Over the weekend I watched a movie that completely opened my eyes to a massacre that I have been unaware of until now. The Cove features Ric O’barry, dolphin trainer from the TV series Flipper-turned activist, and Louie Psihoyos from the Oceanic Preservation Society. Together they assemble a unique team of activists and infiltrate a secret cove in Taiji, Japan where 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are slaughtered and sold for their meat every year. This meat, carrying toxic levels of mercury, is then given to children in Taiji as part of their lunch program. It’s also sold in markets labeled as whale meat.

The “lucky” one’s who get to live the rest of their lives in captivity are sold for $154,000 per dolphin to dolphinariums around the world. Some affiliates of the international aquarium and zoo industry are connected to this slaughter, as they pay top dollar for dolphins that are fitting for commercial exploitation.

Most of the people in Japan aren’t even aware that this is going on in their backyard because the Japanese government covers it up so elegantly. The fishermen see this dolphin hunt as “pest control.”

If you’re interested in expanding mind.. I’d suggest watching this over G.I. Joe any day.

Learn more about The Cove HERE

-CJ