History Film / Blackfish

* TechnologyMarchesOn: When [=SeaWorld=] first had trainer accidents, they could lie about the circumstances being a "Trainer error" or accidental drowning because cameras, smartphones, and social media weren't around at the time to record and publicize footage. With Dawn's death in 2010, [=SeaWorld=] tried to fall on their old "slipped and fell in the water" standby, except eyewitness accounts and video footage showed evidence that she was dragged into the water. When they then claimed that her ponytail triggered Tilikum, the footage showed that it was most definitely ''not'' the ponytail since other trainers wore the same hairstyle and had no orca injuries.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Several of the trainers describe Tilikum as one of the friendliest orcas they've dealt with and enjoyed working with him, which made his kills even more horrifying.

* BreakTheCutie: Estefania Rodriguez, Alexis Martinez's fiance, tears up when she recalls how she and Alexis's mother were brought to his body.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The powers that be who run [=SeaWorld=] will blame you, cover up your death and continue with their practices. Well, [[TechnologyMarchesOn the plan worked back then]].
* CrapsaccharineWorld: [=SeaWorld.=] Behind the family-friendly image, if you're a trainer, you could very well be killed or seriously injured by animals who went insane from years in captivity and [=SeaWorld=] will cover it up and blame you for it. If you survive, you have to live with serious injuries or the emotional scarring that comes from other trainers suffering their fates.

* HellholePrison: Tilikum and other orcas' captivity is described as one. Notably the fact that animals used to thousands of miles of ocean are sometimes in tanks only thirty feet long, some of which are unlit.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: After getting away with covering up trainer deaths for twenty years, [=OSHA=] successfully fined [=SeaWorld=] millions of dollars for Dawn's death.

* NoOSHACompliance: Averted; [=OSHA=] actually stepped in after Dawn died. They fined [=SeaWorld=] and ordered them to let no more trainers in the water. The safety of [=SeaWorld=]'s orca trainers became a RealLife example, with critical contributions from an OSHA inspector.

* TooDumbToLive: The man who decided to go skinny dipping late at night in Tilikum's pen and was subsequently killed won a Website/{{Darwin Award|s}} [[https://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-18.html back in 1999]].

* ForWantOfANail: Kim laments leaving [=SeaWorld=] a month before Dawn died; she says that if she had been there, she could have noticed Dawn was in trouble and saved her

* BreakTheCutie: Estafania Rodriguez, Alexis Martinez's fiance, tears up when she recalls how she and Alexis's mother were brought to his body.

* DaylightHorror: Since daytime is when the trainers interact most frequently with the orcas, most of the attacks occur then as well.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Jane Valez-Mitchell of Creator/{{CNN}} asks "If you were in a bathtub for 25 years, don’t you think you’d get a little psychotic?" as the documentary plays yet another incident.

* BittersweetEnding: Dawn's death and several others are nearly swept under the rug, and their loved ones missed them badly. Tilikum also remains trapped in SeaWorld, as do the other captive orcas. Tilikum died in 2017, which can make this better or worse depending on your viewpoint. But [=OSHA=] finally goes after [=SeaWorld=] and makes them pay, literally, for endangering trainers. Meanwhile, the former trainers who knew Dawn end the film by going to see free orcas in the wild, to remember why they loved working with them.

* SpannerInTheWorks: A multitude of them eventually sunk SeaWorld's orca shows. One park viewer got footage of Tamarie getting dragged under, which provided ''definite'' proof that the orcas could be dangerous if provoked. Other viewers also got videos of Ken Peters being dragged under on camera which was later reported on the nightly news, and a "home video" of Dawn's death that proved her drowning wasn't accidental. This evidence allowed [=OSHA=] to prove that Dawn's death wasn't an accident or her fault.

* BittersweetEnding: Dawn's death and several others are nearly swept under the rug, and their loved ones missed them badly. Tilikum also remains trapped in SeaWorld, as do the other captive orcas. Tilikum died in 2017, which can make this better or worse depending on your viewpoint. But [=OSHA=] finally goes after SeaWorld and makes them pay, literally, for endangering trainers. Meanwhile, the former trainers who knew Dawn end the film by going to see free orcas in the wild, to remember why they loved working with them.

