The Cove

(2009)

The Cove is a powerful documentary that sheds light on the cruel treatment of dolphins in captivity and the slaughter that takes place in Taiji, Japan. The film follows Richard O'Barry, a former dolphin trainer for the television show Flipper, whose perspective changed when he witnessed one of the dolphins, Kathy, commit suicide due to the stress of captivity. O'Barry, now a prominent advocate against cetaceans in captivity, teams up with filmmaker Louie Psihoyos to expose the horrors happening in Taiji.

In Taiji, dolphins are herded into a secluded cove where they are either sold to marine parks or brutally slaughtered for meat. O'Barry and Psihoyos face opposition from the authorities in Taiji, who will stop at nothing to keep their activities hidden. Undeterred, the team employs Hollywood cameramen and deep sea free divers to secretly capture footage of the dolphin slaughter as evidence of the cruelty taking place.

The Cove also highlights the dangers of consuming dolphin meat, which is often sold under false pretenses and contains high levels of mercury. It exposes the Japanese government's unethical practices of buying off poor third-world countries in support of their whaling industry, particularly at the International Whaling Commission.

This thought-provoking documentary serves as a call to action, urging viewers to reconsider their support of cetaceans in captivity and to join the fight for the preservation of these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.