'Blackfish' Documentary About Whales at SeaWorld is Spurring Changes in California

'Blackfish' is a documentary from 2013 directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite that focuses on SeaWorld's famous killer whale Tilikum and the emotional effects these intelligence species experience while in captivity.

Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three people at SeaWorld including a top killer whale trainer. Such incidents have led to the ongoing court case between SeaWorld and the Occupational Safety and Health Admissions. The documentary features controversial footage that has put a lot of pressure on SeaWorld.

As a result, the marine-life based zoological park purchased full-page ads in newspapers nationwide yesterday in response to the film, calling the accounts inaccurate while ensuring that their employees are "true animal advocates." Assemblyman Richard Bloom of California probably rattled SeaWorld's nerves a bit too with his recent actions.

Yesterday, the Democrat from Santa Monica proposed a bill to the California State Legislature that would end SeaWorld's killer whale shows. He cited "Blackfish" as his main motivation for the proposition. Bloom is not alone in this fight against animal maltreatment. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued a statement yesterday in response to SeaWorld's ads and told people, "Please don't fall for it."

"There is no justification for the continued captive display of orcas for entertainment purposes," Bloom told the San Diego Tribune. "These beautiful creatures are much too large and far too intelligent to be confined in small, concrete tanks for their entire lives."

It's going to be hard for SeaWorld to dispute the claims put forth in "Blackfish." The documentary traced a 39-year history of killer whales in captivity and procured coveted interviews from former SeaWorld employees. The research for the film focused on the whales' suffering from boredom and stress in their life of captivity.

Despite the widespread controversy the film has sparked, SeaWorld is still denying the claims that the film has documented by issuing various statements, especially in yesterday's ads. They are posted on the SeaWorld website and can also be found in this CNN News article.

To read more about "Blackfish" and the aftermath of its influence, visit the IMDB page as well as this Live Science article.