As "The Last Dolphin King" (2022 release from Spain; 84 min.) opens, talking heads are buzzing about Jose Luis Barbereo, "the best dolphin trainer ever". In early 2015, the Georgia Aquarium offers him a Vice President position, truly the crowning achievement of a 30+ year illustrious career. Then out of nowhere, activists release a shocking 90 seconds video, showing him to abuse the animals during training...
Couple of comments: apparently Jose Luis Barbero is legendary in the Spanish world of entertainment, but I'll be upfront and tell you I have never heard of him. This documentary is a two-in-one: on the one hand it assesses Barbero's life as a dolphin trainer, and on the other hand it assesses whether animals in captivity should be "entertainment" for the masses. One thing is for sure: the movie does not avoid the difficult topics, in fact au contraire. It is absolutely clear that these dolphins "did not choose this" and yes, they are abused, even if not all of them and not all of the time. There is good reason why the Ringling Brothers circus closed its door, and the same should be the case with the many dolphinariums around the world. Back to the documentary: it makes for difficult viewing at times, but I found this to be very much worth checking out.
"The Last Dolphine King" premiered on Netflix a few days ago. Netflix suggested it to me based on my viewing habits, and I took them up on it. If you are interested in better understanding the real cost of dolphins-in-captivity-for-entertainment, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
