SAN DIEGO, CA – The 2013 documentary Blackfish has aroused a tsunami of bad publicity against SeaWorld staff for their treatment of captive whales. San Diego based Orca Trainer, Neil Fisher, 28, is working hard to combat the public censure, including boycotts.

I caught up with Mr. Fisher, on shift at SeaWorld. Mr. Fisher received his Marine Biology degree from Harpooning University and later earned a coveted internship at the JKSM (Just Keep Swimming … Maybe) Institution. There he trained humpback whales to jump through hoops, a program, which was later halted because the cost of replacement hoops was “too damn high!" I was surprised at what I overheard when I found him near the lower area of the Orca tanks. He was mocking a fellow trainer who was suffering a hangover, from going to the SeaWorld bar, The Hook. As I approached, he quickly fetched a bucket full of dead mackerel and told me to follow him up the steps to the tops of the Orca tanks. It was feeding time.

When I asked what he thought of Blackfish, Mr. Fisher doubled over laughing, dropping the mackerel he was holding onto the ground, littered with the putrid remains of previous fish. After he composed himself and picked the fish off the floor, one of the mackerel’s eyes lay in the mist of other fish parts. He tossed the mackerel, sans eye, into the tank. While shaking the carcass of a mackerel at me, he exclaimed, “That movie is just a bunch of blue-s***! We’re not hurting them!"

Regarding the recent downturn in ticket sales due to testimonials from celebrities (i.e. Hugh Hefner, Russell Brand, and Krysten Ritter), Fisher said this in response: “The repercussions that Blackfish has caused SeaWorld are leviathan! We’re having trouble just getting anglers to send live sea stars to us now for our petting zoo. But we have a new plan to attract those cute chubby kids back to us: Social Media! Not our first choice; we tried fish sticks, but that became counter-productive when allegations arose that we were selling a crispy version of the fish we display!”

“I don’t even know where the producers of Blackfish got their information. Abuse doesn’t happen at this Sea World! We spoil those whales! We give them fish and water! What more do they need? Wine? We don’t ask that much of them! A 45-minute show, 8-10 times a day. Yeah, they jump 35 feet in the air through a metal hoop. But really! They only have to work six, seven, hours a day; I work twice that!”

When questioned about the whales’ living environment, Fisher replied easily, “It’s not that bad! Their tanks are almost as big as the freaking Pacific Ocean! We give them the freedom to play with us. We give them food, which some critics say smells a little off, but really what fish doesn’t smell a little off. Hell, we even throw them holiday parties! For every single holiday! We aren’t ‘racist’!" The animals’, he claimed get into the ‘spirit’ of things by dressing themselves in costumes and putting flags and other props into their blowhole.
Concerning the four trainers allegedly killed by the Orca whale, Tilikum, Fisher rolled his eyes, “Blackfish blew that way out of proportion!”

“Those whales aren’t mad and they aren’t sad! They’re just fine! Those women that died…” When I attempted to inform him that one of the victims was in fact male, he scoffed and murmured under his breath, “Whales don’t kill men!” He added, “All those whales were doing was giving them a love bite…but like all women they freaked out! That’s how they drowned. They were screaming so much they forgot to breathe. That’s all!”

Fisher explained that contrary to Blackfish’s claim that Orca Trainers do not attempt to connect with the whales, he does make an effort to connect, especially on Ocean Awareness Day! Fisher led me to the side of the tank where he plopped onto the ground, then took out a children’s picture book specifically tailored for whales. I was touched by his commitment until he explained what he conversed about to the whales. “I talk to these whales about what they care about, at their level! I read to them statistics about oil spills, The Cove, and even opinion articles about whaling!”

Fisher pointed out that his time with the animals helps them develop a bond. When he began reading from the book about whaling, I monitored the Orcas. They shrieked and squealed indignantly, until he showed them the pictures. They hushed. Instead of swimming away, they loomed in the indigo water in front of Fisher. Their beady black eyes took in the picture of one of their own being murdered. As Fisher continued the story, I examined, the whales’ expressions. They reflected animosity directed solely at Fisher. I was afraid to even think about getting close to the tank.

At press time, Fisher had been prepping for a show when Tilikum, came and gave him a ‘love bite’. He had apparently forgotten to release the Orcas that morning from the smaller tank. But I think it was due to story time.