Save the Whales... and the dolphins too, please

I just watched an amazing movie about dolphin slaughter in Japan.
It's called The Cove, you can get it at redbox vending machines for $1 a night.
It blew my mind.
I cried at parts, I screamed at the people on the screen, I knashed my teeth and bit my lip.
And this movie? It's all real. It's a documentary.
It is completely and utterly horrifying.

Visit the site here.

The following information is from that site:

5 THINGS YOU CAN DO NOW:

1. Write to our leaders and help get the word out in Japan
   
2. Learn more about dolphins in captivity
   
3. Calculate your mercury exposure
   
4. Help Save Japan Dolphins' efforts on the frontlines
   
5. Support the filmmakers with your donation
   

FAQs:

Are dolphin and whale numbers worldwide stable?

Can dolphins understand sign language?

Do blue whales and fin whales help each other find food?

Do dolphins socialize?

Does mercury affect our children's health?

Does Navy sonar testing harm dolphins?

Have dolpins rescued human beings?

How deep do dolpins dive?

How do dolphins communicate?

How does mercury affect the dolphins?

How does mercury enter the food chain?

Is "Scientific Whaling" meat also sold on the world markets?

Is it okay to watch dolphin shows created with dolphins born in captivity?

Is physical and public contact with dolphins healthy for the animals?

Is pollution a problem for our oceans?

What are cetaceans?

What is a dolphin's brain like?

What is the lifespan of a dolphin?

What is unique about a dolphin's senses?

Which animal has the longest song in the animal kingdom?

Who eats dolphin meat?
THE MOVIE:
The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the 5 dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.”
But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day -- led O’Barry to a radical change of heart. One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realize that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again. This mission has brought him to Taiji, a town that appears to be devoted to the wonders and mysteries of the sleek, playful dolphins and whales that swim off their coast.
But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality.  It is here, under cover of night, that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt.  The nature of what they do is so chilling -- and the consequences are so dangerous to human health -- they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.
Undeterred, O’Barry joins forces with filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Oceanic Preservation Society to get to the truth of what’s really going on in the cove and why it matters to everyone in the world.  With the local Chief of Police hot on their trail and strong-arm fishermen keeping tabs on them, they will recruit an “Ocean's Eleven”-style team of underwater sound and camera experts, special effects artists, marine explorers, adrenaline junkies and world-class free divers who will carry out an undercover operation to photograph the off-limits cove, while playing a cloak-and-dagger game with those who would have them jailed. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope. 
The Cove is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPre Pesman and Fisher Stevens.  The film is written by Mark Monroe.  The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.


The following photos are very graphic; skip if you have a weak stomach. They are of the dolphin slaughter.

Luckily, since the filming (including hidden cameras!) ended, changes have already begun. The question is, is it enough?

Guess what posters I'll be plastering over my notebooks and walls and distributing to my friends? That's right...

You've heard of Saving the Whales, but dolphin slaughter is sooo much worse.

Dolphins are smart. People-smart. Smarter-than-people smart.
Have you ever interacted with a wild dolphin? Not at SeaWorld. Not in the kitchy Bahamian "swim with dolphins" gig. Wild dolphins. Swimming at the prow of your boat, rolling to look up at you, wild and free but interested in you and so unafraid.

The following is from the blog of my family's two-year trip in the Caribbean, living on our 40-foot sailboat. My mom wrote it:

"We had a fantastic day-sail up to Belize, and by mid-afternoon had the islands of the Sapodilla Cays in sight. As we approached the long barrier reef in incredibly clear blue water, we were approached by a school of dolphins. They stayed with us for an hour, playing in the bow wake, rolling over to look up at us, and I even touched one, leaning over the bow with my outstretched arm as he swam back and leaped out of the water under my hand. Olivia and I spent a long time watching and talking to them. It was really magical!

To watch a movie about these dolphins, click here."


(Sorry, the link to the movie doesn't have anything on it, I need to tell my mom about that... it's basically footage of the dolphins swimming alongside us, and us rubbing their bellies. They LOVED it, no joke, they totally LOVED it. They'd press against our hands.)


Please. Think. Do.


The oceans aren't ours. They aren't anyone's.

Keep them safe. Protect their creatures.