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143 reviews for:
Death at Seaworld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity
David Kirby
4.22 AVERAGE
143 reviews for:
Death at Seaworld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity
David Kirby
4.22 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Exhaustively researched and in-depth, Kirby weaves a poignant tapestry of the fight against orcas in captivity. With both beautifully personal stories and cold hard facts, I felt even more invested in a cause already close to my heart. While this book is decidedly anti-captivity, I appreciated the insight into the reasoning and feelings of those on the other side of the issue.
- I had to take a star off this book because it was not the most well balanced book. It clearly leant to one side, and while attempts were made to show both sides, and Kirby credited Seaworld what was due, he was clearly leaning towards anti-captivity
- That being said it was clearly well researched and while he was not an expert in the topic (nor did he need to be) Kirby clearly talked to a lot of experts. And attempted to talk to people from both sides.
- However it would have been nice to have gotten more insight from pro-captivity people. Obviously Seaworld had no interest in taking part (so surprising) but there had to be some pro-captivity people who were interested in sharing their opinions, but we didn't really get that from this book.
- There was a clear focus on Naomi Rose which is not necessarily a bad thing. She was a good choice because she was an expert on killer whales and other sea mammals, was closely involved in the debate, etc. etc. However at times the focus on her was a little too much. Occasionally details were good (I know some people thought the parts on her early work at uni was too detailed but I thought it was necessary to give her credibility) I really didn't need to know all the details about her personal life, early life, and relationships. Also at times it felt like it was slipping away from a book about orcas in captivity and more towards a biography about Naomi Rose. Any background information on her needed to remain purely contextual.
- The writing style bugged me a little because it seemed to jump around a lot, time wise, and perspective wise, not to mention we covered all the Seaworld parks, as well as other non-seaworld parks. And considering how many orcas, trainers, and others that involved it was hard enough to keep track without all the jumping around the book did.
- I'll settle on four stars because despite having a few issues with the book, like I said it is *really* well researched, and provides really interesting insights, both on orcas in captivity, but also in the wild, as well as a pretty conclusion summation of the OSHA v Seaworld case, and incidents that have occurred between killer whales and trainers at sea world parks.
I really didn't need to know all the details about her early life
- That being said it was clearly well researched and while he was not an expert in the topic (nor did he need to be) Kirby clearly talked to a lot of experts. And attempted to talk to people from both sides.
- However it would have been nice to have gotten more insight from pro-captivity people. Obviously Seaworld had no interest in taking part (so surprising) but there had to be some pro-captivity people who were interested in sharing their opinions, but we didn't really get that from this book.
- There was a clear focus on Naomi Rose which is not necessarily a bad thing. She was a good choice because she was an expert on killer whales and other sea mammals, was closely involved in the debate, etc. etc. However at times the focus on her was a little too much. Occasionally details were good (I know some people thought the parts on her early work at uni was too detailed but I thought it was necessary to give her credibility) I really didn't need to know all the details about her personal life, early life, and relationships. Also at times it felt like it was slipping away from a book about orcas in captivity and more towards a biography about Naomi Rose. Any background information on her needed to remain purely contextual.
- The writing style bugged me a little because it seemed to jump around a lot, time wise, and perspective wise, not to mention we covered all the Seaworld parks, as well as other non-seaworld parks. And considering how many orcas, trainers, and others that involved it was hard enough to keep track without all the jumping around the book did.
- I'll settle on four stars because despite having a few issues with the book, like I said it is *really* well researched, and provides really interesting insights, both on orcas in captivity, but also in the wild, as well as a pretty conclusion summation of the OSHA v Seaworld case, and incidents that have occurred between killer whales and trainers at sea world parks.
I really didn't need to know all the details about her early life
A must read for anyone wanting to know more about (legal) battles regarding orcas in captivity, as well as more general eyewitness accounts on orcas in captivity and the wild. Very thorough and well researched!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring deeply issues of marine captivity and our psychological understanding of whales.
I was fortunate to win a copy of this book with GoodRead's First Reads!
Note: I am in no way an unbiased reader on the subject of animal captivity, and David Kirby is also, in no way an unbiased writer. "Death at SeaWorld" is a condemnation of the crimes the animal display industry have wrecked upon extremely intelligent mammals stolen from the oceans and forced to live out the remainder of their lives in bathtubs.
However, if you were at all curious about the topic of orca captivity, this book would be a great resource. There is an almost over-abundance of information in this reasonably-sized text spanning the history of cetacean capture to detailed histories of the individuals that still inhabit SeaWorld's enclosures today. All the key players in this movement are included, from whale scientists, animal activists, and former SeaWorld trainers to pro-cap supporters and the industry heads of cetacean display. There is a lot of valuable information, and I think the only thing I lament about this work is the excess and failure to edit as neatly as the average reader would wish. I fear others not nearly as motivated as myself would become easily discouraged.
Nonetheless, I think this is an important story, and "Death at SeaWorld" is a great complement to the documentary "Blackfish" in the film's rising popularity. While I have always been against cetacean captivity, I had no idea how little I actually knew about Orcinus orca and the story of Tillikum, and I've been excited to share this work with others as interested as myself! Stay curious!