* BullyingADragon: SeaWorld tried to claim that [=OSHA=], an established and tough government institution for workplace safety, was wrong in saying that trainers shouldn't be allowed in the water with the orcas and that Dawn's death was her own fault, so therefore [=OSHA=] was wrong to censure them. [=OSHA=] was not amused, took them to court and won the appellate case in 2010, fining SeaWorld for their violations.

* ForWantOfANail: Kim laments leaving SeaWorld a month before Dawn died; she says that if she had been there, she could have noticed Dawn was in trouble and saved her

** A very dark example; Kim Ashdown describes Dawn as being a "safety inspector" and watching out for everyone, critiquing herself after watching shows. SeaWorld tried to say her ponytail triggered the whale and was against regulations. [=OSHA=] didn't buy it and fined SeaWorld for her death.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: After getting away with covering up trainer deaths for twenty years, [=OSHA=] successfully fined SeaWorld millions of dollars for Dawn's death.

* NeverMyFault: In several incidents with orcas, even those of death, Sealand and later SeaWorld refuses to admit that it was anything other than an accident or "trainer error". Even in cases where trainers were dragged over and over to the bottom of the tanks, SeaWorld somehow found a way to blame it on them.
* NoOSHACompliance: Averted; [=OSHA=] actually stepped in after Dawn died. They fined SeaWorld and ordered them to let no more trainers in the water. The safety of [=SeaWorld=]'s orca trainers became a RealLife example, with critical contributions from an OSHA inspector.

* SuddenPrincipledStand: The trainers all knew that SeaWorld lied about Dawn's death being her ponytail because she was the best and safest trainer in their words, and ''lots'' of trainers wore ponytails without getting killed. As John Jett puts it, "[[EveryoneHasStandards How dare you?]]"
* TechnologyMarchesOn: When SeaWorld first had trainer accidents, they could lie about the circumstances being a "Trainer error" or accidental drowning because cameras, smartphones, and social media weren't around at the time to record and publicize footage. With Dawn's death in 2010, SeaWorld tried to fall on their old "slipped and fell in the water" standby, except eyewitness accounts and video footage showed evidence that she was dragged into the water. When they then claimed that her ponytail triggered Tilikum, the footage showed that it was most definitely ''not'' the ponytail since other trainers wore the same hairstyle and had no orca injuries.

* BittersweetEnding: Dawn's death and several others are nearly swept under the rug, and their loved ones missed them badly. Tilikum also remains trapped in Sea World, as do the other captive orcas. Tilikum died in 2017, which can make this better or worse depending on your viewpoint. But [=OSHA=] finally goes after Sea World and makes them pay, literally, for endangering trainers. Meanwhile, the former trainers who knew Dawn end the film by going to see free orcas in the wild, to remember why they loved working with them.

* BullyingADragon: Sea World tried to claim that [=OSHA=], an established and tough government institution for workplace safety, was wrong in saying that trainers shouldn't be allowed in the water with the orcas and that Dawn's death was her own fault, so therefore [=OSHA=] was wrong to censure them. [=OSHA=] was not amused, took them to court and won the appellate case in 2010, fining Sea World for their violations.

* ForWantOfANail: Kim laments leaving Sea World a month before Dawn died; she says that if she had been there, she could have noticed Dawn was in trouble and saved her

** A very dark example; Kim Ashdown describes Dawn as being a "safety inspector" and watching out for everyone, critiquing herself after watching shows. Sea World tried to say her ponytail triggered the whale and was against regulations. [=OSHA=] didn't buy it and fined Sea World for her death.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: After getting away with covering up trainer deaths for twenty years, [=OSHA=] successfully fined Sea World millions of dollars for Dawn's death.

* NeverMyFault: In several incidents with orcas, even those of death, Sealand and later Sea World refuses to admit that it was anything other than an accident or "trainer error". Even in cases where trainers were dragged over and over to the bottom of the tanks, Sea World somehow found a way to blame it on them.
* NoOSHACompliance: Averted; [=OSHA=] actually stepped in after Dawn died. They fined Sea World and ordered them to let no more trainers in the water. The safety of [=SeaWorld=]'s orca trainers became a RealLife example, with critical contributions from an OSHA inspector.

