Every summer my wife and I take our kids to the Baltimore Zoo. Fancy, right?
Anyway, as the kids get older, the trip gets better. Not only does no one have to carry one of them around anymore (well, at least in the beginning), but now they have begun to actually appreciate the animals. Compared to when they were really little, their eyes open even wider, they laugh a little louder, and, of course, they ask better questions.
Hopefully, when they're older, they'll continue to develop that curiosity about the natural world, and develop a sense that it must be valued and protected. Nature documentaries are incredible, right? But nothing can replace seeing a majestic animal in person.
And there's the rub.
Somewhat parallel to the idea of heading to the zoo, is the notion of watching a documentary like Blackfish. You may not actually enjoy it, but it's something you likely need to see for yourself...once. Maybe it'll leave you furious and frustrated with the atrocities greedy corporations are willing to extend to the greatest creatures of the natural world. But it might also thrill you, seeing the beauty and power these giant beasts possess.
Either way, it's a real kick in the teeth.
Blackfish, like many of you know, tells the soul-crushing life-story of an orca named Tilikum (or Tilly for short). Tilly is an engaging figure to shine the spotlight on, as not only has he lived one fascinating life, but he's also taken three.
But before you can condemn the killer whale, you have to take a look back. At the people. See, Tilly was captured as a calf over thirty years ago, and taken from his crying mother in the Icelandic seas. He was, for the most part, isolated in captivity, and when he was around other whales, they would carve him up. Tilly, for a host of reasons, would inevitably show signs of aggression toward his handlers, eventually resulting in the death of a young trainer. That was his first kill.
Why wasn't it his last?
Anyway, as the kids get older, the trip gets better. Not only does no one have to carry one of them around anymore (well, at least in the beginning), but now they have begun to actually appreciate the animals. Compared to when they were really little, their eyes open even wider, they laugh a little louder, and, of course, they ask better questions.
Hopefully, when they're older, they'll continue to develop that curiosity about the natural world, and develop a sense that it must be valued and protected. Nature documentaries are incredible, right? But nothing can replace seeing a majestic animal in person.
And there's the rub.
Either way, it's a real kick in the teeth.
Blackfish, like many of you know, tells the soul-crushing life-story of an orca named Tilikum (or Tilly for short). Tilly is an engaging figure to shine the spotlight on, as not only has he lived one fascinating life, but he's also taken three.
But before you can condemn the killer whale, you have to take a look back. At the people. See, Tilly was captured as a calf over thirty years ago, and taken from his crying mother in the Icelandic seas. He was, for the most part, isolated in captivity, and when he was around other whales, they would carve him up. Tilly, for a host of reasons, would inevitably show signs of aggression toward his handlers, eventually resulting in the death of a young trainer. That was his first kill.
Why wasn't it his last?