Note: I am in no way an unbiased reader on the subject of animal captivity, and David Kirby is also, in no way an unbiased writer. "Death at SeaWorld" is a condemnation of the crimes the animal display industry have wrecked upon extremely intelligent mammals stolen from the oceans and forced to live out the remainder of their lives in bathtubs.
However, if you were at all curious about the topic of orca captivity, this book would be a great resource. There is an almost over-abundance of information in this reasonably-sized text spanning the history of cetacean capture to detailed histories of the individuals that still inhabit SeaWorld's enclosures today. All the key players in this movement are included, from whale scientists, animal activists, and former SeaWorld trainers to pro-cap supporters and the industry heads of cetacean display. There is a lot of valuable information, and I think the only thing I lament about this work is the excess and failure to edit as neatly as the average reader would wish. I fear others not nearly as motivated as myself would become easily discouraged.
Nonetheless, I think this is an important story, and "Death at SeaWorld" is a great complement to the documentary "Blackfish" in the film's rising popularity. While I have always been against cetacean captivity, I had no idea how little I actually knew about Orcinus orca and the story of Tillikum, and I've been excited to share this work with others as interested as myself! Stay curious!
First of all, anyone who knows me already knows that I am absolutely against SeaWorld and zoos etc. in general. So while I did come into this book with a bias against SeaWorld, I came into it with a knowledgeable bias based on information I'd already ascertained both about killer whales and SeaWorld. This book, however, does compile much of the information out there on SeaWorld and the SeaWorld deaths. But as to whether that was successfully done is a matter of opinion. I, unfortunately, felt as though the book could have been better, or at the very least shorter.
One of my biggest gripes with Death at SeaWorld is the repetitive nature of the writing. This becomes far more obvious with Kirby's inconsistent time frame followed in the book. Overall I would say that Kirby's writing could have been stronger and needed to be stronger in order to be more concise with the details and facts of the situation. It was obvious Kirby was trying to remain neutral but his choice of words and general style made it seem as though he was waffling.
Many, many things were far too drawn out. This was blatantly obvious when the author chose to highlight different scientists. Backgrounds and diary entries went on for far too long. And have no fear, when you think you are done they will come back in a later chapter! The diary entries were the absolute worst as they added nothing of value to the issue at hand and they were really quite dull. One of the diary entries by Naomi Rose was: "I am not happy. The stove isn't working. People didn't bring enough cooking gear. How did that happen? [...]" Unfortunately this was actually part of a diary entry included in the book and I couldn't help but think of it as mere filler.
I do think there is a lot of valuable information within the pages of this book but it is unfortunately buried under much dull and needless information. One absolutely positive thing I can say about Kirby's book is it being the inspiration behind Blackfish, for that I thank him.
If you are anti-captivity for killer whales going into this book you will not have your views altered, rather they will be bolstered. Now if you go into it unsure or on the side of captivity, I can only hope you walk away at the very least considering what your money goes to support and the issues these amazing beings face.
One of my biggest gripes with Death at SeaWorld is the repetitive nature of the writing. This becomes far more obvious with Kirby's inconsistent time frame followed in the book. Overall I would say that Kirby's writing could have been stronger and needed to be stronger in order to be more concise with the details and facts of the situation. It was obvious Kirby was trying to remain neutral but his choice of words and general style made it seem as though he was waffling.
Many, many things were far too drawn out. This was blatantly obvious when the author chose to highlight different scientists. Backgrounds and diary entries went on for far too long. And have no fear, when you think you are done they will come back in a later chapter! The diary entries were the absolute worst as they added nothing of value to the issue at hand and they were really quite dull. One of the diary entries by Naomi Rose was: "I am not happy. The stove isn't working. People didn't bring enough cooking gear. How did that happen? [...]" Unfortunately this was actually part of a diary entry included in the book and I couldn't help but think of it as mere filler.
I do think there is a lot of valuable information within the pages of this book but it is unfortunately buried under much dull and needless information. One absolutely positive thing I can say about Kirby's book is it being the inspiration behind Blackfish, for that I thank him.
If you are anti-captivity for killer whales going into this book you will not have your views altered, rather they will be bolstered. Now if you go into it unsure or on the side of captivity, I can only hope you walk away at the very least considering what your money goes to support and the issues these amazing beings face.
Amazing - If you have any interest in learning about Killer Whales in captivity, this book will fully educate you. I couldn't put it down. I read 500+ pages in about 3 - 4 days!
My review: http://www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/2012/09/09/bookshelf-death-at-seaworld/
This was a hard book to read! It is riveting and informative, but so upsetting. Though the author tries to be balanced, contacting Sea World and other orca captivity supporters for interviews, the book it very anti-captivity. I don't know if the sensationalism (not sensationalism as in exaggeration, but sensationalist in tone) of some of the events covered is due to this bias or simply to the authors writing style. Either way, it really brought the plight of captive orcas home for me. More upsetting, for me at least, was the recognition of names, both of Sea World's whales and Sea World San Diego's trainers. I remember most of the births at the San Diego park that happened during my childhood. I only remembered one of the deaths. Reading this book has definitely made me look back on my hundreds of Sea World visits over the course of my life, and colored them. It's going to take me a while to move past this reading.
A must read if you are passionate against the idea of Orcas in captivity.