* SpannerInTheWorks: A multitude of them eventually sunk Sea World's orca shows. One park viewer got footage of Tamarie getting dragged under, which provided ''definite'' proof that the orcas could be dangerous if provoked. Other viewers also got videos of Ken Peters being dragged under on camera which was later reported on the nightly news, and a "home video" of Dawn's death that proved her drowning wasn't accidental. This evidence allowed [=OSHA=] to prove that Dawn's death wasn't an accident or her fault.

* SuddenPrincipledStand: The trainers all knew that Sea World lied about Dawn's death being her ponytail because she was the best and safest trainer in their words, and ''lots'' of trainers wore ponytails without getting killed. As John Jett puts it, "[[EveryoneHasStandards How dare you?]]"
* TechnologyMarchesOn: When Sea World first had trainer accidents, they could lie about the circumstances being a "Trainer error" or accidental drowning because cameras, smartphones, and social media weren't around at the time to record and publicize footage. With Dawn's death in 2010, Sea World tried to fall on their old "slipped and fell in the water" standby, except eyewitness accounts and video footage showed evidence that she was dragged into the water. When they then claimed that her ponytail triggered Tilikum, the footage showed that it was most definitely ''not'' the ponytail since other trainers wore the same hairstyle and had no orca injuries.

* NervesOfSteel: Ken Peters was dragged down ''several'' times by Kasatka after she got agitated due to hearing her baby cry. Fortunately, he was a scuba diver and knew how to regulate his breath, remaining calm until he got the opportunity to escape. The [=OSHA=] inspector remarks that Ken was remarkably calm.

* DeadGuyOnDisplay: The man who sneaked into the park during after hours was found the next morning, naked and mutilated, slung across Tilikum's back. There are, justifiably, no images shown.

** John, a trainer who got paralyzed during a show, was told that it was a "trainer error" of two orcas colliding him at once. It actually wasn't his fault but rather that of the orcas, while ambiguous if the orcas did it on purpose or missed their cue.

* ManipulativeEditing: [=SeaWorld=] has accused the film of this on several accounts. While some accusations are mere misunderstandings of how documentaries are made (such as claiming that the interviews talk about one whale but shows a different one, when it's just B-roll footage), others accusations have some legitimacy to them (e.g. footage that is implied to be Katina and Kasatka crying for their calves, where the audio is not even that of an orca).

* AdultFear: Dawn, Keltie, and Alexis's deaths. The idea that you can be killed doing your job, and that your corporation will blame you for it. With Alexis in particular, his parents and fiance didn't even know he was ''dead'' because SeaWorld lied that he was still alive until they reached the hospital.

* AdultFear: Dawn, Keltie, and Alexis's deaths. The idea that you can be killed doing your job, and that your corporation will blame you for it. With Alexis in particular, his parents and fiance didn't know he was ''dead'' even because Sea World lied that he was still alive until they reached the hospital.

* AnArmAndALeg: Tilikum grabs his trainer's arm, and is described to have swallowed it. [[ManipulativeEditing This is not the case, however]].

* DoubleStandard: Alexis's death was more gruesome than Dawn's, but due to Loro Parque being out of sight and out of the American mind, nothing happened to change things. Dawn, due to being a head trainer and her death in public with multiple eyewitnesses, got [=OSHA=] on the case.

* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: Despite killing two people, Tilikum was kept because his semen was used for the breeding program.

* AuthorTract: The entire movie must’ve been made with someone who believed in Ride/SeaWorld’s alleged mistreatment of animals.

* NervesOfSteel: Ken Peters was dragged down ''several'' times by Katsaka after she got agitated due to hearing her baby cry. Fortunately, he was a scuba diver and knew how to regulate his breath, remaining calm until he got the opportunity to escape. The [=OSHA=] inspector remarks that Ken was remarkably calm.

* OldShame: Sailor John Crowe states that capturing Tilikum was "one of the worst things I've ever done".[[invoked]]

* SarcasticConfession: One trainer was worried about separating Katsuka from her calf. The managers mocked her by saying, "You're worried about Takara being separated from her mommy?" As it turns out, Katsuka wailed for days on end after her baby was taken away.

