Michael Bigg

SeaWorld is not only a fun place to see animals do tricks, but the training behind it is not what it seems. Nobody thinks about how much time is spent training the whales or the damage being to them. “Do not cry for me I am free now Fight for me Be our voice. Be our hope,” (Cotillard). Many of the whales should not be held captive in small tanks doing tricks just for entertainment. However, many organizations are created to voice opinions and animal captivity. The People for the Ethical…

The movie the Whale Rider, directed by Niki Caro is a touching movie of the story of pakier and her journey of becoming spiritual and leading her people while overcoming the doubt of her beloved grandfather. This movie shows different factors of kiwi and maori culture, gender and family. This movie shows how cultures can develop largely from small factors these factors mainly involve culture related aspects. The movie exhibits many different filming techniques from the director to clearly show…

When families go to SeaWorld they are surrounded by sea creatures; some of the main attractions include dolphin shows and sensational performances of the Killer Whales. Audiences view the shows and enjoy tricks that trainers and animals perform. However, they can be dangerous but can still have a playful personality with a lot of intelligence (Kirby, 3). Unfortunately, these large animals are in tanks that keep them restricted from returning to the ocean, thus placing themselves and their…

In the National Geographic interview written by Simon Worrall, “Former Trainer Slams SeaWorld for Cruel Treatment of Orcas," author and former SeaWorld trainer John Hargrove sheds light on the mistreatment of the killer whales. Hargrove also talks about his book, Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish, where he shares anecdotes from his life as a trainer and what led him on his journey to orca advocacy. The interview is also full of Mr. Hargrove’s opinions…

The Humpback Whale Having no teeth has its disadvantages. Instead of having teeth like my distant cousins, the killer whales, who have the privilege of having a jagged row of teeth, I use my baleen to filter minuscule plankton, krill, and small fish from the water. Right now, I am traveling with a group of whales (called a pod) from Alaska to the warm waters Hawaii, with the intention of finding a mate. A small school of fish swim below me, their color so dim that they blend in with the water.…

Louis Psihoyo’s The Cove (2009) is an exposé documentary foregrounding the issue of dolphin slaughtering in Taiji, Japan. Psihoyos’s captures and probes into the Japanese tradition of hunting, and the present issue of dolphins selling to aquariums around the world. The documentarian features leading activist for the cause Rick O’Barry who fundamentally created the dolphin trade through the 1960’s TV show franchise “Flipper”. The documentarian is biased and outlines the negative portrayal upon…

Soul Surfer: A Survivor She was bitten by a shark, but her Bethany’s big courage motivated her to recover and get back to the surfboard. The novel Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton is about a girl named Bethany whose arm was bitten by a shark making her ability to surf almost “impossible” There are lots of historical events that cover the same theme of courage. Two courageous surfers that rescued a man that was drowning in the turbulent ocean, a pilot that saved 155 lives by landing a plane on…

Blackfish is a documentary directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, released in 2013. Blackfish is a documentary about a killer whale named Tilikum that has killed several individuals and the issues within keeping killer whales in captivity. The documentary is filled with experiences from former trainers that have worked with the aggressive whales in the past and several experts that have worked with orcas all of their lives. This documentary is showing that the killer whale’s aggression in SeaWorld…

Killer Whales are a very large and strong breed of marine mammals that belong to the dolphin family that can grow up to ten meters long and can weigh up to six tons. Theses whales are a highly social species that are very intelligent with an excellent sense of hearing and have developed highly complex communication systems. Killer whales are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring, when you see these magnificent creatures many people immediately get the idea of…

Ric O’Barry Imagine the ocean without fish, just a giant empty body of water. Animals have their purpose in existence. They all fit together some how in the food chain, or the circle of life. Imagine what would happen if no one stood up for these animals. What would the world be life if no one protected certain species and stood up for the life and existence of these creatures? Remember the Flipper? Flipper was a bottlenose dolphin named Kathy, her trainer, Ric O’Barry is one of the main…