Reaction paper about Blackfish documentary - Essay Example

Reaction paper about Blackfish documentary Introduction Blackfish is a documentary that follows the life and captivity of a killerwhale commonly known as orca at SeaWorld. The film shows the captivity of the film and its treatment while in captivity thereby justifying the animal’s aggressive behavior a feature that has led the animal to kill three people at the park. The film sparked controversy about the company and it did so rightly given the depth of the analysis of the criminal issues it addresses especially in relation to the treatment of wild animals.

Social control theory in criminology strives to explain the conformity of behavior to the socially acceptable norms. As such, the theory postulates that crime and deviance occur because of the lack of adequate constraints. The lack of clear laws that govern the handling and use of wild animals is a fundamental factor that could have led to the criminal behavior of the management of SeaWorld. Orcas are dangerous animals belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. While dolphins are always friendly to humans, the animals are temperamental and their behaviors are always unpredictable.

Killer whale is among the largest of the family. They have teeth and are always aggressive especially when agitated. Additionally, the animals are large and travel for up to 160 kilometers in a day. The animals therefore require adequate space and depth to move and live freely. The management of SeaWorld has made a number of decisions some of which may have led to the death of the three individuals killed by the killer whales. The need for increased profitability compelled the management to overlook the safety of the employees and freedom of the animals.

Additionally, the pressure to deliver is a fundamental determinant that could have compelled the trainer, Dawn Brancheau, to stress the animal thereby causing his death.Ever since the release of the Blackfish film, SeaWorld has promised to make a number of changes. On 13 May 2014, The Dodo ran a story that explained the spotting of a 103-year-old whale moving around the West Coast of Canada with her children and grandchildren. The spotting of the whale would cause problems for SeaWorld. The company had claimed that the life span of orca to be around 20 years.

SeaWorld made such claims to justify the fact that most of their orcas die before reaching the age of 20 owing to the deplorable treatment and the environment in captivity. The company has since promised to increase the capacity of its tanks in order to provide the animals with more space Despite the changes, the company promises including the completion of the new tank by 2018, I do not think that the promise changes are adequate in improving the safety of the parks. The documentary provides detailed explanation of the behavior of the dolphins.

The animals are humongous and require adequate space to move around and experience nature. Furthermore, they are emotionally sensitive and therefore require hospitable handling since their behavior may turn aggressive if manhandled and when they are about to mate. The most appropriate change the company should implement is to develop seaside sanctuaries that would permit the animals to experience nature. The current changes are impulsive and justifiable by the rational thought theory, which shows that the desire for profitability continues to influence the selfish and possibly criminal decisions the management of the park continues to implement in their management of the animals.

ReferenceCowperthwaite, G. (2013). Blackfish. New York: CNN Films.Kutner, J. (2014). Recently spotted 103-year-old orca is bad news for SeaWorld-here is why. The Dodo. https://www.thedodo.com/recently-spotted-103-year-old--547381307.html