228 marine mammals of varying species (dolphins, whales, seals, etc.) are in need of rescue each year on the shorelines of Cape Cod. Yet in five weeks 179 dolphins (and dolphins alone) have been discovered stranded in these shallow waters, beaches, and mud flats, unable to swim back to sea. And no one seems to know why.

Professionals can point to no significant changes in tidal conditions or health conditions (scientists are tagging them and checking their health) as a cause. However, dolphins do travel/live in large groups which means whatever is causing the mass stranding is forcing a large number of them into the horrible situation.

Volunteers are working around the clock on the rescues, which is awesome. Yet of the 179 discovered only 71 were alive. Of those 53 were successfully released back into safe waters. Thankfully, there are people who are willing to pause their own lives to help get these dolphins survive. We can only hope professionals will discover the origin of the problem and be able to resolve it sooner than later.

Ravers Kill Dolphins in Captivity

Switzerland is home to a dolphinarium called Connyland. The only dolphinarium left in the country, in fact. Recently they hosted a rave on their grounds for whatever insane reason.

Animal activists warned that the loud music would pose a threat to the cetaceans’ sensitive hearing and immune systems, yet the park allowed the rave to occur anyway. Shortly thereafter two of their dolphins died slow and painful deaths.

Keeper Nadja Gasser recounted the event:

The death was very drawn out and painful. The death went on for over an hour. It was horrendous. I have not been able to sleep since. He was drifting under the water and was clearly in trouble and so we jumped into the water. We tried to hold him. He was shaking all over and was foaming at the mouth. Eventually we got him out of the water. His tongue was hanging out. He could hardly breath. He was given adrenalin, but it didn’t help. After an hour the dolphin died.

An investigation is underway, but everything points to narcotics being ingested by the dolphins. Narcotics which were thrown into their enclosure during the rave.

There is a petition at change.org demanding the closure of Connyland. I encourage you to read the petition letter and support it with your signature.

Captain Paul Watson shares some information about the dolphin massacres in Taiji and becoming a Sea Shepherd Cove Guardian. The production is a mite strange switching from dark music to happy music then back to the dark music again, but it’s an excellent introduction to those interested in becoming Cove Guardians.

Jane Goodall on dolphin captivity. Her stance shouldn’t surprise anyone but it’s nice to hear her chime in all the same.

Blood in Taiji

Through no fault of their own—and certainly for no lack of effort—it appears that Sea Shepherd is unable to successfully protect dolphins in Taiji. Cove Guardian leader Rosie Kunneke reports:

This week was a brutal, cruel, and saddening week in the horrible little town of Taiji. Three pods, approximately 28-31 dolphins in total, of beautiful Risso’s dolphins were senselessly murdered in the Cove. Two of the pods had babies and juveniles amongst them. After killing the pod members, the dolphin killers took the babies way out to sea likely wanting us to believe that they were releasing them while they were probably murdering them out of sight. Either way, the babies will die without their mothers and pod members because they will succumb to a slow death by starvation or fall victim to predators.

In Antarctic waters Sea Shepherd has some authority to disrupt the murderous plans of Japanese whalers. However, in Taiji they have no jurisdiction to act aggressively.

Their presence there is a thorn in the side of those in the dolphin-captivity industry and their reports back to the world are invaluable. Moreover, while present there is pressure on the Japanese government while the world watches over their shoulder as they hideously slaughter pod after pod of cetaceans.

But in the end this is the extent of what Sea Shepherd can do without significant repercussions to those watching over the cove. It must be devastatingly heartbreaking for the Cove Guardians. They are forced to fight through what they’re seeing every day.

Be brave, Cove Guardians. We’re behind you.

Dolphins Fighting for Their Lives in Taiji

About an hour ago Sea Shepherd tweeted the following:

Taiji: banger boats busy trying to drive a pod in. Looks like the pod is fighting hard and making it difficult!

That just sounds horrible. There’s some silver lining that the pod is fighting back, but the point is that they’re fighting. They’re instinctively fleeing a mysterious sound without knowing the real horror that awaits them if they make the wrong move into the cove.

Fucking Taiji fisherman. You have no souls. Dolphins are probably smarter than you and they can feel the fear you impose upon them because they’re self aware. They also suffer from depression when you murder off most of their pod before shipping them to an aquarium.

Act Now to Help Dolphins

So there are two really important things happening right now in the world of dolphins, and they both involve the lives of 25 dolphins held in captivity:

First, Change.org is accepting signatures in an attempt to send a message to Mastercard. They are currently running a promotion with Resorts World Singapore who is housing a 25 dolphins (27 before 2 died) in holding pens awaiting their life in enslaved entertainment for humans.

Collected signatures will be delivered to Mastercard, asking them to end their promotion with RWS given their participation in the dolphin trade.

Second, last week the government of the Solomon Islands—a major provider of dolphins for the entertainment industry—announced they will ban all dolphins exports as of January 1st, 2012. It is unclear, however, if the 25 dolphins they have in captivity will be exported to China per existing plans. My guess is their ban date is intentionally set so that it will not interfere with the said export to China.

I suggest contacting the Solomon Islands government to apply pressure against exporting their dolphins. If they’ve made the right ethical decision, they should begin acting today, not in three months.

So there you go, people. Let’s act now.

The Superiority of Animals

Animals never cease to amaze me. The East Coast’s earthquake a couple weeks back was shocking to humans, who weren’t aware of the event until the earth began to shake beneath their feet. Animals in the Smithsonian National Zoo in D.C, however, showed signs of premonition according to Dr. Don Moore, the zoo’s associate director for animal care sciences. He noted:

Red ruffed lemurs sounded a distinct high-pitched barking about 15 minutes before the quake, and then again after the shaking stopped…And just before the quake, the zoo’s flock of 64 flamingoes gathered close together in a “tight, flocking behavior”…We have a rock hyrax whose favorite food is grapes. He had all night to eat those grapes, but didn’t.

Debates about whether or not it’s okay to abuse, enslave, or murder animals typically focus on intelligence and pain. But animals are far more complex then most humans will admit. So while fishermen in Taiji are committing genocide on the second smartest mammal on earth, they’re also slaughtering animals who have powers and senses far greater than humans.

How did we get to be the “smartest” race on the planet? We certainly don’t deserve that quality.

The Annual Slaughter in Taiji Begins Today

And so it begins. Another massacre of cetaceans in the waters of Taiji, Japan. Blood for industry. But Take Part has an action page for The Cove which outlines 5 things you can do to help fight the genocide.

Floridian Dolphins

My friend Cameron Moll snapped this shot of dolphins off the coast of Florida. It must be majestic to see them so close. How anyone could slaughter these creatures is beyond my comprehension.