This chilling movie is probably behind SeaWorld's decision to close a killer whale exhibit

In nature, Orcas are known as social, intelligent creatures who roam the world's oceans. They have families and language and culture.

When torn from these bonds, the animals endure what equates to "psychological torture" that can end up creating "psychotic" animals - at least that's the story told in the chilling documentary "Blackfish" about Tilikum, a "serial" killer whale and SeaWorld animal attraction.

The publicity disaster that followed the movie's release in 2013 was likely the turning point for SeaWorld. The company announced Monday, November 9 that it will phase out killer-whale shows in their San Diego amusement park by 2017, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

"Blackfish" shows how at SeaWorld, and parks like it, whales like Tilikum can become dangerous after years of detachment from their wild pods, confinement in small cement tanks, and separation from their calves.

Although SeaWorld plans to drop its California-based killer whale attraction, there's been no mention of phasing out killer-whale shows at SeaWorld's Orlando or San Antonio locations. (Tilikum currently lives at the Orlando SeaWorld park.)

Tilikum isn't the only deadly killer whale in captivity, but his story is chilling. Here's the story, as told by Blackfish. Some of the facts in the movie have been debated by SeaWorld.

Alana Kakoyiannis contributed to a previous version of this post.