The Cove, which focuses on the annual slaughter of 23 000 dolphins in a sheltered bay off the Japanese village of Taiji, is a microcosm of crimes against the environment and the near paralysis of governing bodies to do anything about it.
The riveting documentary, described by Rolling Stone magazine as ‘a cross between Flipper and The Bourne Identity’, shows the power individuals have when they decide to do something. But be warned, this film, which has won over 40 awards including the 2009 Oscar, is not for the faint hearted.
Ric O’Barry
The inspiration for the documentary by filmmaker Louie Psihoyos of the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) came from Ric O’Barry who called him up and said, ‘We need to get in there and film what happens – we need to know the truth.’
O’Barry sprang to prominence as the dolphin trainer for the hit TV series, Flipper. However, when Cathy, one of the five dolphins used for the show, committed suicide he realised that what he was doing was wrong and became a dolphin activist.
The TV series brought to prominence dolpinariums, which today are a multi-billion dollar industry. Captured dolphins suitable for shows at these places are today sold for $150 000 – that is, before they are trained. Academic studies at even the best of these facilities have shown the animals suffer enormous stress.
Dolphins
Dolphins are a member of the cetacean or whale family. They are amongst the most intelligent creatures on earth and the most sociable mammal. They will often stay in their pods for life and are the only wild creature known to voluntarily come to the rescue of humans. They are especially sensitive to pregnant women and are know to guard their safety in the water.
They communicate by sonar and can recognise up to 90 commands of sign language. They have their own language and can differentiate different coins by their metal composition.
They are migratory and large pods pass the coast of
Taiji
Huge numbers of dolphins pass near the
As one would suspect, this is not something the residents of Taiji or the Japanese government would want the world to know. The cove in question, though in a national park, is barricaded from the public; fishermen physically prevent photography; and the police harass anyone asking uncomfortable questions.
This was the task facing Psihoyos when O’Barry, in disguise, first took him to witness the outrage. Most would have thrown up their arms in surrender, but not the filmmaker who was outraged at what he witnessed.
Louie Psihoyos
Psihoyos then set about putting together a military-style operation and recruited a team that included ex-military men, the best freedivers in the world, underwater photographers and special-effects technicians. It was like creating the set for a thriller movie, but this was very real.
They had special rocks made that could camouflage numerous cameras as the surrounds and the ocean floor were swept each day by Japanese divers. They even acquired highly secret military equipment, which was not supposed to be in civilian hands.
The Cove
They then planned a night for the cameras to be placed in the surrounding hills and at the bottom of the bay by the freedivers. Before they could do this they had to lose the constant police surveillance that had been placed on them. Then the following day they had to do it all again to retrieve the equipment.
It makes for one of the most tension filled films you will ever see. And you will want to scream in anger and cry with sorrow at the scenes that unfold. All in all, it is an experience that will leave you wanting to do something.
And you can. On the website is a guide to the action you can take through their Take Part Campaign to stop this outrage. You can also make a donation to OPS by visiting https://opsociety.worldsecuresystems.com/securedonation.htm.
