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256 reviews for:
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, Seaworld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish
Howard Chua-Eoan, John Hargrove
4.22 AVERAGE
256 reviews for:
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, Seaworld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish
Howard Chua-Eoan, John Hargrove
4.22 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Love this book. Did not have the time to read it until now. Is really entertaining and emotionally sad to know that the world is definitely not perfect.
Very good read for awareness.
Very good read for awareness.
i read an advanced reader's edition of this book, which i hope explains some of the sloppy writing, contradictions and redundancy. regardless, i am biased towards and fascinated by orcas, which is probably why i am rating it four instead of three stars. the personal anecdotes and autobiographical nature of the narration interspersed with facts about whale life in captivity vs. in the wild kept me glued to the book, and i managed to finish it in two days. poetry it is not, but it pulls off engaging quite well.
[Audiobook] Personal. Compelling. Tragic yet cautiously hopeful.
This book is an excellent supplement to "Blackfish." While the film outlined the many reasons why keeping Orca whales in captivity is wrong, for both the whales and their human trainers, this book added layer and depth to the multi-faceted and deeply complex relationship between whale and trainer. The whales and the issues surrounding their captivity are not black and white (pun very much intended) and John's perspective is both unique and necessary to understand the best course of action moving forward.
This book is an excellent supplement to "Blackfish." While the film outlined the many reasons why keeping Orca whales in captivity is wrong, for both the whales and their human trainers, this book added layer and depth to the multi-faceted and deeply complex relationship between whale and trainer. The whales and the issues surrounding their captivity are not black and white (pun very much intended) and John's perspective is both unique and necessary to understand the best course of action moving forward.
This was an extremely difficult and harrowing read but it is also an incredibly important one.
The lives of these poor orcas, and all creatures in captivity, are so reduced and meaningless. John Hargrove tells us about his life and experiences with these whales and I applaud him for finally speaking out on their behalf.
I was quite surprised by how beautifully written this book was. Through Hargrove's writing you can't help but feel the pain that these highly intelligent animals suffer with on a daily basis.
If you have ever visited a park such as this please do me a favour and read this book. I also recommend the documentary Blackfish which John was also a part of.
The lives of these poor orcas, and all creatures in captivity, are so reduced and meaningless. John Hargrove tells us about his life and experiences with these whales and I applaud him for finally speaking out on their behalf.
I was quite surprised by how beautifully written this book was. Through Hargrove's writing you can't help but feel the pain that these highly intelligent animals suffer with on a daily basis.
If you have ever visited a park such as this please do me a favour and read this book. I also recommend the documentary Blackfish which John was also a part of.
The writing wasn't spectacular but as one of those kids the trainer describes, who spent a lot of time at SeaWorld and dreamed of being closer to the whales, there was a good arc from that naive starting place to the realization of problems in captivity and captive breeding of orcas.
Great story that brings the plight of Sea World whales and all other captive whales to the attention of readers and how captivity also effects the care givers of these majestic animals.
One does not have to have seen BLACKFISH, the acclaimed documentary on SeaWorld, to read and appreciate John Hargrove's book. In simple, clear prose we are taken inside the world of killer whale trainers and the magnificent animals they worked with in captivity. It's equal parts caustic and empathetic and, for those of us fascinated by the questions and issues posed in BLACKFISH, it's a phenomenal additional read.
I had the intentions of reading this book in 2018 but curiosity had gotten the best of me and I listened to it in two days. I really loved this book. It feels weird for me to say that given to the subject of this memoir but it was a well written book. John’s time at Seaworld had really shown me more reasons on to hating this particular theme park. They treat those beautiful orcas so harshly that they don’t even care on what these whales are feeling and just see dollar signs when they look at them. John had even answered some questions after watching Blackfish, some questions I never thought I would get answers for unless I were to meet one of former trainers.
There are some people, out there, who are still in support of Seaworld. Yes they have done good things for the environment. Yes they have finally stopped the breeding program of the Killer Whales. But the bad, shown in Blackfish and In this book, completely out way the good. Seaworld should have done the changes that they are doing before Dawn Brancheau’s death.
This book is definitely one of my fave books of 2017 and just proved to me even more on how a horrible company Seaworld is.
There are some people, out there, who are still in support of Seaworld. Yes they have done good things for the environment. Yes they have finally stopped the breeding program of the Killer Whales. But the bad, shown in Blackfish and In this book, completely out way the good. Seaworld should have done the changes that they are doing before Dawn Brancheau’s death.
This book is definitely one of my fave books of 2017 and just proved to me even more on how a horrible company Seaworld is.