"The Dolphin's Smile is Nature's Greatest Deception"

The Cove

Wow.   James Bond?  A Hollywood-made Expose?  No.  This is a documentary.  But it is very hard to remember that at times.  Whether it's our heroes planting cameras in the dead of night, or running from police tails, this never actually feels like a real story.  Until it becomes to real to ignore.  If you have not yet seen this movie you are missing something beautiful and alarming and deeply tragic.  

This is a documentary seen through the eyes of Richard O'Barry, the trainer and captor of the Flipper dolphins for the 1965 television series.

Ric O'Barry

Richard O'Barry narrates his change of heart towards the captivity of dolphins and brings us to Taijii where there is some extremely troubling treatment of animals going on.  As an audience member we watch as an "ocean's 11-like" team is assembled with state-of-the-art equipment to break into an area of Japan that is very viciously guarded by fisherman and local authorities, in order to document the heinous acts that not even some members of the Japanese public know about.  

This story is heartbreaking and somewhat graphic.  But it also shows a beauty and a deep appreciation for an animal that just may be the closest to us in brain capacity and personality.  This juxtaposition is encapsulated in one sequence where we watch as a free-diver is approached underwater by a wild dolphin, and the two develop a very personal bond right before our eyes, as if they are dancing... just a few minutes later we watch as the same free-diver has to watch a dolphin struggle to escape a massacre and dies right before her eyes.  it is tragic sequence but unfortunately the worst is yet to come.

i post this blog not because it is an exciting adventure (it is), or because I needed something new to blog about (i did), but because this story NEEDS to be told.  This is something that you can't watch and continue to look the other way.  You will be entertained but you will be moved.  Tremendously.  It is a Netflix Instant play, and if you don't have Netflix,  i'm sure it won't be hard to find, it is an Oscar winner.  Please watch.

The Cove Trailer

if you watch it, and it touches you the same way it has me... here are some things you can do.

More Information/Sign the Petition 

My Friend.  PSA

Watch.  Do Something.