the importance of family to the whales is a recurring thread, something that's shattered by any attempt at captivity. smaller, younger whales are the only ones we can bring in, and we see how hard the mothers and fathers try to protect their young (males separating and swimming to dead ends to draw the boats) -- plus the psychological impact on the young.

well, how about breeding families once in captivity? that doesn't work either. we see how aggressive the captured whales act towards each other (killing in some cases), and the effect that has on all the progeny.

yes, these are presented as SeaWorld problems, but they're obviously captivity problems as well. we've all accepted the facade -- the trainers fell in love with the idea of "being close" to a majestic killer whale, regardless of what SeaWorld told them. their present-day realizations counter the idea of ever keeping such a smart animal in a relative kiddie pool.

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