Animals 4Ever: Pilot Whales, Risso’s Hunted

Pilot whales panic after being driven into The Cove, Taiji, Japan

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.

“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

Many juveniles were spotted amongst dolphins driven into The Cove, Taiji, Japan.

Many juveniles were spotted amongst dolphins driven into The Cove, Taiji, Japan.

Juvenile pilot whale in season’s first drive. The Cove, Taiji, Japan.

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.

Risso’s dolphin guided to slaughter. Taiji, Japan.
By documenting the dolphin hunts, our team of Cove Monitors is able to share this information with the rest of the world. And that’s where you come in: by sharing our social media and blog posts, you can help educate others. Only through awareness and knowledge can intelligent and ethical choices be made – ones where dolphins and whales are left to swim wild and free, unbound by glass and concrete walls.

This insanity MUST end. And together, we WILL end it.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Dolphin Project will be documenting and disseminating the hunts to the rest of the world via live broadcasts, social media updates and blogs. Your support has never been more crucialand is greatly appreciated.

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