The Blackfish Effect: Corporate and Policy Change in the Face of Shifting Public Opinion on Captive Cetaceans

In February 2010, a captive killer whale (Orcinus orca), or orca, killed his trainer at SeaWorld Florida. A cascade of events followed, including successful federal enforcement action against SeaWorld for employee safety violations. In 2012 and 2015, nonfiction books about SeaWorld's history with orcas were published; however, the 2013 documentary Blackfish has done the most to raise public awareness of captive orca welfare and trainer safety. It spawned a massive social media response, leading to the so-called "Blackfish Effect." SeaWorld's visitor numbers declined, business partners ended their relationships, and stock price plummeted. In 2012, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta applied for a permit to import 18 wild-caught beluga whales from Russia; the permit was denied in 2013, the first time a public display permit had ever been denied in the history of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act. In 2014 and 2016, the California legislature considered bills phasing out captive orca exhibits in the state; the 2016 bill passed and became law in January 2017. In November 2015, a similar bill was introduced (and reintroduced in March 2017) in the US House of Representatives. In March 2016 SeaWorld announced it would end its orca breeding program company-wide and in January 2018 the Vancouver Aquarium announced it would no longer display cetaceans. Shifts in public perception of captive cetacean display strongly suggest policy makers should reconsider the legislative and regulatory status quo.