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255 reviews for:
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, Seaworld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish
Howard Chua-Eoan, John Hargrove
4.21 AVERAGE
255 reviews for:
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, Seaworld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish
Howard Chua-Eoan, John Hargrove
4.21 AVERAGE
dark
informative
Having watched "Blackfish" at least 10 times I knew that I had to read this book when I found out about it. I feel like I can't learn enough about orcas and eagerly watch and read whatever I can get my hands on.
I found the writing a little amateur and frustrating at times which is the only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5. The voice is there though. I really do feel like I traveled with the author and can empathize with him; he let us in and told us both positive and negative. Another non-fiction book I have never read through this eagerly and with such interest!
I found the writing a little amateur and frustrating at times which is the only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5. The voice is there though. I really do feel like I traveled with the author and can empathize with him; he let us in and told us both positive and negative. Another non-fiction book I have never read through this eagerly and with such interest!
3.5
This was an honest, informative, and touching book about John Hargrove’s experiences (both good and bad) training orcas. He shares about his true connection with the whales he worked with and what he had to risk to leave and speak out against the terrible corporation. The writing wasn’t the best and the narrative jumped around a lot, but it was filled with heart that only a trainer could give. SeaWorld sucks!!!
This was an honest, informative, and touching book about John Hargrove’s experiences (both good and bad) training orcas. He shares about his true connection with the whales he worked with and what he had to risk to leave and speak out against the terrible corporation. The writing wasn’t the best and the narrative jumped around a lot, but it was filled with heart that only a trainer could give. SeaWorld sucks!!!
Although I had done plenty of reading about the plight of captive orcas, I could not - and still cannot - stomach watching Blackfish. It was just too difficult to see. While Beneath the Surface is not an easy read at all, it is perhaps more bearable for those who are sensitive to sight and sound.
It is clear from the onset that John Hargrove loved these whales - and by the end of the book, you love them too. I'm not sure what person could finish this book and not be outraged over the plight of the orcas. There is a clear appeal to the readers' emotions - but I don't think that appeal is disingenuous. Orcas are incredibly complex and intelligent creatures, creatures that have emotions and relationships much like humans. What Hargrove does in this book is give the reader a picture of what it means to have relationship [albeit a complicated one] with these beings.
This isn't merely a "moral outrage" argument, as if Hargrove is trying to make you feel so bad you agree with him. Clearly and methodically he uses scientific sources to support what he knows from experience. He is quick to distinguish which are stories he experienced and what incidents he merely knew about from being involved in this Sea World/trainer community. This lends a large amount of credibility to his story.
As a book, it is obvious that Hargrove benefited from the help of Howard Chua-Eoan. It reads much like a well-written piece of investigative journalism. The pace is smooth, rarely lagging, and the tangents off into background information last just long enough - any shorter would feel too cursory, any longer would lose the readers' attention. It was an engaging read and one I am glad I spent my time on.
Much like [b:A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown|11369904|A Thousand Lives The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown|Julia Scheeres|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316729991s/11369904.jpg|16300867], this book is written about a topic that most people know about only in brief snippets. "It's bad" we would say about both of these topics (captive orcas and the tragedy at Jonestown). The reason why I will recommend both books is the same - they give depth and detail as to why both are tragedies and show how, once one knows about what happened/is happening, it is impossible to remain silent.
It is clear from the onset that John Hargrove loved these whales - and by the end of the book, you love them too. I'm not sure what person could finish this book and not be outraged over the plight of the orcas. There is a clear appeal to the readers' emotions - but I don't think that appeal is disingenuous. Orcas are incredibly complex and intelligent creatures, creatures that have emotions and relationships much like humans. What Hargrove does in this book is give the reader a picture of what it means to have relationship [albeit a complicated one] with these beings.
