Bloody Week in Taiji #tweet4taiji

After 29 days of a Blue Cove, the cove runs red again. The Taiji fisherman managed to wipe out two separate pods of Risso Dolphins this week in two consecutive days.

On November 8 – After a long fight of six hours, a family of 9 Risso dolphins lost their battle to the killers of Taiji, Japan. Once trapped within the confines of the cove, the hypocritical trainers as always joined the killers, who together selected 4 pod members for captivity. The lone baby of the pod was trapped within nets on the killing shore, and along with those who were selected for captivity, watched and listened as their remaining pod members were slaughtered in front of them. After the killing concluded, the baby was split from it’s lifeless family members and dumped alone out to sea where it will not survive.

This pod becomes frantic and panics as the killers push them towards the shore of the killing cove.

Mother and baby spend their last moments together before slaughter

After witnessing its mother murdered, the killers tried to hide this live baby dolphin under nets as they prepared to dump back out to sea to fend for itself.

November 9 was the second consecutive day of dolphin slaughter in Taiji as the killers Taiji ripped an entire family of 11 juvenile and adult Risso dolphins from their home in the ocean. Once the pod was entrapped within the always deadly confines of the cove, killers and trainers once again worked together as they search the pod to search for their next big paycheck. None of these Rissos, however, were deemed suitable for captivity and as a result the entire pod was slaughtered mercilessly on the killing shore. Once the slaughter was complete a skiff filled with trainers emerged from under the tarps followed by a skiff dragging dead bodies.

Two juvenile Risso dolphins were among this pod.

As panic begins, several dolphins tried to escape, but only to become entangled within the net.

Attempting to hide the transfer of dead Risso dolphins.

After the atrocities in Taiji this week, once again Call of The Cove has provided all of us with a way to help by reaching out to the media. Please visit their Media Page for more information on how you can help the dolphins of Taiji. They have put together a list of 400 twitter handles for the media worldwide and provided this Letter to Journalists that you can send to journalists around the world asking them to consider covering the ongoing and needless slaughter of dolphins and whales in Taiji.

Also remember to follow the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians in Operation Infinite Patience on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates on the current events happening in Taiji.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

For the dolphins!

Tragedy, Horror & the Reality of the Drive Hunt & Slaughter in Taiji (voicefortheblue.com)
Swim with Dolphins, Then Eat Them? If Taiji´s Horrifying Marine Park Happens, Tourists Could Do Both! (oceansspirit.wordpress.com)

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2 Days 18 Bottlenose Dolphins – This is Taiji #Tweet4Taiji

And so it begins … the beginning of another dreadful season of the dolphin drive hunt in Taiji.

September 1, 2013 was the opening day for the dolphin drive hunt and the killing boats left Taiji Harbor by 5:15am in search of dolphins and small whales.

The killers did not waste anytime as they quickly drove a pod of 60-70 bottlenose dolphins into the Cove. These dolphins who were unfortunate enough to pass through the waters of Taiji were held in the Cove overnight without food awaiting captive selection the following day.

After spending the night in the cove, this pod of dolphins huddled together exhausted from the drive into the cove and terrified of what is to come next, as the killers and trainers arrive for the captive dolphin selection. In this process, the trainers select the young juvenile dolphins deemed suitable for captivity, generally those without any scarring visible.

A total of 18 bottlenose dolphins were taken captive, kidnapped from their mothers and their home in the ocean. Now, they are destined for a life of misery and imprisonment in a Marine Park with the sole purpose of being entertainment. The dolphins taken captive are placed in the Taiji harbor pens, which are 10’x10′ and typically have 4-6 dolphins placed in them. The remaining pod was driven back out to sea, which is just as vicious as the drive into the Cove, as the dolphins often panic and do not want to leave their loved ones behind. While the remaining pod was driven back out to sea, this does not ensure their survival. The stress and trauma endured over the past 2 days, along with no food and no hydration, significantly increases the chances that some members of this pod will die and show up washed ashore.

All photos and information from SSCS Cove Guardians, via twitter, Facebook and live stream.

