‘Blackfish’ Comes to the UK

Orcas and other sea mammals routinely die prematurely from stress and other captivity-related causes in marine parks and aquariums, such as SeaWorld and Loro Parque.

Despite numerous tragedies, including the deaths of many orcas and trainers, the safety of marine mammals and humans continues to be jeopardised. Blackfish, the new film from Gabriela Cowperthwaite, exposes what lies behind the “entertainment”.

The film tells the story of Tilikum, a performing orca whose captivity led to the deaths of several people. Shocking video footage and emotional interviews explore his extraordinary nature, the cruel treatment of his species in captivity, the lives and losses of the trainers and the pressures brought to bear by the multi-billion pound sea-park industry.

At Loro Parque and SeaWorld, highly intelligent and social whales are kept in pitifully small tanks and denied everything that is natural and important to them. The movie is an eye-opening look at the cruel industry that is exploiting these animals, and we encourage our supporters to take friends and family to see it.

Screenings are taking place in the UK, including at Curzon Soho on 26 June in London and Sheffield Doc/Fest on 14 June, before theatrical release on 26 July.

Want to do more? Morgan is an orca who was born in freedom and is currently held at Loro Parque, where she is forced to perform trivial tricks and confined in a cruel and unjustifiable manner to a tiny barren concrete tank with incompatible orcas who bully and attack her. Take action, and ask for her to be transferred to a coastal sanctuary, where she can be rehabilitated for potential reintroduction to her home and family.