With the furor over the documentary Blackfish and the attention it's focused on captive killer whales, much has been made about keeping these powerful predators for entertainment purposes.

The movie garnered Oscar buzz starting last year, but it's been left out of the running for Best Documentary—a major "snub," according to Forbes film contributor Scott Mendelson. (Related: "How Far Will the Blackfish Effect Go?")

Yet for all the ink spilled on the money killer whales generate and whether we should keep them in captivity, we hear less about what their lives are like from the people whose job is to care for them.

Bridgette Pirtle worked as an animal trainer at SeaWorld San Antonio in Texas from 2001