Fact: Dolphins in the wild often swim up to 40 miles a day, a freedom that is stolen from them when they are placed in captivity.

Fact: A Taiji, Japan dolphin fishery serves as the main supplier of dolphins for entertainment (aka captivity) across the globe – and they also slaughter 23,000 dolphins each year.

Opinion: The Cove is one of the most compelling and important documentaries I have ever seen, and I say that not only as an animal rights activist, but also as a compassionate, concerned member of society.

Ric O’Barry, former dolphin trainer for the show Flipper, had a swift change of heart some years ago when Kathy, a dolphin that he helped capture and train for the show, committed suicide in his presence.   After the show was canceled, Kathy was isolated in a small tank and became increasingly depressed and sick.  When Ric returned to visit her, he said,

“She swam right over into my arms, looked me in the eye, took a deep breath, and never took another one.  I let her go and she sank very slowly to the bottom of the tank. [I thought] ‘My God, what have I done?’”

Ric’s revelation led to a lifelong dedication to dolphin liberation and protection, a path that resulted in many arrests, a few near death experiences, and one crucially eye-opening film.

Before you push The Cove aside, opting for a light-hearted flick or a fictional action tale, read on. Because the plot of the documentary is set up like a horror movie, with Japanese workers and police monitoring (more like stalking) the groups every move, the film appeals to action/adventure lovers.  Not to mention that, all dolphin cruelty aside, this movie is geeky cool – featuring insane top-notch spy contraptions, and night and heat vision filming.  And, unlike farm animals, many of which humans can separate from animal cruelty issues – most people can find a soft spot in their heart for our ocean’s most intelligent cetaceans.  Everyone loves dolphins.

Ironically, so does the town of Taiji – or so it says on the wall as you pull into town.  They deceptively glorify their city’s dolphin sales industry, but murder the famed animal by the thousands in a secluded cave away from the public eye.  Then they sell the meat to grocery stores who mislabel it as other forms of fish, and even provide it for free in elementary school lunches.  The film also addresses anti-whaling laws (because yes, dolphins are whales!), international disputes, and high mercury content within ocean meat, as well as the dolphin genocide.

Determined to end this cruelty, Ric teams up with director Louie Psihoyos, along with a slew of talented individuals, including adrenaline junky Charles Hambleton and deep sea free-divers Mandy-Rae Cruickshank and Kirk Krack (best names ever), to create an ultra-espionage adventure.

The clandestine team uses hidden cameras to obtain footage of the cruel slaughter, including dolphin noises and communication, along with disturbing scenes of dolphins, which Ric then uses in a very bold and inventive way.  
One aspect of The Cove that stuck with me was the idea that Ric at one time was a part of the problem.  He may have even initiated the problem with his widely popular television show (see photo above) – a classic example that it is never too late to change and create change, no matter how guilty you may feel.

But despite Ric’s outstanding efforts, the dolphin slaughter continues in Taiji , and so does the fight to shut down their operation. The good news is: you can help by watching the film (on DVD now!), visiting the documentary website, avoiding aquatic theme parks (like Sea World or other “Swim with the Dolphin” experiences), and spreading the word.

The Cove is sure to both entertain and inspire.