan13]

@StephanieLorenG isn't it funny how Brancheau's family participated in this film? And why are you saying that the whales are denied husbandry sessions when your slamming the film, that's supporting the And the facts are there, we know this stuff, therefore I've done my research, we know the facts, and have visited SeaWorld every season and monitored the trainers backstage, and watched the animals for hours. It all adds up...yet the majority have changed their minds about captivity?

[@JaneDoexxx]

Well said John, I think StephaineLorenG is full of it. She was well able to make such a bold & biased arguement in favour of Seaworld & against Blackfish but turned off her reply option on that one comment so people couldn't challenge her on it. Much like what Seaworld would do.

[@elisabethandersen7788]

You can pay to see whales in the wild, learn and love them the way its supporst to be! As a child, I saw free willy and then went to loro parque and i remember thinking "this is wrong". So dont say that this is for the children!

[@AliceHammer12]

I think that she wanted to make money out of it. I know that I've gone to seaworld a lot time over the years with my family! I know that the trainers are caring towards these killers whales! She 'says it's the truth' but she never gave the WHOLE truth she even twisted it about one of the trainers

[@marianadelacruz7460]

But you need to realize that even those these trainers love these animals, the conditions that they are living in is inhumane. They live in a pool about three times their size, I dont know about you but if I had to live like that I wouldnt be happy and I dont think it would be very good for my health either. She made this documentary with the intention of trying to make Sea World a better place, making the these animals lives better not worse, I dont think she wanted to take them down. She wanted Sea World to be a part of this movie, her intention was not the money, it was for the animals and for the public to learn that these animals cannot live like this.

[@ThePooman7]

Obviously you havent watched the movie. You clearly see that the trainers do care for the whales. Just go watch the movie before you go running your mouth and saying it was a money making scheme.

[@mikemanamanamike7354]

Adrian Oliveira the movies is a ball of lies put into a movie to draw sympathizers like you.. it's sad they propose releasing these orca's without knowing the consequences.. people forgot about keiko.. the orca that was release and died at 26 years old.. some of you silly people watch a propaganda movie like this and think that's it's all true.. same way communist and hitler convince so many that what they were doing was ok.. so please people wake up..

[@JaneDoexxx]

Sea World as a company do not care for the whales. They are in tanks too small & are denied being able to swim the distance they do in the wild. Not to mention that Sea World admit to giving the whales 'Valium' type drugs! Yes! They drug them! When are people going to learn that animals are not ours to abuse for human entertainment. Sea World, zoos, circuses & any other form of entertainment where animals are used & abused is wrong!

[@AliceHammer12]

Mary Flavin omg! how are you even thinking that! i mean u want to believe that she is saint but she isnt. she was bashed by one of the trainers in sea world. im just happy that sea world actually cares about these animals unlike u ppl but i just hope that one day u get a brain that said im done talking to uneducated ppl like u

[@wawoV]

Lets ask to a expert in this animals whats the best for them! You are a simply trainners no an expert in orcas wild life! Sea world will never be a home for orca, if this be like that i could have a orca in mi pool with a trainer!

[@ismael5923]

Blackfish is not a documentary it is a movie documentaries show both side no matter what and it leads you to false speculations

[@brittneyrodriguez1717]

They offered Seaworld to come and speak on their own behalf and they refused every time

[@solrbrfan]

She made a complete one sided "documentary" about SeaWorld. She profited off of a tragic accident that occurred at SeaWorld. It sickens me that people believe her word for the gospel without getting two sides. Without parks like SeaWorld, people would have no understanding about these animals. Children would never see them and learn about them and grow appreciation for them. You can talk about them in books and show them in movies but without seeing them, children will not appreciate them and aspire to learn more about them. It was not good how they were taken from the wild but that occurred 30+ years ago. SeaWorld has been under new owners since the early 90's and the way the animals are cared for is unprecedented of any aquarium or marine facility.

[@nathanjackson1488]

Facts are facts. Whales in captivity don't live past forty as opposed to 70-80 plus in the wild. The way the animals are "cared for" is a joke.

[@sandraalvarez592]

You're an idiot. I'm not going to argue with an ignorant human being. So with that said, I hope you fuck off!

[@sandraalvarez592]

Nathan Jackson You can't argue with someone who is ignorant. They don't any better. James is another puppet to society.

[@StephanieLorenG]

Sandra Alvarez Then WHY did you comment?

[@StephanieLorenG]

Nathan Jackson HOW would you know that considering we have only been track-studying them for forty years?!

[@Siimon204]

Killer whales aren't whales. they are big ass dolphins, get your facts straight!

[@paulrichardson2273]

So..wild dolphins would be in a prison either! They are equally high social animals. Whats your point here? Pettersen?

[@Siimon204]

Paul Richardson I think Sea World should be shut down for good. The only thing that's more "accaptable" to me for smaller dolphins to be there is the fact that they love to perform (as they do it in the wild as well, granted not as much) as well as it is possible to keep them there due to how big they are. Now, don't get me wrong. If I had it my way, Sea World would be shut down for good with both Dolphins and Orcas back in the wild where they belong. It only hurts me "more" to see Orcas there because they are so enormous compared to the dolphins and the tank spaces is just.. too small for them. Hell, when it's small for a dolphin, how small isn't it for an orca? Also, my comment was just because it annoys me how people label Killer Whales as Whales, when they clearly are Dolphins, which if I'm not mistken is an even more intelegent species than your average whale. :)

[@Aethuviel]

Dolphins are whales.

