Imagine going to your favorite local aquarium and instead of seeing dolphins jumping through hoops and dancing joyfully, you see them being slaughtered right in front of you. You probably can't even imagine it. That's because they would never show that to the general public. I just watched the documentary
The Cove, and realized with astonishment that something very fishy is going on. While the dolphins in aquariums are well cared for by their trainers and adored by spectators, there is a mass slaughter going on behind the scenes. Every year in Taiji, Japan thousands of wild dolphins are trapped and sold to aquariums and other dolphin experience establishments (for a whopping $150,000 each). Unfortunatley the dolphins and porpoises that don't measure up for public display are brutally killed by the fisherman in Taiji. 23,000 dolphins are killed every year in this section of Japan. Until
The Cove documentary came out exposing this practice it was hidden from the public. Hard to believe right?
So many of these intellectual mammals are being killed each year, and for what? Meat! They are selling dolphin meat to the people of Japan (who don't even really know what they are eating/ being "mislabeled" as whale meat). Dolphin meat is loaded with mercury, and is completely unsafe to consume. Anything to make a buck right? These fisherman also consider their killing practices as a form of pest control. How dare those wild dolphins eat the fish in the sea!
The hero of the film is
Ric O'Barry, a world renowned dolphin trainer (the Trainer of Flipper). He regrets turning dolphins into a commercial attraction through the beloved television show Flipper and is on a mission to change the minds of people all over the world. It is through his determination and love for the dolphins that this film has come alive, and shed light on such a dark issue.
Do the world a favor, see the film. It is beautifully made (it was even nominated for an Oscar) and I guarantee it will make an impact on you. If you want to help save the dolphins you can text the word "dolphin" to 44144 or visit
http://www.takepart.com/thecove or
http://www.savejapandolphins.org/.
You can also sign a petition to urge government officials to do something about the dolphin slaughter. Just visit
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/724210624.
So many of these intellectual mammals are being killed each year, and for what? Meat! They are selling dolphin meat to the people of Japan (who don't even really know what they are eating/ being "mislabeled" as whale meat). Dolphin meat is loaded with mercury, and is completely unsafe to consume. Anything to make a buck right? These fisherman also consider their killing practices as a form of pest control. How dare those wild dolphins eat the fish in the sea! 
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