It has been another awful week over in Taji, Japan. There have been deaths and capturing by them all week. You can always watch the stream LIVE from #TheCove in Taiji, Japan. Watch here: https://goo.gl/mFAk1d
As a regular ocean user and surfer, interaction with dolphins in their natural habitat occurs semi-regularly.
The discovery of an adventure park on the beach containing a small pool 10m x20 m about 400 metres south of Komune Resort and the famous Keramas surf break housing 4 dolphins in chlorinated water for tourists to swim and play with was a huge shock.
A similar dolphin facility was closed down 2 years ago by the Minister of Forestry, Zulkifli Hasan, with a pledge to close any other dolphin attraction sites.
After initial protests when the Indonesian owned, Wake Bali Adventure Park opened last July, the resort still remains open and the dolphins remain trapped in a tiny chlorinated pool.
This is a request for Wake Bali Adventure Park to free the dolphins and allow them to be re-introduced into the wild, where they belong.
Please note that there are NO dolphins in the pool at Komune Bali Resort at Keramas and Komune’s owners Tony Cannon and Luke Egan are both surfers and actively support organisations protecting marine mammals.
Also note, these dolphins can't be simply rescued and returned straight to the ocean. They need to be rehabilitated and there are pens setup for this detailed here.
Click Here to Sign!
Four days. Four drives. Three species.Risso’s dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and striped dolphins – none but two were spared during a brutal four-day string of drives in Taiji, Japan, between January 4 and 8. Dolphin Project Cove Monitors Natasha Eldred, Maria Nangle and Oxana Fedorova Live Streamed the events as they unfolded. While the dolphins struggled against the banger boats, the visuals and sounds recorded could only be described as a massive assault on the senses.
A terrifying sight: banger boats driving a pod of dolphins towards the cove, Taiji, Japan, 1-7-16.
Photo credit: Dolphin Project
Photo credit: Dolphin Project
The banging on the poles by the hunters reverberated through the camera to my laptop. It was so loud. I can only imagine what the dolphins must have been hearing and experiencing.” ~ Viewer after watching Dolphin Project’s Live Stream
By the time we arrived to the next lookout point, banger boats had already begun formation and splashes were seen in the water. The drive happened so fast and soon thereafter, a pod of Risso’s dolphins was netted within the outer section of the cove.” ~ Dolphin Project Senior Cove Monitor Natasha Eldred
Risso’s dolphins last moments before slaughter, Taiji, Japan. 1-8-16.
Photo credit: Dolphin Project
During the drives, the sounds of boat engines are loud and rough, terrifying the dolphins into submission while pushing the pods further into the cove. Waters churn as babies and juveniles attempt to keep up with the adults. Their breathing becomes erratic as they flee from the hunters. Weights attached to ropes are thrown into the water to further frighten and control the dolphins. The chaos is palpable and by the time the dolphins are trapped, their exits to freedom permanently blocked, they are exhausted. Many die during the hunts themselves, their numbers never recorded against the seasonal drive quotas.
Stolen! One of two Risso’s dolphins selected for captivity, Taiji, Japan. 1-8-16.
Photo credit: Dolphin Project
Photo credit: Dolphin Project
Two family members of Risso’s dolphins were selected for captivity while the rest of the pod was being killed under the tarps. The captives were in the sea pen at the Taiji harbor while dead bodies were being transferred to the butcher shop.” ~ Dolphin Project Senior Cove Monitor Natasha Eldred
The last bottlenose dolphin before slaughter, Taiji, Japan, 1-7-16.
Photo credit: Dolphin Project
Photo credit: Dolphin Project
Dolphins who were swimming along, minding their own business, lost their lives today. For what?” ~ Maria Nangle, Dolphin Project Cove Monitor
The “what” is captivity. The “why” is profit. When dolphins in captivity no longer become a lucrative business practice, the practice will end.
Take the pledge to NOT buy a ticket to a dolphin show.
Here in Taiji, the only thing you think about when these drives are happening is to get as much information and footage out there as you can. Social media is very powerful and we have the power to change this.” ~ Oxana Fedorova, Dolphin Project Cove Monitor
Click here to see the 2015/2016 Drive Fisheries Quota. Read more to learn why these numbers should not be trusted.
Your help in supporting our campaign in Taiji is greatly appreciated and needed. Click here to donate.
Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the USA (Tax ID 47-1665067), and donations are tax-deductible.
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Free four wild dolphins contained in a tiny pool at Wake Bali AdventureThe discovery of an adventure park on the beach containing a small pool 10m x20 m about 400 metres south of Komune Resort and the famous Keramas surf break housing 4 dolphins in chlorinated water for tourists to swim and play with was a huge shock.
A similar dolphin facility was closed down 2 years ago by the Minister of Forestry, Zulkifli Hasan, with a pledge to close any other dolphin attraction sites.
After initial protests when the Indonesian owned, Wake Bali Adventure Park opened last July, the resort still remains open and the dolphins remain trapped in a tiny chlorinated pool.
This is a request for Wake Bali Adventure Park to free the dolphins and allow them to be re-introduced into the wild, where they belong.
Please note that there are NO dolphins in the pool at Komune Bali Resort at Keramas and Komune’s owners Tony Cannon and Luke Egan are both surfers and actively support organisations protecting marine mammals.
Also note, these dolphins can't be simply rescued and returned straight to the ocean. They need to be rehabilitated and there are pens setup for this detailed here.
Click Here to Sign!
LETTER TO
Menteri Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan Siti Nurbaya Bakar
Wake Bali Dolphins
Ministry of Environment and Forestry Indonesia DR. IR. SITI NURBAYA BAKAR
