As the catalyst and star of the Academy award-winning documentary The Cove, Ric O’Barry showed his commitment to ending the dolphin slaughter in Japan. A renowned dolphin activist and expert, Ric is determined to educate the world about the plight of these highly intelligent and social marine mammals.
On Friday, August 27th at 11 pm EST, Animal Planet premieres Blood Dolphins, a three-part miniseries that picks up where The Cove left off. Ric and his son Lincoln return to Taiji, Japan, where 20,000 dolphins are needlessly and cruelly slaughtered each year. Unfortunately, despite the publicity garnered by The Cove, the show follows Ric and Lincoln as they discover that the killing still continues.
The next two episodes find Ric and Lincoln traveling to the Solomon Islands, a small nation in the South Pacific that has become a major force in the blood trade of wild dolphins. One of the most prominent dolphin dealers in the Solomons has claimed he is willing to quit the dolphin trade with Ric’s help – but will the involvement of a rival dealer and the opposition of the native dolphin hunters turn out to be insurmountable obstacles?
"Dolphins are highly intelligent, self-aware, complex creatures that should swim free without the threat of slaughter or captivity," says Ric O'Barry. "Dolphins' primary sense is sonar sound, and living within small confines causes sensory deprivation and distress, while also extremely limiting their range of space. The most important thing I can do...that my son can do...is show the world through projects like Blood Dolphins just how threatened dolphins are so we can all do something about it."
Blood Dolphins premieres at the special time of 11 PM ET/PT on Friday, August 27. Animal Planet premieres The Cove on Sunday, August 29. An encore of the first episode airs Friday, Sept. 3, at 9 PM ET/PT and episodes two and three premiere Friday, Sept. 10, at 9 PM ET/PT and Friday, Sept. 17, at 9 PM ET/PT respectively.
Jane Schlech is passionate about animal welfare and vegetarianism/veganism.
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Photo Credit: Animal Planet
