Back in April, the director, producer and former dolphin trainer turned activist were on Oprah discussing their Oscar award winning movie The Cove. This documentary exposes the horrific killings of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, which occur every September.
Even pictures showing the senseless killings of these sentient beings will bring you to tears. These marine mammals are beautiful and intelligent, and it’s terrible that we’re destroying an incredible creature. Not only are dolphins being slaughtered, they’re bodies are also absorbing toxins that we have contaminated the oceans with.
On the site, there is a picture of Ric O’Barry shown holding packaged dolphin meat that is being sold in Japan. This toxic meat was even being fed to school children. Although eating dolphin meat might be a part of the culture, is feeling pleasure from eating the meat of a dolphin really worth putting so many dolphins in such pain? Is it right for Japan fishers to trick dolphins into this cove and brutally take their lives?
If you’re interested in taking action and helping raise awareness about what is happening at this cove in Taiji, you can sign a petition on the Save Japan Dolphins website to help them reach one million signatures by December.
The best way you can help is to educate people about dolphins in Japan, and if you have friends living in Japan, tell them what is going on. Or send a letter to President Obama, Vice President Biden and the Japanese Ambassador to the US demanding that they take action to stop this. You can also pledge to stop paying to see and swim with dolphins in captivity.
You might be wondering what the killing of dolphins has to do with you, but we’re all connected to one another as well as nature. By allowing these innocent dolphins to be murdered every year starting in September, we’re only taking away from our younger generations and ourselves. It’s a heroic feat that these individuals who were a part of the movie were able to expose the cove and spread the message of hope for these animals that are important to the planet’s delicate balance. Dolphins have saved human lives before, so now it’s time to return the favor.
