More Dolphin's Killed & Captured This Week in Taiji, Japan, Dolphin Park Denied in Vietnam, Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams, Chester is Dead, Isle of Lewis, Hebrides, Scotland, Sharon Osbourne, Thomas Cook, Dolphin PINS, Giving Tuesday!
I have been displaying the live feed this week and it is so hard to watch. I have to scroll it down to make sure I don't see it when I come back to the page for some reason.
A family of melon headed whales was quickly found this morning off the coast of Taiji and driven into the Cove. The entire family was slaughtered and Cove Monitors witnessed the bodies of the 23 melon heads being dragged out from under the tarps by the skiffs. The skiffs drove over the bodies that were attached to them by ropes as they left the Cove headed for the butcher house. These melon headed whales swam closely together as they spent their last few moments as a family.
On Friday this week, a mixed pod of rough toothed dolphins and Bottlenose dolphins was driven into the Cove. This family stayed very close to one another during the drive and captive selection. No dolphins were slaughtered today but several were taken for a life of captivity. We will have a full update on our social media pages later today. 1-25-17 10:30am #dolphinproject.
The banger boats left at sunrise this morning to hunt for dolphins and quickly found a mixed pod of about 26 individuals. The pod consisted of rough tooth and bottlenose dolphins. These dolphins were clearly stressed and agitated and could be seen slapping their tails and jumping out of the water. There were young calves within this group as well. Cove Monitors witnessed hunters in dive suits grabbing dolphins by their bloody and injured rostrums. The dolphin trainers from the local Taiji captivity facilities were on the shore as well as they chose the ones that would be taken for a life in captivity. Both hunters and trainers could be heard laughing together on the beach and in the boats as they took 10 dolphins away for a life in captivity. The rest of the pod was driven back out to sea by the banger boats but they were reluctant to leave their family members behind. The captivity industry is the driving force behind these annual hunts and today 10 new dolphins were taken away from their family because of it.
Pledge NOT to buy a ticket to a dolphin show: dolphin.fyi/DolphinPledge
Chester, the false killer whale who made history as the first of his species to be rehabilitated under human care has died at the Vancouver Aquarium. The young dolphin – jointly rescued on July 10, 2014 by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Vancouver Aquarium after stranding in Tofino, British Columbia – spent the last three years of his life in captivity at the facility after being deemed non-releasable.
Five cetaceans have now died at the aquarium in the last 15 months: Qila and Aurora, mother and daughter Beluga whales, and Daisy and Jack, two harbor porpoises. An investigation into the deaths of the two belugas found they died of unknown toxins. Preliminary necropsy results indicated Daisy died of pulmonary disease. Jack, another rescue, died of unknown causes.
At the time of this writing, the Vancouver Aquarium has not given a cause of death. However, Chester’s passing is a blow to the facility who used the false killer whale as a “poster” rescue.
Sharon Osbourne Urges Thomas Cook To Stop Selling Tickets To SeaWorld
Over 20,000 people have joined PETA in calling on Thomas Cook to stop promoting and selling tickets to SeaWorld – and now, television icon Sharon Osbourne is among them.
The X Factor judge has sent a letter on PETA’s behalf calling on the travel provider to remove the notoriously cruel amusement park from its promotions, writing, “Orcas at SeaWorld never get a holiday. Day in and day out, they’re forced to live in barren, grotesquely small enclosures with no means of escape.”
She goes on to explain that in nature, orcas travel up to 100 miles a day – but at SeaWorld, they have no choice but to swim in circles in tiny tanks where they’re unable to play at will, choose their own mates, or engage in any other natural kinds of behaviour. The frustrated animals gnaw on the sides of their tanks until their teeth break, and they commonly attack human trainers and one another.
“No travel provider should line its pockets at the expense of the animals held in SeaWorld’s watery prisons,” Sharon concludes. “Please follow the lead of other providers, such as Responsible Travel and STA Travel, by severing ties with the marine abusement park. Until you do, when it comes to booking with Thomas Cook, it’s a no from me.”
Sharon’s letter is the latest salvo in PETA’s campaign against the travel provider. In recent weeks, activists have organised protests outside 80 Thomas Cook branches across the UK and unfurled a giant banner proclaiming, “Thomas Cook: SeaWorld Kills” outside the company’s London headquarters.
What You Can Do
If you haven’t already, please contact Thomas Cook now and ask it to sever ties with SeaWorld. You can also leave a polite comment on its Facebook page and call its customer service line on 01733 224 808.