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: One trainer says he got this reaction when seeing footage of fellow trainer Tamarie take her foot on and off Orkid because he ''knew'' what was going to happen. Cue Orkid grabbing her and dragging her down.

Released to overwhelming praise amid controversy over alleged ethics, the film functions as a terrifying exposé of [=SeaWorld=] and other marine parks like it, contrasting the family-friendly place [=SeaWorld=] presents itself as and the disturbing reality of abuse, cover-up and unlawful practices hidden behind the veneer. Partially due to the documentary, [=SeaWorld=]'s profits went down, and countless people have boycotted it in response.

* TechMarchesOn: When Sea World first had trainer accidents, they could lie about the circumstances being a "Trainer error" or accidental drowning because cameras, smartphones, and social media weren't around at the time to record and publicize footage. With Dawn's death in 2010, Sea World tried to fall on their old "slipped and fell in the water" standby, except eyewitness accounts and video footage showed evidence that she was dragged into the water. When they then claimed that her ponytail triggered Tilikum, the footage showed that it was most definitely ''not'' the ponytail since other trainers wore the same hairstyle and had no orca injuries.

* ThisIsGoingToSuck: One trainer says he got this reaction when seeing footage of fellow trainer Tamarie take her foot on and off Orkid because he ''knew'' what was going to happen. Cue Orkid grabbing her and dragging her down.

Released to overwhelming praise amid controversy over alleged ethics, the film functions as a terrifying exposé of [=SeaWorld=] and other marine parks like it, contrasting the family-friendly place [=SeaWorld=] presents itself as and the disturbing reality of abuse, cover-up and unlawful practices hidden behind the veneer. Partially due to the documentary, [=SeaWorld=]'s profits went down, and countless people have boycotted it in response.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Jane Valez-Mitchell of Creator/{{CNN}} asks "If you were in a bathtub for 25 years, donÂ’t you think youÂ’d get a little psychotic?" as the documentary plays yet another incident.

* AuthorTract: The entire movie mustÂ’ve been made with someone who believed in Ride/SeaWorldÂ’s alleged mistreatment of animals.

Released to overwhelming praise amid controversy over alleged ethics, the film functions as a terrifying exposé of [=SeaWorld=] and other marine parks like it, contrasting the family-friendly place [=SeaWorld=] presents itself as and the disturbing reality of abuse, cover-up and unlawful practices hidden behind the veneer. Partially due to the documentary, [=SeaWorld=]'s profits went down, and countless people have boycotted it in response.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Jane Valez-Mitchell of Creator/{{CNN}} asks "If you were in a bathtub for 25 years, don’t you think you’d get a little psychotic?" as the documentary plays yet another incident.

* AuthorTract: The entire movie must’ve been made with someone who believed in Ride/SeaWorld’s alleged mistreatment of animals.

* TechMarchesOn: When Sea World first had trainer accidents, they could lie about the circumstances being a "Trainer error" or accidental drowning because cameras and smartphones weren't around at the time for damning footage, and neither was social media. With Dawn's death in 2010, Sea World tried to fall on the "she slipped and fell in the water" standby, except eyewitnesses and video footage showed evidence that she was dragged into the water. When they then said that her ponytail triggered Tilikum, the footage showed that it most definitely was not the ponytail since other trainers were fine with the same style.

* TooDumbToLive: The man who snuck into Tilikum's pen in the night and was subsequently killed won a [[Website/DarwinAwards Darwin Award]] a couple years back.
* TorturedMonster: Tilikum is ''not'' a creature you would want to go swimming with. But it is totally understandable why he has become so aggressive and dangerous.

* TooDumbToLive: The man who snuck into Tilkum's pen in the night and was subsequently killed won a [[Website/DarwinAwards Darwin Award]] a couple years back.
* TorturedMonster: Tilkum is ''not'' a creature you would want to go swimming with. But it is totally understandable why he has become so aggressive and dangerous.

* SarcasticConfession: One trainer was worried about separating Katsuka from her calf. The managers mocked her for saying, "You're worried about Takara being separated from her mommy?" As it turns out, Katsuka wailed for days on end after her baby was taken away.

* ManlyTears: Sailer John explains that he started to cry as he helped capture one of the baby whales from its crying family.