John Hargrove: Beyond Blackfish

Tue, Mar 31 2015 - 6:30pm
John Hargrove, Former Killer Whale Trainer; Star, Blackfish; Author, Beneath The Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld and The Truth Beyond Blackfish

David McGuire, Marine Biologist; Founder, ocean health and conservation nonprofit, Shark Stewards; Research Associate, California Academy of Sciences – Moderator

John Hargrove’s career as one of the most experienced orca trainers in the world spanned the course of two decades. He worked with 20 different whales, on two different continents, and at two of SeaWorld’s U.S. facilities, where he was promoted to the highest level of trainer and given elite access to the parks’ most dangerous whales.

After two of his fellow trainers were killed by orcas in marine parks, Hargrove says he came to the realization that marine parks are not only dangerous for trainers, but also physically and psychologically detrimental to the whales themselves on an irreversible level. After he left SeaWorld, Hargrove became the star of the documentary Blackfish, airing widely on CNN, which tells the story of one particular killer whale that killed several people in captivity.

Hear his provocative views on the relationship between orcas and humans, and bring your questions.