You can also join our International Week of Action, with demonstrations outside Thomas Cook’s stores and corporate headquarters, starting on Monday, 11 December.
Vietnam Denies Proposal for Dolphin Park After Thousands Speak Out Against It
The fight for animal rights often feels like an uphill battle plagued with strong opposition from selfish individuals and greedy businesses. However, at times there are celebratory victories that provide the encouragement we need to keep on fighting for those who cannot speak out for themselves.
One such victory recently occurred in Vietnam, where authorities denied the proposal to build a dolphin park tourist attraction in the city of Danang. This happened after 200 animal welfare charities spoke up and a petition written by Animals Asia garnered 16,000 signatures, showing that the general public does not want this type of “entertainment.”
If the park had been approved, dolphins would have been captured from the wild, possibly from the gruesome Taiji dolphin hunts, and kept in tiny inadequate tanks and forced to do unnatural tricks in exchange for food. For highly intelligent creatures who typically swim over 60 miles a day with their family pods in the wild, life in captivity is pure misery filled with physical pain, severe psychological distress, shortened lifespans, and an all in all poor quality of life.
Animals Asia’s Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale had this to say about the rejection of the proposed dolphin park: “This is a stunning success, which absolutely reaffirms our belief that anything is possible when people come together in support of a common goal…By turning down this proposal, the Danang authorities seem to recognise that the world does not want more animal cruelty packaged as entertainment…There has been a growing international backlash against keeping whales and dolphins in captivity…Until the last dolphin is released and the last dolphinarium closed down, we will continue to bang the drum against these horrors.”
Until all the tanks are officially emptied, the single best way to combat the cruelty of marine parks is by never buying a ticket to visit them. And please remember to share this excellent news with your friends and family as a reminder why wild animals belong in the wild, not in tanks. Image Source: Pixabay
Celebrity Dolphin Project Ambassador and Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams has just launched a unique design to benefit Dolphin Project! Her limited edition t-shirt – “A Girl Will Save Dolphins” – is available in four different styles, with 100% of the proceeds benefitting Dolphin Project’s work around the globe to protect 🐬’s.
Melon headed whales were driven into the Cove today. Many of the pod escaped during the drive but 36 unfortunate souls were netted in and their fate sealed. As the dolphins were pushed towards the killing area, panic ensued and many got tangled in the nets where they were left to struggle for life until divers untangled them. 20 melon headed whales were slaughtered, their lifeless bodies dragged right past the remaining pod members. Brutalized, traumatized, terrified and exhausted, the remaining pod members, including several young calves, were driven back out to sea. Hopefully, reunited with the rest of their pod members and strong enough to survive this ordeal although missing 20 family members
The banger boats left at sunrise this morning to hunt for dolphins and quickly found a mixed pod of about 26 individuals. The pod consisted of rough tooth and bottlenose dolphins. These dolphins were clearly stressed and agitated and could be seen slapping their tails and jumping out of the water. There were young calves within this group as well. Cove Monitors witnessed hunters in dive suits grabbing dolphins by their bloody and injured rostrums. The dolphin trainers from the local Taiji captivity facilities were on the shore as well as they chose the ones that would be taken for a life in captivity. Both hunters and trainers could be heard laughing together on the beach and in the boats as they took 10 dolphins away for a life in captivity. The rest of the pod was driven back out to sea by the banger boats but they were reluctant to leave their family members behind. The captivity industry is the driving force behind these annual hunts and today 10 new dolphins were taken away from their family because of it.
Pledge NOT to buy a ticket to a dolphin show: dolphin.fyi/DolphinPledge
Chester, false killer whale, Vancouver Aquarium. Credit: Ivana Grubisic / Dolphin Project
Earlier this year, Dolphin Project volunteers shot footage of Chester in a barren, concrete tank, devoid of anything that resembled his wild, oceanic habitat. He shared his tank with Helen, a Pacific white-sided dolphin that the aquarium bought from Enoshima Aquarium in Japan – a facility known for sourcing its captive entertainment from the notorious drive hunts in Taiji. And while the two mammals shared their “living” space, their behavior towards one another was tolerant at best.At the time of this writing, the Vancouver Aquarium has not given a cause of death. However, Chester’s passing is a blow to the facility who used the false killer whale as a “poster” rescue.
