This was a bad week for Dolphins, Dolphin Outlook, Weekly update from #TheCove, At least 40 or 50 dolphins brutally taken captive or killed, Transfer of at least 10 dolphins, Helene O’Barry, Venderpump girls against SeaWorld, Morskaya Zvezda

This was a very bad week. 

It’s been a quiet day yesterday and today thank god in Taiji following this week's traumatic events for the dolphins. 

The other night, Cove Monitors watched 15 dolphins be transferred from their sea pens into crates, loaded onto trucks, and shipped off to unknown locations, presumably marine parks.

Preparations are being made for what looks like to be a transfer of at least 10 dolphins. There are now a total of 15 transfer crates all ready and waiting. There are currently no transfer trucks or cranes here. Cove Monitors will standby and give updates when we have more information. Dolphins in the sea pens await their fate.
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A Transfer To Nowhere - Helene O’Barry
Dolphin is transferred out of Taiji’s harbor pens to destinations unknown.
Taiji: A few days ago, shortly after the hunting boats went out in search of dolphins, our team of Dolphin Project Cove Monitors saw a crane truck parked. It was obvious a dolphin transfer was going to take place. Lining the truck were coffin-like crates, commonly used by the dolphinarium industry for transporting dolphins.

Several trainers from the Taiji Whale Museum (wearing their orange t-shirts) had gathered by the dolphin cages in Moriura Bay, as did many divers in black wetsuits. There was a lot activity by the cages, and through binoculars, we could see that the trainers were force-feeding some of the dolphins. Once ended, divers entered one of the sea cages and manhandled a dolphin into a sling, lifting the mammal out of the water and attaching the sling to the side of an awaiting skiff. A total of three dolphins were transported this way across the bay.
Helene O’Barry watches as hunting boats leave Taiji harbor in search of migrating dolphin pods, Taiji, Japan
Helene O’Barry watches as hunting boats leave Taiji harbor in search of migrating dolphin pods, Taiji, Japan. Credit: DolphinProject.com

The dolphins were lifted into the air, and hanging, remained utterly helpless and exposed to gravity. Through a hole in the fabric, we saw the dolphins’ eyes. My first thought was, “I’m so sorry”.

The entire experience must have been terrifying for them: the commotion, being wrestled into slings, then being forcefully separated from the other dolphins; the yelling of human voices, the sound of the boat motors, and the roaring sounds of the crane.

The dolphins began making high-pitched sounds, possibly calling out for one another in fear and uncertainty. They had lost everything that makes life worth living for them. Gone were their families, their vast, ocean world and the ability to swim freely. Brutally stolen from the wild, for the rest of their lives they will be forced to entertain never-ending crowds of spectators for food rewards of dead fish.
Bottlenose dolphin spyhops in captivity, Taiji, Japan
Bottlenose dolphin spyhops in captivity, Taiji, Japan. Credit: DolphinProject.com
Dolphin is transferred out of Taiji’s harbor pens to destinations unknown.
Dolphin is transferred out of Taiji’s harbor pens to destinations unknown. Credit: DolphinProject.com

We noted that divers, nor trainers, showed any empathy whatsoever. The dolphins were going through hell and yet, to the humans facilitating this hell, this was all normal. To them, this was just another day at work. During the transfer, people drove by in their cars, quickly glancing at the crane, then moving on. In Taiji, this scenario is likely as common as crews doing roadwork, or some other construction. The dolphins were then dumped into the crates, were covered with a blue tarp and off the truck went. This was the last we saw of them.

Perhaps the dolphins were trucked to the nearby Taiji Whale Museum, perhaps somewhere else, maybe even abroad. There is no way of knowing for certain. But no matter where the dolphins end up, it’s “nowhere” for them, as their new accommodations will never provide the necessities for the life they were meant to live.

I have heard dolphin trainers refer to dolphins that are chosen for captivity during a drive hunt as “the lucky ones”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. These dolphins are doomed, sentenced to a slow death in concrete and glass tanks. Dolphin trainers will present them to paying audiences as “ambassadors of their species”. But they aren’t ambassadors at all: they are victims.
Helene O’Barry, Taiji, Japan
Helene O’Barry, Taiji, Japan. Credit: DolphinProject.com

It is mind-boggling to me that anyone can treat dolphins like this. In Taiji, trainers work side-by-side with dolphin hunters, selecting the ones that fit the desired criteria. This selection process, which may last for several hours, is grueling. No words can fully describe the horror that dolphin trainers subject dolphins to as they subdue and inspect the dolphins, deciding which ones are ideal for swim programs and dolphin shows. Mothers are separated from their babies, yet their distress calls are entirely ignored. Once this process is complete, the hunters are welcome to slaughter the rest of the dolphins. Of late, dolphin hunters have driven unwanted dolphins back to sea. We suspect they are doing this because of a shortage of dolphins, hoping instead the mammals reproduce and hence, the vicious cycle can be repeated all over again, with more mammals available for the dolphinarium industry.

I have witnessed trainers help hunters kill dolphins, showing no mercy as the mammals struggled and died. These are the same trainers that will get up in front of an audience during a dolphin show and talk about how much they love dolphins.

