What I Learned in Taiji

Dolphin Project’s Mini Cove Monitors recently spent several days at the infamous Cove, and we couldn’t be more proud of them. Eight brave children from Gecko Community, a school in Thalang in the north of Phuket, Thailand, alongside Senior Cove Monitors Vicki Kiely and Terran Vincent Baylor took on the duties of their adult counterparts, reporting live from Taiji.

To ensure they didn’t miss the boats leaving the harbor in search of dolphins, their day began at 5:00 a.m. They reported live on camera, posted to social media and most importantly, learned about what we do to keep the world informed of the activities in this remote part of Japan.

We asked each of the kids to share, in their own words, what they learned in Taiji, and you can read their responses below. All of them learned that education gave them power. We know our Mini Monitors will continue the good fight for those whose voices are silenced for profit.

I’m Jessica, and I’m 9 years old.

It’s my second time being a Mini Cove Monitor.  This time I learned that it takes a while to train the dolphins after they are caught. Different buyers want the dolphins trained at different levels, so not all dolphins are fully trained when sold.

I’m Sofia, and I’m 12 years old.

I’ve learned that when captured, some dolphins go to Dolphin Base, some go to the harbour pens and some go to the Taiji Whale Museum.

I’m Lola, aged 9 years old.

I’ve learned that there are 12 hunting boats and that they all work together. If I see black smoke, then the hunters have found dolphins.

 

I’m Shakira, and I’m 10 years old.

This is my second time in Taiji. I learned how to do one of the posts with Vicki. I was not happy when the boats went out. I hoped it would be too windy for them to hunt.

I’m Evi and I’m 10 years old.

I learned how to do the video on Instagram and post that the boats went out to hunt. I don’t like when the boats look for dolphins.

Hi I’m Eddie and I’m 13 years old.

I learned how hunters drive the dolphins into the cove. I also learned how to post on Facebook Twitter and Instagram, and that I must text our Dolphin Project Home Office to let them know if the boats went out or not.

 

I’m Connie, and I’m 10 years old.

I learned that all the boats fan out in different directions. When one boat finds a pod of dolphins, they all come together and attempt to drive them into the cove.

Hi I’m Alex.

I’m 11 years old and I learned how to post on social media and that we only post what we actually see.

 

All images courtesy of DolphinProject.com, Terran Vincent Baylor and Vicki Kiely.

Are you interested in joining us in Taiji as a Dolphin Project Cove Monitor? Learn more here.

Please consider supporting our work. Our donation page offers many opportunities for giving. Thank you.

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the USA (Tax ID 47-1665067), and donations are fully tax-deductible.