The Cove

The Cove is a new documentary film that I have been awaiting the release of for a long time now. It's about the slaughter of dolphins and porpoises in Japan and the high level of mercury in the oceans which bio-accumulates in the fish that we consume regularly.


The film-makers went undercover in a small town called Taiji in Wakayama prefecture, south of Osaka, to document the slaughter. The dolphin drive, which happens every year, involves fishermen herding about 2,300 mammals into a secluded cove, which is hidden from public view, and slaughtering them. The slaughter methods used are far from humane, stabbing and spearing them, it often takes a few hours for them to die. Most Japanese people are unaware of this practice.

The Cove, produced by the Ocean Preservation Society, was nominated at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award.


The cove, an intelligent/action/adventure/Oceans's Eleven-like horror film wrapped around a tale of redemption and revenge - oh and it's a documentary.

I still haven't got a release date for the film, but I'm really hoping it won't be much longer.

For those of you interested in this subject, there is an excellent article on the Japan Times website.