Reflection: The Cove

Louie Psihoyos

             This movie was directed by former National Geographic photographer, Louie Psihoyos, who wanted to shown some about the dolphin hunting operations in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. The film, the cove, is a real life documentary which was filmed secretly in 2007 by using underwater microphones and high-definition cameras disguised as rocks. This film highlights the fact that the number of dolphins killed in the Taiji Dolphins hunting drive is several times greater than the number of whales killed in the Antarctic, and claims that the country's whaling industry in Taiji, Japan killed 23,000 dolphins every year. 

              In an isolated cove of Taiji which is surrounded by wire fences and "Keep Out" signs, there had an activity that the townspeople attempt to hide from the public. Attempts to view or film of the dolphin killing in the cove are also physically blocked by local volunteers who treat the visitors with open intimidation, derision and anger. Foreigners are also shadowed and questioned by local police. Many dolphins are herded into that secret hidden cove where they are netted and killed by means of spears and knives over the side of small fishing boats. The film argues that dolphin hunting as practiced in Japan is unnecessary and cruel. 

Dolphins slaughtered in the cove of  Taiji

              The dolphins that are caught are selling some to the aquariums and marine parks and the lefts that are not sold out are then slaughtered in the cove and the meat is sold in supermarkets. According to the evidence presented in the film, most Japanese are unaware of the hunt or the marketing of dolphin meat. What is more shocking, the truth about the cove in Taiji, and the covert operations of the Japanese fishermen was not something that is known by most Japanese! They did not know that the free meat that the children are being fed on public school cafeterias have high-levels of mercury, this could lead to mercury poisoning.

                At the end of the film, O'Barry went into a meeting of the Commission carrying a TV showing about the Taiji dolphin slaughter. O'Barry walks around the crowded meeting room displaying the images until he is escorted from the room.

                 In my opinion, dolphins should not kill and also should not live as a pet of human. They are wonderful creatures of natural. Looking to the photo on the left side, what do you feel about it? Don't you think that dolphins are smiling when they are swimming in the sea, their real home, not in the pool of aquariums or marine parks? So I want to request people that please don't disturb them and let them swim as they like as the conclusion.