Heartbroken 💔 @JamesCameronOfficial was my hero. I was actually star struck when he reached out to shake my hand as we walked the red carpet towards to stage of the iconic Kodak Theater to pick up the Oscar ten years ago. That was then. This is now. So, I woke up this morning and read my pile of mail, then checked the latest news. A promotional video for the new Avatar movie stopped me in my tracks. I just caught the end of the video where the performing dolphins did their final trick. And now I’m watching my hero applaud the pathetic dolphin show he just participated in and apparently enjoyed—why else would one applaud? I have no doubt the dolphins have a connection to the bloody cove, in Taiji, Japan. This video broke my heart: https://youtu.be/fRR_59i_tFM “Never applaud any wild animal performing for you” – I’ve been saying that for more than fifty years, that and, “Please do not buy a ticket for a dolphin show” – I’ve reached millions of people with these simple messages. And I’m just a small voice in the wind compared to the mega-voice of James Cameron. Just imagine the impact his Avatar franchise would have if he included an anti-dolphin captivity message in his films. He’s a very strong advocate for his vegan lifestyle. I admire that greatly. I look up to him. So why can’t he make the connection to the captive dolphins? I just don’t get it! (Message to Mister Cameron: I still love you, but please see “The Cove” movie asap.) #emptythetanks #dolphinproject @avatar
An Open Letter to James Cameron and Avatar Crew: I am hereby formally inviting James Cameron, Jon Landau, Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang to join me and our team in Taiji, Japan. Yes, I’ll be going back and am formally asking the Avatar team to join me for just a few days. I’d like to personally show them where the dolphins that entertained them so well most likely came from. I’d like to show them exactly how dolphins are captured in Japan. I’d like to show them that trainers who purport to care for dolphins work alongside those that brutally slaughter dolphins. I’m sure, once they witness this first-hand, they will never applaud another captive dolphin show again.” — Ric O’Barry Full blog at dolphinproject.com.
Exploring the Edge: Contemplating new ideas and pushing the limits of what a proper dolphin sanctuary (in the right location), could become. There are several whale and dolphin sanctuaries on the drawing boards, but there is one dolphin sanctuary already in operation and exploring new ideas. Dolphin Rambo chose Umah Lumba as his go-to dolphin sanctuary. HE made that choice himself. Rambo still lives around here somewhere, actually everywhere around here. Rent free too. Pretty good deal. Rambo comes and goes as he pleases through the open gate. He forages for his own fish, the special ones HE chooses. He does this both inside and outside the floating seapen. Then he might swim to the next bay which is about 14 kilometers away and take a nap, but he always returns. Someday Rambo may meet someone and decide to leave and swim away from this island like Rocky did. And that’s okay. Freedom is about choices and decisions. We could have done the same thing in Norway with Beluga Hvaldimir, but not without the co-operation of the national government. #dolphinproject #bksdabali #jakartaanimalaidnetwork #theexplorersclub
I’m sorry but I still don’t understand mister Cameron even though he sent a message of explanation. But not exactly. He asked a few friends, Louie and Brian to explain for him. This video clip contradicts that message, and Avatar’s message too. So I’m still hoping he responds to my open letter. I’d love to show him where the dolphins came from, and how they were captured. Maybe he will change his mind about wanting to ride a dolphin inside a building in Tokyo. #emptythetanks #dolphinproject
“Sigourney Weaver, who played conservationist Dian Fossey in the 1988 film Gorillas in the Mist and has since become a powerful voice for gorillas and other wildlife, also addressed the crowd. She said: “Thank you for having us today, this was so exciting, by far the best and most amazing show with these amazing animals I’ve ever seen.” She added that the 14-year old girl Kiri, whom she portrays in Avatar, would have loved the show, too. Her exact words were: “Let me just say that Kiri would have loved all of this so much, and mostly because the dolphins looked like they were having a wonderful time, so thank you.” Sigourney’s positive take on the captive dolphin spectacle was especially surprising to me, since she is the recipient of the prestigious Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award. I couldn’t help but wonder how she would have reacted if gorillas were performing for her inside a small cage instead of dolphins. Would she have loved it just as much? And if the answer to that is no, then why not? After all, dolphins have larger brains than gorillas or anybody in the room. “ – Helene O’Barry, DolphinProject.com 🐬
The Damage is Done ~ by Helene O’Barry “It was depressing to watch a video of celebrity movie director James Cameron promote Avatar: The Way of Water during a dolphin show in Japan. Several weeks earlier, I had bought tickets to see the movie with our daughter Mai Li, and when we were sitting in the theater, I kept thinking about that scene of Cameron and his colleagues applauding enthusiastically as a group of dolphins worked their way through a series of trained circus behaviors inside a minuscule and artificially lit dolphin stadium in Tokyo.” ~ Helene O’Barry Read full blog at DolphinProject.com #DolphinProject
I’m not interested in trashing anyone who attended the Avatar’s dolphin show in Tokyo. I’m simply trying to understand what they were thinking while applauding the captive dolphin show in Tokyo. Nobody can speak for the participants, they alone know what they were thinking—but they have all gone silent. Probably by instruction.