Please follow the Cove Guardians: Twitter: @CoveGuardians Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeaShepherdCoveGuardiansOfficialPage

Live Stream: http://livestream.seashepherd.org/

Commentary from Paul Watson on the Cove Guardians and Operation Infinite Patience: “The Cove Guardians are passionately compassionate men and women who come from all over the world including Japan. They come at their own expense. The are up before the sun rises and they are on the ground after the sun sets. There are Cove Guardians in Taiji every day between September 1st and March 1st, year after year. Six months every year on the ground bearing witness to one of the most remorseless and brutal massacres of marine mammals on the planet. They are armed with the most powerful weapon in the world – the camera. It is however an emotionally draining exercise in daily defending dolphins. I admire and respect everyone who is involved with opposing the massacre at Taiji. But my admiration for the volunteers who participate in the Cove Guardian program is immense. These men and women are average people motivated by a deep sense of compassion and love for nature and animals. They gain nothing for themselves and suffer the emotional trauma of witnessing the atrocities against these gentle creatures. Since the Cove Guardians program began fewer dolphins have been killed than the years before the program. This is because of the time taken by the fishermen to attempt to cover up their activities. It has also greatly increased policing costs and the fishermen have increased costs to pay for the measures to hide their activities from the camera.” For more please read http://www.seashepherd.org.au/commentary-and-editorials/2013/09/02/the-cove-guardians-and-the-sea-shepherd-policy-of-gaiatsu-624

Please follow and support the SSCS Cove Guardians with Operation Infinite Patience, by following the various social media account, watching the live stream, sharing the information and photos from Taiji with friends and family. Remember that Taiji is ground zero for international trade in dolphins … there is a direct link between the captive dolphin entertainment industry and the bloody waters of the Cove in Taiji. Please do not support dolphin captivity by purchasing a ticket to Sea World, Marineland Canada or any other Marine Park or swim with Dolphin Program.

For the dolphins!

Taiji Dolphin Drive Hunt & Slaughter #tweet4taiji (voicefortheblue.com)
Why Don’t Dolphins Fight Back? (timzimmermann.com)

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Taiji Dolphin Drive Hunt & Slaughter #tweet4taiji

Only 8 days remain until the fisherman of Taiji begin another season of the annual Dolphin Drive Hunt & Slaughter

The slaughter of dolphins, porpoises and small whales occurs in Taiji, Japan each year. Starting on September 1 and usually continues through March of the next year. Fisherman herd whole families of small cetaceans into a shallow bay and mercilessly stab and drown them to death.

The dolphin drive hunts in Taiji do not just end in the killing of dolphins, Taiji is “ground zero” for the international trade in live dolphins. There is a direct link between the captive dolphin entertainment industry and the bloody waters of the Cove in Taiji. Supporting a live dolphin show or participating in a confined swim with dolphin program is supporting the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji and in return directly relates to killing of thousands of dolphins each year for human consumption. It is the dolphin entertainment industry that drive the hunt and the killing of dolphins follows in its wake. For the dolphins pulled from their families and sold into captivity, life is beyond horrible.

Once the dolphins are driven into the Cove area, they are then herded into a southern finger off the Cove. Oftern main mammal trainers from the nearby Dolphin Base and the Taiji Whale Museum wil move among the captured dolphins and select the young dolphins and those deemed “beautiful” (that is without any scarring) for the captive entertainment industry. Those not selected are pushed further into the Cove and hunters push a metal rod into the dolphin’s spinal cords. Once the rod is removed, a wooden plud is then hammered into the pole. The insertion of the rod causes paralysis, however the dolphins are stil alive and very much aware of what is happening to them and to their family members. A rope is then tied around their tails adn they are hauled out tothe waiting gutting barge by small skiffs. Most of them slowly drown and die during this towing activity.

What can you do to help:

Dolphin exploitation continues to this day because the public remains unaware of dolphin suffering. Now that you are aware, please do not fund the suffering of dolphins and cetaceans by purchasing a ticket to a dolphin show or swim with dolphin program

Spread the word by following Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Operation Infinite Patience on social media and spread the word to your friends and family

Follow the Cove Guardians on Facebook & Twitter for daily activity in Taiji at the Cove:

Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians Page (official) & @CoveGuardians

Educate others on the link between the Taiji dolphin slaughter and the captive dolphin entertainment industry. Discourage your family and friends from visiting dolphinariums, such as Sea World, Marineland Canada, etc., or participating in swim with dolphin programs.