Blackfish: Creation Care, Human Greed, and Biblical Stewardship

Exploring the Blackfish Christian worldview offers a profound opportunity to reflect on creation care, human greed, and our biblical calling as stewards. Today, I would like to explore a documentary that sparked one of the most intense debates during my MFA in Documentary Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy (NYFA): Blackfish (2013).

Before diving into the biblical perspective, I want to make one thing clear: this post is neither an activist campaign urging people to boycott SeaWorld nor a defense advocating that orca shows should continue indefinitely. It is not written to take sides or incite controversy.

Rather, my hope is that through this documentary, we can reflect deeply on how we, from a biblical standpoint, should perceive our relationship with creation and apply these lessons to our daily lives. With that in mind, let us dive into the deep ocean where these majestic creatures belong.

The Tragedy of Tilikum: A Brief Overview

In 2010, a tragedy occurred at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, when veteran trainer Dawn Brancheau was attacked and killed during a live performance by a captive orca named Tilikum. While the park initially attempted to frame the incident as “trainer error,” the documentary Blackfish uncovers a much deeper and systemic reality.

Tilikum was captured in the waters off Iceland in 1983 at just two years old, forcibly separated from his mother and pod. A creature engineered to swim dozens of miles a day across vast oceans was confined to a small concrete tank, enduring extreme stress, sensory deprivation, and trauma through rigid training and food deprivation.

Through interviews with former trainers and archival footage, Blackfish demonstrates that the fatal incidents involving Tilikum were not born of inherent malice, but were the desperate cries of a traumatized creature subjected to captivity for corporate profit.

Confined Majesty: Commercial Greed and the Groaning of Creation

Humans confined one of the ocean’s apex predators—possessing extraordinary intelligence, complex language, and profound family bonds—into narrow concrete enclosures solely for commercial entertainment. Tilikum’s collapsed dorsal fin was not merely a physical deformity; it served as a visual testament to the suffering of an oppressed life.

I remember watching this film in the classroom with my fellow classmates. Heavy sighs and genuine sorrow echoed throughout the room during the performance footage. Back then, I tried to view the situation from both perspectives—the orca’s and humanity’s. During the discussion with our professor, I argued that simple answers did not exist. Yet, beneath the surface, it became undeniable how boundless human greed can be.

Watching the trailer again recently reminded me once more of how highly intelligent and social these animals truly are. Biblically, humanity’s fallen nature explains the cruelty and selfishness documented throughout scripture. The Apostle Paul captures this reality in Romans 8:22:

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

When human selfishness and commercialism distort God’s created order, the suffering inevitably falls upon mute creation.

Distorted Dominion: The Loss of Stewardship

God granted humanity the command to “rule over” the earth (Genesis 1:28). However, true biblical dominion is neither tyrannical exploitation nor commercial subjugation. It is a call to reflect God’s loving character through responsible stewardship—caring for, nurturing, and preserving His creation.

The corporate management model depicted in Blackfish exposes the human arrogance that reduces nature from an object of care to a mere commodity for consumption. When designated caretakers commodify and exploit the lives entrusted to them, the destructive fallout inevitably recoils upon humanity itself.

Toward Reconciliation: Envisioning Peace with Creation

The tragedy of Tilikum catalyzed a global awakening, eventually leading SeaWorld to terminate its orca breeding program and phase out theatrical performances.

As mentioned at the outset, my purpose is not to debate whether discontinuing these shows is strictly right or wrong biblically. Rather, I wish to shed light on the tangible consequences that unfold when human ambition goes unchecked. This honesty and unvarnished truth represent the true power of documentary storytelling.

Isaiah 11:6–9 foretells the Messianic kingdom where nothing shall hurt nor destroy, establishing holistic peace throughout all creation. Today, Christians are called not to remain passive spectators, but to live as agents of reconciliation—empathizing with the groaning of creation and upholding the dignity of every life God has made.

Devotional Reflection: From Spectator to Steward

Blackfish poses a fundamental question beyond the screen: Are we faithful stewards caring for God’s creation with compassion, or are we mere consumers exploiting life for our own amusement? The story of Tilikum calls us to reclaim authentic compassion and biblical responsibility toward the created order.

While our earlier reflection on Seaspiracy examined broader marine ecosystems, Blackfish presents an intimate narrative that brings fresh conviction. If you ever find yourself watching marine life in captivity again, you may look at them with different eyes.

Remembering that they too are God’s handiwork, may your heart move beyond applause and enter into deeper spiritual contemplation.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Genesis 2:15

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Explore More Screen Devotions:

• 🎬 Movies: Explore Other Faith-Based Film Reflections
• 🎨 Animation: Spiritual Insights in Animated Films

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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.