Risso’s dolphin guided to slaughter. Taiji, Japan.
A message from our friends at The Dolphin Project on the ground working to end the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan.
The hunt began on September 2nd and normally lasts about six months until March of each year with thousands of dolphins being slaughtered in the infamous cove. We will put an end to this madness!
Per The Dolphin Project, it took only three days for hunters to decimate their first pod of dolphins.
For seven hours, hunters chased an unsuspecting nursery pod of pilot whales, filled with many juveniles, and despite a valiant fight the exhausted pod was driven into The Cove.
Juvenile pilot whale in season’s first drive. The Cove, Taiji, Japan.
“I could only imagine the nonstop terror the mammals must have been experiencing. I envisioned an entire family – grandparents, parents and children – fleeing for their lives, and wondered how many would wear down and just give up.“ ~ Dolphin Project Cove Monitor
For three days the pod was trapped, with no access to food or water and suffering from multiple injuries. In the end, three young whales were selected for “life” in captivity, 20 adults were killed, and the remaining juveniles were driven back out to sea to fend for themselves. One dolphin was observed floating near the nets, lifeless, succumbing to injuries sustained from the hunt.
A family of migrating Risso’s dolphins was the hunters’ next target. Once driven into The Cove, trainers and hunters worked side-by-side, selecting one mammal for captivity while the remaining six were slaughtered. With many dolphins “presold” to marine parks in Japan and overseas, the nexus between the captivity industry and dolphin slaughters is undeniable.
