Killer whales are beloved as majestic, friendly giants yet infamous for their capacity to kill viciously. Blackfish unravels the complexities of this dichotomy, employing the story of the notorious performing whale Tilikum, who - unlike any orca in the wild - has taken the lives of several people while in captivity. Blackfish expands on the discussion of keeping such intelligent creatures in captivity.

"Elsa Roth and her best friend, Olivia, are accompanying Elsa's mother on an expedition to study the diet of orcas in the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest, where they are soon caught up in the drama surrounding August, a young orca calf, who has gotten separated from his pod--the marine mammal sanctuary wants to rescue and rehabilitate him for a quick return to his own pod when they can be found, but the local Oceanarium wants to keep him...

"A firsthand account of the lives of captive killer whales by one of SeaWorld's most experienced orca trainers and the star of Blackfish argues that their needs are not met in captivity and traces advocacy efforts comparing the lives of free and captive orcas." --

'Torn from his family at the tender age of two, Keiko spent 14 years in captivity as a performing tourist attraction before Hollywood discovered him for the title role in the 1993 blockbuster movie, Free Willy. This film questions what really happened during the life of this international icon, and questions if his release back into the wild was successful, while capturing global debate of orca captivity.'--