“Save the Whales!” has been Junior Emily Ferguson’s motto ever since she watched the famous documentary Blackfish on Netflix. Blackfish reveals the mistreatment of whales at SeaWorld, the popular marine-life themed park in Orlando and other locations.
If you have ever visited the park, you are familiar with the endless lines of tourists at the rides, the permanent smell of french fries present at any American theme park, and the overpriced souvenirs you buy anyway. You also most likely sat through and cheered on the popular show featuring trainers in their SeaWorld wetsuits and their companion killer whales doing tricks. But what goes on behind the scenes? Why are the whales performing for you? Watch Blackfish to find out about the killer whale, Tilikum’s, tragic life in captivity, the deaths his depression has caused, and SeaWorld’s unethical cover up of these incidences.
Obviously, Emily’s Netflix obsession goes further than just pure entertainment. Watching Blackfish is an educating yet frustrating experience for Emily, who jumps off the couch with enthusiasm to save the whales. “Whales are people too,” says Emily, “Actually they are better than people because they have a whole part of the brain we don’t have. They should put us in captivity.”