This isn't merely a "moral outrage" argument, as if Hargrove is trying to make you feel so bad you agree with him. Clearly and methodically he uses scientific sources to support what he knows from experience. He is quick to distinguish which are stories he experienced and what incidents he merely knew about from being involved in this Sea World/trainer community. This lends a large amount of credibility to his story.
As a book, it is obvious that Hargrove benefited from the help of Howard Chua-Eoan. It reads much like a well-written piece of investigative journalism. The pace is smooth, rarely lagging, and the tangents off into background information last just long enough - any shorter would feel too cursory, any longer would lose the readers' attention. It was an engaging read and one I am glad I spent my time on.
Much like [b:A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown|11369904|A Thousand Lives The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown|Julia Scheeres|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316729991s/11369904.jpg|16300867], this book is written about a topic that most people know about only in brief snippets. "It's bad" we would say about both of these topics (captive orcas and the tragedy at Jonestown). The reason why I will recommend both books is the same - they give depth and detail as to why both are tragedies and show how, once one knows about what happened/is happening, it is impossible to remain silent.
This was such a compelling read, and the author actually did a great job with the audio narration. He was a little clunky at the very beginning, but really go into his stride when he was describing his experience at Sea World and his love for the whales in his care.
I grew up wanting to be a Sea World trainer. My average swimming skills and horrible eyesight got in the way of that one, but orcas are still my favorite animal to this day, and I can't believe I hadn't read this until now. The author is one of the trainers who spoke out against Sea World in "Blackfish," and was a senior trainer for over a decade. In his memoir he describes the lack of education given to trainers regarding the whales' history and culture, the odd behaviors he witnessed and the cruel policies that prioritized profits over the well being of the whales. While I loved visiting SeaWorld as a kid, this book affirmed my belief that we have absolutely no business keeping such intelligent, socially complex animals in captivity.
The best parts of this book were the moments Hargrove described his fondness for, and relationship with, many of the parks' dominant females, particularly Takara. These trainers clearly went into this line of work with the best of intentions, and I'm so thankful they've been brave enough to change course and advocate on behalf of the animals.
I grew up wanting to be a Sea World trainer. My average swimming skills and horrible eyesight got in the way of that one, but orcas are still my favorite animal to this day, and I can't believe I hadn't read this until now. The author is one of the trainers who spoke out against Sea World in "Blackfish," and was a senior trainer for over a decade. In his memoir he describes the lack of education given to trainers regarding the whales' history and culture, the odd behaviors he witnessed and the cruel policies that prioritized profits over the well being of the whales. While I loved visiting SeaWorld as a kid, this book affirmed my belief that we have absolutely no business keeping such intelligent, socially complex animals in captivity.
The best parts of this book were the moments Hargrove described his fondness for, and relationship with, many of the parks' dominant females, particularly Takara. These trainers clearly went into this line of work with the best of intentions, and I'm so thankful they've been brave enough to change course and advocate on behalf of the animals.
Listened to this on audio. After watching the documentary „Blackfish“ about the horrific conditions of orcas in captivity at Seaworld I wanted to learn a bit more about the topic. This book, written by a former trainer, fulfilled that need and made it clear, once again: Orcas should never be held in captivity.
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
I loved it. It was just amazing. I just felt bad for those whales. They shouldn’t have not done the you know. They should’ve just left them in the wild see you should’ve done like the boat you know like they take you out and then experience them instead of doing that, but I agree with John. They think you get angry. If you if you’re claustrophobic, you get really angry. Can you please sit in there for so long? I would go crazy. I was stuck in one place for so long and being told what to do free the orcas
A warning to future readers of this book: this is more about SeaWorld and the trainer's life than it is about the orcas. I loved this book, and I love learning about a topic in a book written in biography form, but this is more biography than whales than I expected. That is why I wrote this review, just so you don't start reading in expecting an in-depth view of an orca's life in captivity. It has depth, but not the kind I was expecting.
It's human nature to want to always believe the good in something before the bad. Hargrove was much the same way, and following him through his career during his time at Sea World was both heartbreaking but liberating at the same time.