Blood Dolphins

For years, Taiji, Japan concealed a dark secret — an annual six-month long dolphin hunt, where thousands of dolphins are brutally slaughtered in a tiny, hidden inlet known as "The Cove." In 2009, the Oscar winning film, THE COVE exposed Taiji's hunt to the world for the first time. Dolphin activist Ric O'Barry starred in the film, which also detailed his 40-year quest to save dolphins in trouble. Ric is accompanied by his son, filmmaker and fellow activist Lincoln, and a camera crew on the return to the killing cove for the first time since the film's release. Unlike previous visits, where Ric often operated undercover, this is a very public mission. He and Lincoln are surrounded by a troupe of Japanese journalists interested in learning more about the O'Barrys activities and dolphins. The mission now is to stop the hunt by wielding the power of international outrage and opinion. At first, the mission appears to work — the hunt is delayed and a covert swim to the Cove itself shows no apparent preparations to resume the slaughter. But once Ric and Lincoln leave Taiji, a single phone call brings them rushing back. The hunt has resumed. There are dolphins in the killing cove.

In recent years, the Solomon Islands — a tiny nation in the South Pacific — has emerged as a major crossroads in the blood trade in wild dolphins. Dolphin dealing is legal here and has sparked a gold rush among poverty stricken indigenous tribes who have hunted dolphins for centuries and who use dolphin teeth as a form of currency. For Ric and Lincoln O'Barry, a mission to The Solomons brings intrigue and danger, as well as high hopes. The most prominent dealer in the islands — a man named Chris Porter — has made overtures to Ric, claiming he is ready to quit the business. It could be the opening Ric needs to shut down the captive trade. But to make it pay off, the team must face down a rival dealer and broker a deal with the native dolphin hunters to stop killing dolphins.

Ric and Lincoln O'Barry's mission to the Solomon Islands continues and is fully launched on two fronts. First, they must confirm the true intentions of dolphin dealer-turned apparent reformer, Chris Porter. Secondly, they make inroads with the indigenous people still involved in dolphin hunting. The summit meeting between Ric and Porter is a tense affair complete with accusations and recriminations, but there are no conclusive results. In the end, Porter breaks down during a confrontation with one of the team members. He has dolphins to free, and he wants Ric to help him. On the other front, Ric's delicate negotiations with the dolphin hunting villages are nearly derailed when a letter signed by several chiefs and parliament members is made public. The letter contains a clear warning that Ric, Lincoln and their entire team should stay away from the island of Malaita. Soon, however, Ric and Lincoln are told the letter is a hoax. They proceed to the island and finally enter into an agreement with one of the villages to stop hunting dolphins. It is a rare, tangible victory in the fight to save dolphins.