If you have seen The Cove, you know what September 1st usually means. The quotas have been announced, but we are uncertain whether the dolphin drive hunt season will commence in Taiji, Japan on September 1st, as it does every year.

This year, up to 1749 dolphins of mixed species can be taken, including nearly 300 bottlenose dolphins, over 100 short-finned pilot whales, and 450 striped dolphins, among others. The toll on dolphin families in the wild is incalculable as populations are shattered by these round-ups, captures, and slaughters.

We stand with our global partners in acknowledging Japan Dolphin Day and to mark the beginning of the dolphin drive hunt season. The killing methods are brutal, and we stand shocked that these atrocities against dolphins continue in a modern age. Although awareness about these hunts has increased, and a grassroots movement is beginning to emerge from within Japan, the hunts go on.  

We are supporting our partners on the ground in Japan, along with our allies at Dolphin Project who continue to monitor the hunts. Whether the pandemic will provide a reprieve for the dolphins this season is unclear, but we will stay vigilant as always and work to shine a light on these devastating hunts.

What you can do!

Japan Dolphin Day Event. On August 30th, our friends at Dolphin Project hosted an online screening of their short film, Blood Dolphins.  After the film, Dolphin Project went live on Facebook with Ric O’Barry and the Dolphin Project Cove Monitors for a special Q&A event. If you missed it, you can watch the recording here.  

Share The Cove with your friends. You may know about our Academy award-winning film, The Cove, but do your friends? Contact us for screening opportunities, and if you are an educator, screening links are free.