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image: magpictures.com

     Blackfish, a documentary directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, was released in July 2013, and has recently enjoyed a surge of widespread acknowledgement, approximately one year after the film's initial release. The film focuses on an orca named Tilikum, who is one of the orcas living in Seaworld, and raises questions over the ethicality of keeping captive orcas.

     Despite the controversy, Seaworld has elected to keep its orcas (releasing them after having lived in captivity for so long might not be beneficial to the animals), and VP of Communications Fred Jacobs had responded to the movie in an interview with CNN, calling the film 'inaccurate and misleading.'

     Yesterday, (Aug. 13) Seaworld's stock fell nearly 33 percent after discussion surrounding Blackfish rose again on the internet. In addition, a piece of legislation called the 'Orca Welfare Safety Act' is pending while further studies are conducted, and could further hamper Seaworld's business, which CEO Jim Atchison had previously claimed was unaffected by the film. The question still remains whether this business disaster is truly justice for the orcas at Seaworld, or whether Seaworld really is just the victim of an 'inaccurate and misleading' documentary.

More here