Save the Dolphins
Save the dolphins
How many of you have been to a dolphin show at the zoo or aquarium? Have you ever wondered where the dolphins came from? Well, many people don’t know most of them come from Japan where every year thousands of dolphins are hunted and killed. The documentary film, The Cove, shows exactly what happens to the dolphins in Japan. It was my friend, Heidi, who first told me about this whole story and recommended that I watch this movie. Seeing how emotional and passionate she was about this subject really convinced me to take her advice. I learned that the main reason the Japanese hunt and kill the dolphins is for profit. They can make a lot of money by selling the captured dolphins to the zoos and aquariums all over the world. The rest of the dolphins that are not chosen experience a worse fate. These unlucky ones are brutally murdered for their meat. It only takes a little bit from each of us to put an end to this horrendous act and help save the dolphins. To understand why people still hunt them today, I think it’s important to look back at the history of the dolphin industry.
In 1962, Ric O’ Barry caught five dolphins by himself for the Flipper TV show. When Flipper premiered in 1964, Ric O’ Barry became the most famous dolphin trainer in the world. He felt somewhat responsible for dolphins because it was the Flipper TV series which created this multi-billion-dollar industry. About 3 years ago, Ric O’ Barry helped to start the organization “The Oceanic Preservation Society” (OPS). Ric O’ Barry was incredibly frustrated when he found out that something was going on in Taiji, Japan, a little town with a really big secret. (http://www.savejapandolphins.org)
It’s so bizarre because if you didn’t know what’s going on over there, you would think this is a town that loved dolphins and whales. On one side of town, the Japanese fishermen have blocked off the National Park where a beautiful bay can be found red with blood in certain times of the year.
How many of you have been to a dolphin show at the zoo or aquarium? Have you ever wondered where the dolphins came from? Well, many people don’t know most of them come from Japan where every year thousands of dolphins are hunted and killed. The documentary film, The Cove, shows exactly what happens to the dolphins in Japan. It was my friend, Heidi, who first told me about this whole story and recommended that I watch this movie. Seeing how emotional and passionate she was about this subject really convinced me to take her advice. I learned that the main reason the Japanese hunt and kill the dolphins is for profit. They can make a lot of money by selling the captured dolphins to the zoos and aquariums all over the world. The rest of the dolphins that are not chosen experience a worse fate. These unlucky ones are brutally murdered for their meat. It only takes a little bit from each of us to put an end to this horrendous act and help save the dolphins. To understand why people still hunt them today, I think it’s important to look back at the history of the dolphin industry.
In 1962, Ric O’ Barry caught five dolphins by himself for the Flipper TV show. When Flipper premiered in 1964, Ric O’ Barry became the most famous dolphin trainer in the world. He felt somewhat responsible for dolphins because it was the Flipper TV series which created this multi-billion-dollar industry. About 3 years ago, Ric O’ Barry helped to start the organization “The Oceanic Preservation Society” (OPS). Ric O’ Barry was incredibly frustrated when he found out that something was going on in Taiji, Japan, a little town with a really big secret. (http://www.savejapandolphins.org)
It’s so bizarre because if you didn’t know what’s going on over there, you would think this is a town that loved dolphins and whales. On one side of town, the Japanese fishermen have blocked off the National Park where a beautiful bay can be found red with blood in certain times of the year.
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