I don't know a single human being that doesn't love dolphin's - not one I've met anyway. It is true the sight of dolphins no matter how many times you've seen them makes children and grown men alike want to skip around with joy. I think for centuries humans have felt a strong connection to these majestic creatures. This is evident in the tales told throughout history and we often hear stories of dolphin's saving humans from perceived danger. I have heard of dolphin's seemingly protecting people from the presence of sharks (who I love by the way and whether they actually present a threat is another topic altogether) which is pretty phenomenal.
I worked with dolphin's in the wild in South Africa and have been lucky enough to swim with them in their natural environment. When you look into their eyes and watch their behavior day after day for weeks it becomes glaringly obvious that they are sentient beings. This means they have the capacity to feel, perceive and have a subjective experience - like us.
So why are humans hurting them? It is a question I can not answer, but I will try.
Can you remember around eight years ago when the front pages went crazy with the story that broke about dolphin's being secretly slaughtered in a cove in Japan? The front pages were a blaze with imagery of the bright red water and dying dolphins strewn around like garbage. Japan literally had dolphin blood on their hands. I remember it well and am disturbed that this practice is still continuing. It is harrowing beyond words.
Every year between September and March is is estimated around 23,000 dolphins are brutally and inhumanely slaughtered. The practice of dolphin hunting happens in a small town in Japan called Taiji. It is done by around 26 fishermen with government permits - the majority of people in Japan do not know that this horrendous act is taking place.
Just before sunrise the fishermen drive and chase the dolphins by frightening them into a shallow rocky area called the cove. They are then butchered in the most horrifying way you could possibly think of and taking an agonizingly long time to die. All I can tell you to do is watch 'The Cove' the 2009 documentary by Ric O'Barry exposing this murderously cruel act (available on Netflix). Since then the killing method has changed, it is still appalling, please read the below and you can make up your own mind.
https://dolphinproject.net/campaigns/save-japan-dolphins/frequently-asked-questions/
The reason this is happening all comes down to money, these dolphins are highly valuable for the fishermen. A few dolphins will end up in captivity for a high price. The butchered dolphin meat is then sold in Japan, it is often labelled as 'Whale meat' because a very small minority of Japanese actually eat dolphin meat making this all the more horrific.
What can you do to help?
1. Don't eat whale & dolphin meat, cruelty aside it is lethally high in the toxic chemical mercury. This poses a huge risk especially to pregnant women.
2. Take the pledge and vow to never buy a ticket to a dolphin show, as a consumer we have so much power and by not going to these attractions we are not supporting the killing and captivity of dolphins.
Take the pledge here; https://dolphinproject.net/take-action/take-the-pledge-not-to-buy-a-ticket-to-a-dolphin-show/
3. Check out Ric O'Barry;s Dolphin Project for more information and ways in which to help the Taiji dolphins and dolphins in captivity. I love Ric's work and think you will too.
https://dolphinproject.net/
5. Watch 'The Cove' 2009 documentary. It has now been translated into Japanese as well. Spread the word!!
6. Make a donation at The Dolphin Project.
7. Sign petitions
8. Spread the word on social media. Educate educate educate!!!
9. 'Blackfish' 2013 is also another must see documentary about the terrible life of a captive Orca whale at SeaWorld named Tilikum who took the lives of several people.
As Ric O' Barry says " A dolphin's smile is the greatest deception. It creates the illusion that they're always happy". Keeping dolphin's and orca's in captivity is profoundly cruel, they suffer greatly from disease and stress only performing tricks as they have been deprived of food. The butchering of dolphin's must end. They leave us alone, generously offer us magical moments and meaningful connections. We must give them something back. We must give them a voice.
Photo's by http://weknowyourdreams.com/dolphin.html
https://www.czs.org/Brookfield-ZOO/Zoo-Animals/Seven-Seas/Bottlenose-Dolphin
