The Cove

It seems like any other cove. The waves are calm, there is not much movement within the waters. Yet every September, something happens. And that very place, becomes "the dolphins' worst nightmare".

Ric O'Barry, the dolphin trainer who rose to fame after the TV series, Flipper, claimed that he feels somewhat responsible, because it was the TV series that "created this worldwide million-dollar industry". Together with his elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers, Ric uncovers the "shocking instance of animal abuse".

Their first but failed attempt at trying to film the fishermen's darkest secret saw them getting back to their hotel room, rather dejected, listening to their recording of the dolphins' squeals.

Ric: It's eerie isn't it - the sounds that we're hearing? They're all dead by now and the next day there's a new batch to replace them.
(something along the lines.)

Determined to unravel the truth, the team carried out their second attempt of the espionage, this time in full force. And they succeeded. The well-hidden cameras captured the entire gruesome process of the massacre.

The acoustic animals were all trapped and then brought to the secret cove. Once away from the public eyes, those inhumane fishermen put their spear-like weapons into the waters and began piercing the dolphins simultaneously as if working to some music. Instantaneously the clear blue waters turned into a bloody mess and the pained squeals of the hundreds of poor dolphins became a blur. You feel tears welling up in your eyes as you see the dolphins writhe in agony and they struggle for every bit of breath and they never come up from the bloody waters again.

Each year, an estimated 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan for "human consumption". This is only because these poor animals are not protected by the International Whaling Commission. But dolphins are but smaller versions of whales aren't they? In addition, most city dwellers who were showed the gory clips of the slaughter expressed signs of disgust and said that they had no idea dolphin meat was for sale. If such is the case, may I ask, where do all the approximately 23,000 dead dolphins go to?

The fishermen claimed that dolphin slaughter is a culture in their country. If so, why do the city dwellers not know about this long-standing tradition? They said that "if the world finds out what's going on here, they'd be shot down". Is this not an indication of their own fabrication? Furthermore, they are afraid of cameras. I believe if dolphin slaughter were a tradition in their country the fishermen should be proud of it, and would not hesitate to be filmed. However, they were strongly against those who brought cameras with them. And to get them out of the way, those barbarians tried to taunt the people into hitting them by abusing the dolphins in front of the activists' very own eyes, just so they would be arrested. Do the above-stated constitute authenticity in the brutes' so-called culture at all?

Almost immediately after the documentary ended, my mam turned to look at me, and commented that it was just like World War II, when the Japanese mass-killed the Prisoners of War and civilians - gunshots punctuated the moments of distress; shrieks of anguish rang in the ears; bloody bodies piled atop each other.

And the mam added, it's also the Japanese.

She said that there's a reason why the older generation of the Chinese is still so repulsive against them. I think I understand it now. They say to forgive and forget, but how do you really forget something which once happened on you, to you, when it had detrimental effects not only on the body but the mind? "Wounds heal, but the scars will always remain." This slogan belongs to my girlfriend.

Maybe, it's true.

That said, I am fully aware that the bulk of the Japanese aren't involved in such beastly acts and they do not deserve to be regarded as the Unciviliseds.

Sorry if I'd sounded offensive; I love dolphins.