The documentary focuses on the captivity of the killer whale Tilikum, who was involved in the deaths of three individuals, and the consequences of keeping such large and intelligent animals in captivity. The coverage of Tilikum begins with his capture in 1983 off the coast of Iceland, showing how he was harassed by fellow captive whales and left in dark tanks for hours – incidents which Cowperthwaite argues contributed to the whale’s aggression. Cowperthwaite also focuses onSeaWorld‘s claims that whales in captivity live longer; a claim that the film argues is false.