Helen, Pacific white-sided dolphin, Vancouver Aquarium. Credit: Ivana Grubisic / Dolphin Project
Helen is the only cetacean remaining at the facility. And she might be their last. On May 15, 2017, the Vancouver Park Board voted in favor of banning any new cetaceans from being kept in captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium. Under the revised bylaw, “…no person shall produce or present in a park show, performance, or other form of entertainment which includes one or more cetaceans.” The aquarium has vowed to fight this ruling. Featured image: Chester, Vancouver Aquarium, Ivana Grubisic / Dolphin ProjectSharon Osbourne Urges Thomas Cook To Stop Selling Tickets To SeaWorld
The X Factor judge has sent a letter on PETA’s behalf calling on the travel provider to remove the notoriously cruel amusement park from its promotions, writing, “Orcas at SeaWorld never get a holiday. Day in and day out, they’re forced to live in barren, grotesquely small enclosures with no means of escape.”
She goes on to explain that in nature, orcas travel up to 100 miles a day – but at SeaWorld, they have no choice but to swim in circles in tiny tanks where they’re unable to play at will, choose their own mates, or engage in any other natural kinds of behaviour. The frustrated animals gnaw on the sides of their tanks until their teeth break, and they commonly attack human trainers and one another.
“No travel provider should line its pockets at the expense of the animals held in SeaWorld’s watery prisons,” Sharon concludes. “Please follow the lead of other providers, such as Responsible Travel and STA Travel, by severing ties with the marine abusement park. Until you do, when it comes to booking with Thomas Cook, it’s a no from me.”
Sharon’s letter is the latest salvo in PETA’s campaign against the travel provider. In recent weeks, activists have organised protests outside 80 Thomas Cook branches across the UK and unfurled a giant banner proclaiming, “Thomas Cook: SeaWorld Kills” outside the company’s London headquarters.
If you haven’t already, please contact Thomas Cook now and ask it to sever ties with SeaWorld. You can also leave a polite comment on its Facebook page and call its customer service line on 01733 224 808.
You can also join our International Week of Action, with demonstrations outside Thomas Cook’s stores and corporate headquarters, starting on Monday, 11 December.
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One such victory recently occurred in Vietnam, where authorities denied the proposal to build a dolphin park tourist attraction in the city of Danang. This happened after 200 animal welfare charities spoke up and a petition written by Animals Asia garnered 16,000 signatures, showing that the general public does not want this type of “entertainment.”
If the park had been approved, dolphins would have been captured from the wild, possibly from the gruesome Taiji dolphin hunts, and kept in tiny inadequate tanks and forced to do unnatural tricks in exchange for food. For highly intelligent creatures who typically swim over 60 miles a day with their family pods in the wild, life in captivity is pure misery filled with physical pain, severe psychological distress, shortened lifespans, and an all in all poor quality of life.
Animals Asia’s Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale had this to say about the rejection of the proposed dolphin park: “This is a stunning success, which absolutely reaffirms our belief that anything is possible when people come together in support of a common goal…By turning down this proposal, the Danang authorities seem to recognise that the world does not want more animal cruelty packaged as entertainment…There has been a growing international backlash against keeping whales and dolphins in captivity…Until the last dolphin is released and the last dolphinarium closed down, we will continue to bang the drum against these horrors.”
Until all the tanks are officially emptied, the single best way to combat the cruelty of marine parks is by never buying a ticket to visit them. And please remember to share this excellent news with your friends and family as a reminder why wild animals belong in the wild, not in tanks. Image Source: Pixabay
Our eco-friendly shirts feature dolphin warrior Maisie Williams revealing Dolphin Project’s original logo, flanked with three dolphins swimming wild and free. Paying homage to Maisie’s iconic character on Game of Thrones, “A Girl Will Save Dolphins” – and now, so can you with the purchase of this design.
This one of a kind shirt is only available through December 11, so be sure to grab one for yourself and a few more as gifts!
International customers: We recommend ordering before November 24 for holiday delivery.
Want to help 
🐬 on #GivingTuesday, 11/28? Donations made through Facebook fundraisers will be matched up to $1K per fundraiser. Visit our Facebook page and select “Fundraisers – Raise Money” to get started. You can also click on the blue DONATE button to have your funds matched.#ThanksButNoTanks
🐬 on #GivingTuesday, 11/28? Donations made through Facebook fundraisers will be matched up to $1K per fundraiser. Visit our Facebook page and select “Fundraisers – Raise Money” to get started. You can also click on the blue DONATE button to have your funds matched.#ThanksButNoTanks