[@AliceHammer12]

Ok I've been bashed by some ppl cause of my opinion of blackfish ok that's ur opinion of it but u cant make me think other wise of it. I don't care but that's how I feel and I know ppl will still bash me cause of it but that's u though I will NEVER EVER see this 'documentary' as she calls it. She even admits she took her kids

[@sandiagarnica9627]

I think the world would be nice to the killer whales because they're hurting them

[@kiwisoup]

This woman wanted to make money, win awards, and push her own agenda which is just one side of the story with everything that didn't fit her agenda trimmed out. People involved with the movie said they were deceived and misled by this woman.

[@Speechie12345]

"I knew absolutely nothing about this topic" ....so you made a documentary about it? Yeah that's usually step 2.

[@danhealy6057]

That is stupid if you are going to make a movie on sea world why not make a movie about having pets at home she probably got all the information on the internet

[@loserkyd7393]

Dan Healy So your saying wild animals are the same as domestic? No, these animals belong in the wild but domestic animals were bred to be kept. These animals are wild and are not tame.

[@loserkyd7393]

***** Okay.......

[@06jelly]

I disagree with all you ignorant people. There are a million animals in the world that are in captivity and Killer whales are not the only animals that have killed trainers or others. If it wasn't for Seaworld, and all the zoos in the world I would have never gotten the chance to see marine animals up close and have the opportunity to see that dogs, cats, and rats aren't the only animals in the world who can be trained and taught amazing things. These animals are very smart and serve as an embellishment to our Earth. Maybe the trainers should have not been swimming with them, but the whole captivity shxt is bullshxt. Majority of the animals are born in Seaworld. That is all the whales know, they can't miss what they don't know, besides they wouldn't survive in the wild anymore... Humans are taught to believe many horrible things in life and they live with it. This isn't nothing but the cycle of life, we win some, we lose some. Seaworld should just not let trainers swim with the animals and things would be fine. #TeamSeaworld

[@jrodayotte]

"They can't miss what they don't know" may be partially true, but just like any animal, they have instincts. Orcas hunt, they swim with their families and in packs, they mate naturally. Captivity is a euphemism for imprisoned. Is it right to artificially inseminate whales? Would you like being masturbated by a different species to produce children like its a factory line? What about being kidnapped from your mother, or having your own young be taken from you? Mother orcas cry for their young. Sea World and their breeding program strip orcas of their rights without even giving them a chance to have them.

[@06jelly]

like isaid you win some, you loose some. circle of life... no one said life would be fair.

[@TheLauren3305]

Really? If you want to see them go to the pacific coast.... Duh. Seeing animals in the wild is so much more rewarding and you actually get an experience of a life time.

[@06jelly]

I don't have the type of money to get a boat and sail into the sea. Watching fins from far is not the same thing. duhhh

[@pattyhernandez2472]

Love seaworld hate blackfish yup !!

[@StephanieLorenG]

This documentary is DISGUSTING. It is full of biased lies, and is hurting Brancheau's family, not to mention the whales who are denied the husbandry sessions they need. I've been to the rehab, food storage, and training center bts at Sea World. I've helped MAKE toys for Sea World's animals. I spent every break I had for a year studying the whales around the San Juan Islands. Seriously, look into some real facts and you'll hate this movie as much as I do.

[@29tenshi]

Dont go To sea world

[@Theme-Park-Kingdom]

She comes across well, but saying the film is factual is the best joke I have heard in a long time.

[@TheMrdominator1997]

And no oscar nominations #faliure #fullofbullshit

[@bailey.j3193]

IM WITH TEAM SEAWORLD! BLACK FISH = LIES

[@JaneDoexxx]

How is it lies? There is plenty of evidence. If Blackfish was based on lies why don't Sea World sue them? They would be well within their rights to sue if blackfish was lies.

[@bailey.j3193]

a undercover person watched blackfish then went to seaworld and said that the stuff they say in the film is not true

[@JaneDoexxx]

After Sea world claimed that blackfish was lies, Gabriela the director of blackfish, challenged sea world to a public debate & sea world refused time & time again. Why? Because they can't deny the facts. Blackfish is not based on lies.

[@carasilverstein2357]

Dont think so mate... Its all true

[@JaneDoexxx]

Gabriela has records/documents to back it up, she was granted access to those records due to the freedom of informations act. Not only that, but marine biologist, Dr. Naomi Rose discussed everything with Gabriela before hand & is in complete support of Gabriela & blackfish. It is all based on fact & truth.

[@Jordan-mt8tt]

People that think SeaWorld should close their door, are wrong. People that think keeping killer whales or any type of animals in captivity is wrong are also wrong. If they let those animals go they are likely going to die of a slow death. So think about it, would you rather have a animal live in captivity or slowly die in the wild because they don't know how to hunt. If SeaWorld had to close their doors, think about all the manatee's, turtles, dolphins, and all the other animals. They would be dead because of stupid people that watched Blackfish. So would you rather risk the life of a few animals or the whole ocean, because the money you pay to get into the park pays for all their rescues.THINK ABOUT THAT!! #dontgetblackfished #seaworldcares