J & J Ranch, Stone Mtn, GA

Blackfishstirred up a storm. The documentary exposed Sea World for the mistreatmentof its captive orcas, its inhumane and sometimes fatal capture, breeding andtraining methods,its coercive staffing procedures, and the comprehensive duplicityof its senior management and public relations teams. In August 2015, almost two years after its release, Sea World reported an84% drop in second-quarter profits. It’sstock prices have dramatically fallen. And in March of this year, in a desperate attempt to clawback a littlecredibility, the park announced the end ofitswhale breeding program. Hurrah!

But wait… Is this really enough?After all, the orcas remain in captivity, enclosed within tanks so small they’dhave to swim well over 3000 lengths to match the distances they’d usually travel on a single day in the oceans. Reverberating throughout the tanks, their vocalisations cause disorientation and consequentunnecessary stress.Originatingfrom different social groups, occasionally from distinct subspecies,they can behostile towards…