This is the big lie that the dolphin captivity industry is based upon. And that is why we are here – to document and expose the lie. Captivity is where the big money is, and accordingly, this is where the solution lies. Without paying customers, demand for captive dolphins would drop, and the industry would have to adapt with the times, utilizing cutting-edge technology to entertain and educate, rather than brutalize and imprison live dolphins.
Pacific white-sided dolphin’s life is forever changed in captivity. Taiji, Japan
Pacific white-sided dolphin’s life is forever changed in captivity. Taiji, Japan. Credit: DolphinProject.com

Together, we must end this madness.
This stat sheet is from Sunday and it does not reflect all of the killings and captures his week.
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December 6th was a very Red Cove Day

A pod of Striped dolphins were driven into the cove this morning. The entire family were slaughtered because this is a not desired species for captivity. the hunters drove the first pod of Striped dolphins this season into the cove. Cove Monitors noticed the black smoke from 10 banger boats in formation on the horizon just before 9am. It was a very messy and disorganized drive as they took nearly two hours to drive them towards the mouth of the cove. The dolphins fought hard to swim away from the boats several times, and a large portion of them managed to escape quite early on, but the hunters showed no relent. 

The terrorized and exhausted dolphins were eventually netted into the cove and driven under the tarps fairly quickly. The sound of thrashing begun. Whilst some dolphins were swimming in panic as their family members were being slaughtered, others were getting tangled in nets and drowning. Cove Monitors witnessed one dolphin in a pool of its own blood as it was caught in the nets and thrashing against the side of a skiff. More blood seeped out from underneath the tarps and turned the water a murky brown. Silence fell and soon after, three skiffs emerged full of bodies, with some faces peeking out from beneath the tarps that were used to try and hide this ‘tradition’. Divers continued to look for more bodies along the bottom of the cove. 30-35 Striped dolphins lost their lives today. 
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December 5th was a Blue Cove day with no captures or killing on Wednesday this week.

Monday, December 3rd was a Blue Cove Day, however on Tuesday this week on December 4th, A family of melon headed whales was driven into the cove this morning. Two individuals were taken captive by the local captivity facilities. We saw an unknown number of babies taken out to be dumped at sea and the rest of the family was slaughtered. We will post a full update later today. 

The banger boats found a large pod of melon headed whales before 7am this morning. The pod fought for their lives and a portion of them did escape during the drive. The remaining members of the pod continued to fight and struggle against the boats and hunters. After an hour and a half the pod’s fate was sealed when a net was drawn across the cove. The family swam close together and could be seen rubbing up against one another as they tried to find comfort in this stressful place. The dolphin trainers from the local Taiji captive facilities were quick to arrive on a boat with hunters as they began deciding which members of this dolphin family would be taken for a life of slavery and which would die. The trainers quickly choose two individuals from this pod of melon headed whales and they were put in slings and driven away from their family. Cove Monitors then watched as what we believe were two babies were covered in tarps, tied down, and driven out to sea where they were dumped alone. These babies were struggling under the tarps as hunters tried to hold them down, giving no concern to their bodies being out of water and away from their family. Their mothers remained under the tarps in the cove where they were slaughtered along with the rest of the pod. The thrashing of the dolphins in their last moments was loud until a silence finally fell upon the cove. In the end 20 melon headed whales were slaughtered and 2 were taken for captivity. The babies that were dumped at sea alone are not a part of the dolphin hunters quota and we can only hope they found the members of their pod that escaped this morning. 

Eight more rough-toothed dolphins brutally taken captive in Week #14 of Taiji’s hunts. Take Action: dolphin.fyi/HelpJapanDolphins#DolphinProject

A pod of rough toothed dolphins were driven into the cove last Sunday on December 2nd. The family was very stressed as the dolphin hunters and trainers worked together to separate those that would be selected for captivity. The remaining members of the pod were driven back out into the open ocean. We will provide a full update about today’s events later so please check back on our social media pages.
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Free the two dolphins living in a pool in Dilijan, Armenia.

Target: President of Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan and Dolpinarium "Morskaya Zvezda"

Dolphins are smart, social creatures with the capacity to do a lot of things. But heal the sick is not one of them. Unfortunately, operators at a facility in Dilijan, Armenia might disagree. The complex is home to two dolphins they claim can alleviate a host of maladies. 

The poor marine mammals are forced to live in a tiny pool where the ill can then take a dip and be "cured." 

Dolphins are extremely intelligent, social creatures that swim huge distances in the wild. And yet, these dolphins are suffering in a tank not even half the size of an olympic sized swimming pool. At one end it's little more than 2 feet deep. 

What's more, activist fear the tiny pool could be chlorinated causing a whole host of problems including deafness and eye infections so severe that they can't even open their eyes. 

Last month, after the plight of Misha and Dasha - two bears held captive at at a riverside restaurant - came to light, the two bears were rescued. The restaurant owner and officials could no longer ignore the outcry for their freedom and they were finally released from their steel prison and sent to a sanctuary. 

If enough of us speak up, we can help rescue the two dolphins as well. Currently activists are pushing for their release so they can be rehabilitated with hopes that they can be reintroduced into the wild.

Let's join the call and demand that the Dolphinarium and the Armenian government release the dolphins for rehabilitation and to a better life.