Blackfish Documentary – Video Questions (10)
Questions to answer DURING the film:
1. What was the behavior exhibited by the young whales and their pods during the time of capture from the ocean?
2. Describe the environment that Tilikum lived in during his time at Sealand in British Columbia.
3. What evidence did the Sealand trainers have that Tilikum was being picked on by the other orcas?
4. When the trainer was killed at Sealand, who was blamed?
5. Why was SeaWorld Orlando so interested in buying Tilikum when Sealand closed?
6. What were the SeaWorld trainers told about Tilikum’s past behavior when he arrived?
7. During a typical performance at SeaWorld, what activities do the orcas do?
8. The day that Dawn Brancheau died, trainers say that Tilikum was off his game. What behavior did they witness that was caused them to be concerned?
9. How exactly did Dawn Brancheau die?
10. After Dawn’s death, what happened to Tilikum?
Questions to reflect on AFTER the film:
11. This documentary is mainly told through the viewpoints of 5 former SeaWorld trainers. Why did the filmmakers not include testimony from current SeaWorld employees?
12. SeaWorld declined to comment on the documentary. How do you feel about that?
13. SeaWorld is currently appealing a court ruling that makes trainers stay a certain distance away from whales to ensure their safety. Do you believe that SeaWorld should be fighting that decision? Why or why not?
14. There is a huge movement by PETA and other organizations to have all the whales in captivity released into the wild. Do you believe that is a viable option?
15. SeaWorld no longer captures orcas from the wild. Instead, they collect semen from males and artificially inseminate females to produce offspring. How do you feel about that practice?
16. SeaWorld trainers would tell people watching the orca shows that Tilikum’s dorsal fin was flopped over due to a genetic disorder. Others say that the dorsal fins flop over on animals kept in captivity due to their proximity to the water’s surface and the exposure to the sun. Which of those two arguments do you believe and why?
17. Extension questions; Read the following
(a) Identify TWO human activities that alter the natural flow of sediments into Gulf Coast ecosystems. Explain how each of the activities alters the flow of sediments.
(b) Dr. James says that it is important to restore sediments. Describe TWO ways that the loss of natural sediment harms Gulf Coast wetland ecosystems.
(c) Dr. James also indicates that it is necessary to limit fertilizer runoff into the Mississippi River.
i. Describe TWO environmental impacts on the marine ecosystem that are caused by fertilizer when it flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
ii. What are TWO economic consequences that result from the flow of fertilizer into the Gulf of Mexico?
iii. Describe ONE strategy, other than reducing the use of fertilizer, that can be employed to reduce the flow of nutrients into the Mississippi River.
18. Read the article below and answer the questions that follow.
(a) Describe how TWO human activities, other than those that result in anthropogenic climate change, have resulted in a decrease in the amount of freshwater flowing into the Everglades ecosystem.
(b) In addition to water quantity problems, the Everglades is faced with a variety of water quality issues. For example, phosphorus concentrations in the Everglades have increased since the 1960s.
(i) Describe how one specific human activity contributes to increased phosphorus levels in the Everglades.
(ii) Explain one way in which an increase in phosphorus levels can adversely affect the Everglades ecosystem.
(iii) Describe one step that could be taken to reduce phosphorus inputs from the activity you identified in part (i).
(c) Climate change could have a variety of impacts on water quantity, water quality, and habitat. For EACH of these three factors, identify and describe one specific example of an impact on the Everglades likely to result from climate change.
(d) The article states that Governor Moss believes that the “preservation and enhancement of the Everglades, key goals of the restoration program, are absolutely essential for the continued environmental and economic health of the state.”
(i) Describe one way that restoring water quantity and water quality in the Everglades is expected to improve the structure and function of the ecosystem.
(ii) Describe one way that restoring the Everglades is expected to provide economic benefits to Florida.