An entire family of Pantropical Spotted dolphins was obliterated this morning in the killing cove. Despite worldwide media attention on Taiji, the dolphin killers continue to hunt, kidnap and murder dolphins. The killing is not limited to just one species. After decimating a bottlenose pod over the weekend and a Striped dolphin pod yesterday, they kidnapped 6 captive and brutally slaughtered 40-45 Pantropical Spotted dolphins today. 11 killing boats herded the pod toward the killing cove in less than 3 hours. The Spotted dolphin pod was found far south of Taiji, and was driven for miles. Exhausted and panicked, the dolphins clung together and adults were seen protecting their young calves. It was a heart breaking visual for those of us documenting the process. Once the pod was pushed under the tarps, thrashing could be heard as babies were ripped from their family and tossed into the transport skiff. Four dolphins were taken for the first transfer to the Taiji harbor holding pens. The skiff returned filled with bloody water from the injured dolphins. More thrashing echoed above the cove as the slaughter began and 2 more dolphins were taken prisoner and transferred out from the cove to the harbor holding pens. The thrashing continued over 10-15 minutes as the pod was pithed one by one and left to eventually die in the shallow water. An eerie silence and a crimson colored cove indicated that the mass murder had ended. The loud “thumps” we heard were the bodies being hurled into the skiffs for transport to the butcher house. Two skiffs were piled high with dead bodies and of course covered and hidden with tarps, because Taiji is so proud of the their culture and tradition.