Ain’t it the truth.
Free at Last! At 9:33 a.m. local time, Johnny was the first to go out, leading the way for the other two dolphins to follow. This ‘elder statesman’ swam a few yards into the opening, and then swam to the side of the main pen, where he began communicating with Rocky and Rambo. Within moments, they too swam out of the pen. All three dolphins dove down, popping up about 20 yards away. Logging on the surface of the water, they were definitely looking back at us. Then, in unison, they dove down again, this time, popping up about 150 yards away. They were heading towards the open ocean. When the dolphins reached the mouth of the bay, they turned around, coming back towards the center of the bay. They swam by the sea pen, turned again, and then swam into a straight line towards the open water. Once they crossed the threshold where the bay met the open ocean, they were gone. Read the full story of Johnny, Rocky and Rambo’s release by clicking @dolphin_project’s link in my bio.
Abolish the Dolphin Killing Tanks: Miami Seaquarium is only one of dozens of dolphin Abusement parks owned by the Mexican Dolphin Cartel. We need to do more than empty their tanks—we need to ABOLISH the tanks! #emptythetanks #dolphinproject #abolishthetanks
EMPTY THE Tanks: Thinking of Hugo today: Miami Seaquarium, Duisburg Zoo and Rancho Texas Lanzarote! 📢 🐬 We’re up to 41 locations around the world for this year’s event now, that we had to split up the graphic into multiple pages. 😱 RSVP to an event location near you at: https://emptythetanks.org/upcomingevents/ 🐬 We will continue to share updated graphics as locations get added. Please see individual location details for dates and times! #EmptyTheTanks #EmptyTheTanksWorldwide #DolphinProject
An overview of statistics for Taiji’s 2022/23 drive hunt season. More is now up on our blog at: https://bit.ly/41EzUGV Note: Updated statistics are that 34 bottlenose dolphins were captured. An updated season totals graphic is available on the Hunting Statistics page at DolphinProject.com #DolphinProject
The Dolphin Song: “This old world may never change the way it’s been And all the ways of war can’t change it back again I’ve been a-searchin’ for the dolphins in the sea And sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me I’m not the one to tell this world how to get along I only know that peace will come when all hate is gone I’ve been a-searchin’ for the dolphins in the sea And sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me. Oh, sometimes I think about Saturday’s child And all about the times when we were running wild I’ve been a-searching for the dolphins in the sea And sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me Ah, this old world may never change This world may never change This world may never change” – by Fred Neil (Dolphin Project co-founder)
“The Dark Era of Orca Captures in Iceland” by Helene O’Barry. Her latest blog is focused on the 50 orcas captured off the coast of Iceland for the aquarium industry from the mid-’70s until the end of the ’80s. Read it and share their stories at bit.ly/3LJDXMc or DolphinProject.com Photo: Sigrún Helgudóttir #DolphinProject
Calling all ocean-loving teachers! Did you know we have free Study Guides on our website? They are available in multiple languages and for multiple age groups! Head to bit.ly/DolphinStudyGuides to check them out! #DolphinProject
Happy #WorldOceansDay 🐬 🌊 Did you know that more than half of the earth’s oxygen is produced by organisms in the ocean? The world’s oceans are full of incredible and important life. Saving dolphins and whales is about more than simply ending the captivity trade. Ocean conservation is also vital to the survival of all cetaceans, and other marine wildlife. In order to protect wild populations and return captive marine mammals to the ocean sanctuaries and/or their home range, we must ensure a safe and clean habitat. (Photo and long stem rose: Ric O’Barry) #DolphinProject #KeepThemWild
Everyday is EarthDay at DolphinProject.com 🌎 #dolphinproject @dolphin_project
To Free a Dolphin🐬: It’s a process, a marathon, not a sprint. The procedure goes something like this: 1. Confiscation 2. Relocation to sanctuary 3. Rehabilitation/healing 4. Release 5. Post release tracking The protocol can be found at DolphinProject.com *look under “Dolphin Sanctuary Project”
Best mom ever! #heleneobarry
The Free School: In the village next to the Umah Lumba Rehabilitation, Release and Retirement Center is a place where kids learn, and have fun doing so! The Umah Lumba Education Center is a free school, but effective in its engaging methods of teaching, helping children gain an appreciation for their natural world. We have 44 regular students in our school, and 25 visiting students from outside the village. Dive deeper into Dolphin Project’s outreach in Bali at: Click the link in my bio. — Or go to DolphinProject.com
Heads Up: “From New York Times bestselling author Susan Casey, an awe-inspiring portrait of the mysterious world beneath the waves, and the men and women who seek to uncover its secrets.” In bookstores everywhere. Just do it! #susancasey
