From the Field Recollections from the front lines of Taiji's dolphin hunt. Monday, November 10: WSPA regrets to report that the 30 pilot whales captured by Japanese fishermen in Taiji on November 6th were slaughtered on November 7th. The whales were captured right before I left Taiji to return home. The pod was first driven into the shallow cove and then confined with nets overnight. The suffering of these whales is unimaginable and I hated to leave knowing they were slated for death. I am counting the days until I can return to Taiji to help the dolphins. Two large males were killed while trying in vain to protect the females and babies from the hunters' spears. Nik and another Sea Shepherd volunteer attempted to document the killings and ended up in another confrontation with the fishermen while the Taiji police stood by and did nothing. I tried to talk to the fishermen about this pod of whales on my last day in Taiji. I tried to explain that there were babies trapped in the nets, hoping this would make a difference. The fishermen just looked at me and laughed. We have a long way to go to put a stop to these cruel killings. Friday, November 7: A new rotation of volunteers has arrived in Taiji to take over the daily dolphin vigil for Nik and I. Now that I'm heading home for a bit, I'm even more determined to do all that I can to stop the killing of dolphins in Japan. I don't have to stand helplessly by and watch as countless dolphins and whales are killed for their meat and sold to the highest bidder. I will take everything that I've witnessed back to the media and the general public and I will keep talking about this issue until the Japanese authorities realize that the annual drive fisheries are unacceptable to the rest of the world. Until the fishermen in Taiji admit that this slaughter is senseless and cruel. Until Japan's drive fisheries are no more. Thursday, November 6: The local policemen are watching Nik and me very closely, just waiting for an excuse to throw us in jail. So when the fishermen encircled about 30 pilot whales today, all we could do was watch in horror. The fishermen used two nets to herd the whales into the lagoon and trap them. For some reason that I am at a loss to explain, the fishermen decided to postpone the actual killing for tomorrow morning. This is torture for the frightened whales. You can see them milling about in confusion inside the nets. There are babies trapped along with their mothers. It's a nightmare. What will it take to convince these fishermen that these hunts are wrong? I wish I knew. Wednesday, November 5: More dolphins have been killed. Our streak of luck ended yesterday as Nik and I witnessed the killing of about 12 dolphins on a rocky beach not far from Taiji harbor. Instead of driving the dolphins into the cove as we expected, this time the fishermen forced the dolphins into shallow water and captured them amid the sand and rocks. We couldn't get close enough to determine what kinds of dolphins were killed. By the time we reached the slaughterhouse where the dolphins had been taken after their capture, all that was left were some small, bloody pieces scattered about. The cruelty is unimaginable. The brutal deaths of these dolphins will stay with me forever. In the meantime, Nik and I will get ready to head back out to continue documenting this atrocity so that the rest of the world will understand what is happening here in Taiji. Dolphin and Whale Meat for sale at a Japanese food market Photo: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Sunday, November 2: It's raining today which I'm grateful for as it kept the fishermen from taking their boats out to hunt for more dolphins. Nik and I have been heading out each morning with our cameras and satellite phone at about 4:30 to watch as the fishermen prepare their boats for the day. Fortunately for the dolphins and whales, since my arrival, the fishermen have returned to the harbor each night empty-handed. It is unimaginable to me that this hunt will continue into April and the government has granted permits for the killing of over 2000 dolphins and whales this year. Our work is really only just beginning, but at least, for today, the dolphins are safe. Wednesday, October 29: Finally some good news to report. Today was a successful day for the dolphins. The fishermen took their boats out into the deep water at 5:30 a.m. to find the dolphins' migration paths. Usually they locate the dolphins and then use loud noises to disrupt the dolphins' sonar so that in the confusion, they can be driven to the shore and butchered. Thankfully, today, the dolphins were able to elude the boats and escape back into their ocean home. Friday, October 24: The journey to Taiji seemed to take forever. Even though I knew a horrible scene was waiting for me at the other end of my trip, I wished I could just blink my eyes and be there. How could I eat my peanuts or watch the in-flight movie when I knew that even one dolphin - let alone hundreds - could be in danger or suffering at that very moment? We have to do everything we can to stop this. The fishermen of Taiji insist that there is nothing wrong with the drive fisheries, yet all of the butchering is carried out behind screens, hidden from public view. If they really believe the drive fisheries are not cruel, what are they trying to hide? Walking around town is like being in a scene from the "X-Files" - everyone looks at us with suspicion. We can't even get served in the local restaurants. I thank my lucky stars for WCC's satellite phone; otherwise the world might never learn what's going on here. And it also serves to intimidate the fishermen now that they realize that Nik and I are able to call for help! When I first arrived, Nik showed me the footage he captured of the first slaughter. I've seen so much cruelty in my long career working with dolphins but still, I was unprepared for the ways in which these images would haunt me. Needless to say, I didn't sleep that first night. January 2004 Update: On Wednesday, January 28th, WSPA received reports that over 100 dolphins were killed on a beach in Taiji. Agents from the captivity industry walked among the stranded dolphins to pick and choose the "lucky" ones that would be spared the butcher's knife in favor of life in a tank. This hunt, called a drive fishery, is an annual event in Japan and dozens - often hundreds - of dolphins and whales lose their lives. Though the practice is legal and fishermen claim pride in carrying out this "tradition", no one involved in the hunt will speak of it and extreme measures are taken to ensure that the world never sees the true face of the drive fisheries.   The same cove in Taiji just a few hours later now churns with the blood of dead and dying dolphins. Photo: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society   Sea Shepherd staffers were in the area when the hunt officially began on October 6th and witnessed the slaughter of 60 wild dolphins. The urgent call went out for reinforcements - especially since two Sea Shepherd staffers were forced to leave Japan after repeated threats, harassment and even an arrest. Four other marine mammal advocacy organizations - Earth Island Institute, Cetacean Society International, Born Free Foundation and Blue Voice.org - stepped forward to donate funds in support of this mission and the World Communications Center contributed a satellite phone so that field staff could report on events there as they unfold.   Victims of the dolphin hunts are crudely stacked on one of the catch boats. Photo: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society   The fishermen head out on their boats each morning and return several hours later, sometimes driving their prey to a terrible death. In a typical drive fishery, the animals are chased into a shallow lagoon, speared with hooks and dragged to shore. A few escape. Some die from their injuries. Others perish slowly as their immense weight crushes their internal organs. And still others are alive when the butchering process starts. An arguably lucky few will be spared and shipped off to captive dolphin swim programs around the world. Since the hunts began, the blood of 69 striped dolphins and 13 whales (either pilot or melon-headed whales) has reddened the seas.  Now, the harbor is home to a 24-hour vigil, where dolphin advocates continue to document the tragedy and put their lives on the line in an attempt to prevent any more deaths. The hunt is scheduled to continue at least through November, so the fight is just beginning. Please visit this site regularly for updates and for news on how you can help.