Skip to content
All articles
  • All articles
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
Orca Lulu's body contained PCB levels 100x above the safe limit. Image: SMASS

Toxic tides, troubled whales: the toll of chemical pollution

In last week's blog, we examined the challenges whales and dolphins face as they travel...
Group of orcas at surface

Breaking barriers for whales and dolphins at the Convention of Migratory Species

Many species of whales, dolphins and porpoises undertake long journeys, encountering human-made obstacles along the...
Tokyo

WDC in Japan – Part 1: Finding allies in Tokyo

At the end of May, I embarked on an incredible journey to Japan on behalf...
Amazon river dolphins leaping

The state of river dolphin conservation

At Whale and Dolphin Conservation, we partner with conservationists and communities fighting to save river...
Researchers in Southeast Alaska studying whale poo

We’re funding crucial research on whale poo to combat the climate crisis

The ocean is one of the lungs of our planet, and whales help it to...
Narwhal surfacing

The unicorns of the sea must be protected – CITES

The narwhal, is under threat. Often referred to as the unicorns of the sea, narwhals,...
Sperm whales

We’re pushing governments for action for our climate heroes – whales

The climate crisis is the greatest threat to all life on Earth. But there is...
Dolphins captured for captivity in Taiji. Image: Hans Peter Roth

Loved and killed – whales and dolphins in Japan

Protests and criticism from outside Japan in response to the slaughter of whales and dolphins...

First kill of striped dolphins this season in Taiji

The cove turned red today. Blood flowed from underneath the tarps covering the killing zone. Not everything can be hidden from us, the observers.

It all happened very fast. We had arrived at the usual lookout point early this morning and were appreciating the amazing red and pink colored sunrise when after a few minutes we noticed some boats grouping together a bit ways from the horizon. Anxiousness appeared immediately. It has only been two days since we experienced the last hunt. A drive hunt was undoubtedly happening and we could clearly see what appeared to be a large pod of small-sized dolphins.

For an unknown reason only 10 hunting boats went out to hunt this morning. Around 7.20am the boats had reached the harbor and we could see a big part of the pod swim away towards the open sea. Either the hunters separated the pod or some of the dolphins managed to escape. No matter what we can only hope that the remaining dolphins in this pod will continue to live and thrive in spite of having lost several pod members in this detrimental chase.

The species of the victims became clear when they were caught in the cove. They were striped dolphins. First kill of this species since September 1st. The dolphins were swimming in circles, staying close together. The pod was separated into two groups with a net between them. Because the fishermen had some issues with placing the final tarps in the cove there was a delay in the killing process, but as soon as all tarps were up the first group of dolphins, and soon thereafter the remaining dolphins, were driven into the killing zone. A total of 19 striped dolphins lost their lives according to a reliable source.

Two dolphins, the very last ones, were attached to a boat with ropes around their tail flukes. They were thrashing in panic. For a while it looked like one was drowning, but it was clear that both dolphins were alive until the very moment they had to face their killers. Blood flowed. The killers did their job and we continue to do ours until this tragedy ends.