posted August 25, 2010 01:46 PM         

RENOWNED DOLPHIN ACTIVIST RIC O’BARRY AND SON
GO UNDERCOVER TO STOP THE BRUTAL DOLPHIN TRADE

IN ANIMAL PLANET’S NEW MINISERIES BLOOD DOLPHINS
-- Premieres Friday, August 27, at 11 PM ET/PT –
-- Animal Planet Follows BLOOD DOLPHINS with Basic Cable Premiere of Academy
Award-winning Film THE COVE, on August 29, at 9 PM ET --

(Silver Spring, Md., July 22, 2010) – On Friday, August 27, Animal Planet premieres
BLOOD DOLPHINS, a three-part powerful miniseries spotlighting renowned dolphin activist and
member of Earth Island Institute’s Marine Mammal Team Richard (Ric) O’Barry’s campaign to
expose the plight of dolphins worldwide. With his son, filmmaker Lincoln O’Barry, Ric continues
the journey that began in the Academy Award-winning film THE COVE, where he and a crew of
experts, including free divers, underwater camera experts and passionate activists exposed the world
to the shocking slaughter of thousands of dolphins in Japan. The series premieres on Animal Planet
at 11PM ET/PT following the two-hour season finale of the network’s groundbreaking series
WHALE WARS and then moves to its regular timeslot at 9PM ET/PT the following week.
In the premiere episode of BLOOD DOLPHINS, Ric and Lincoln return to the site of
THE COVE – picturesque, remote Taiji, Japan, the nerve center of the senseless annual slaughter
of approximately 20,000 dolphins. Father and son, along with a small crew, revisit this little inlet that
has been widely criticized for its customary six-month dolphin hunting seasons. What begins as a
hopeful mission turns to outrage as the O’Barrys discover that the brutal practice they hoped had
ended as a result of the publicity generated by the film still continues. Ric and Lincoln encounter
serious opposition, but setbacks, disappointment and struggle are not foreign to them; these
obstacles do not stop them from continuing their mission.
The next two episodes of BLOOD DOLPHINS follow Ric and Lincoln to the Solomon
Islands – a tiny nation of nearly 1,000 islands in the South Pacific – that has emerged as a major
crossroads in the blood trade of wild dolphins. Dolphin dealing is legal here and has sparked a gold
rush among poverty-stricken indigenous tribes who have hunted dolphins for centuries and who
even use dolphin teeth as a form of currency. For Ric and Lincoln, the mission brings intrigue and
danger as well as high hopes. The most prominent dealer in the islands – Chris Porter – has made
overtures to Ric, claiming he is ready to quit the dolphin trade. It could be the opening Ric needs to
shut down the captive trade. But to make it pay off, the team must face down a rival dealer and
broker an agreement with the native dolphin hunters to stop killing dolphins.
“Ric and Lincoln have been at the forefront of trying to stop the senseless slaughter and
brutal treatment of dolphins. Unfortunately, there is far too much work left to be done and many
more places to go to expose these terrible practices,” says Marjorie Kaplan, president and general
manager of Animal Planet. “By bringing our viewers the premiere of THE COVE and this
groundbreaking miniseries, we’re shining a light on the cruelty inflicted on these magnificent, wild
creatures all over the world.”
Dolphins are one of America’s most beloved animals, according to a national survey
conducted by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. The survey notes that the
more people interact with them and see them through aquaria, parks and zoos, the more people
learn about their importance. However, Ric and Lincoln are firm believers that dolphins should
always be free and not be confined to entertain or educate the general public.
“My father is more aware than anyone else of how extraordinary dolphins are,” says Lincoln
O’Barry. “Having worked almost 50 years with dolphins and as the trainer for the television-star
Flipper, he has spent the last four decades trying to redeem himself for the mistake he made by
working with the captive dolphin industry.”
“Dolphins are highly intelligent, self-aware, complex creatures that should swim free without
the threat of slaughter or captivity,” says Ric O’Barry. “Dolphins’ primary sense is sonar sound, and
living within small confines causes sensory deprivation and distress, while also extremely limiting
their range of space. The most important thing I can do…that my son can do…is show the world
through projects like BLOOD DOLPHINS just how threatened dolphins are so we can all do
something about it.”
BLOOD DOLPHINS premieres at the special time of 11 PM ET/PT on Friday, August
27. Animal Planet premieres THE COVE on Sunday, August 29. An encore of the first episode
airs Friday, Sept 3, at 9 PM ET/PT and episodes two and three premiere Friday, Sept 10, at 9
PM ET/PT and Friday, September 17, at 9 PM ET/PT respectively.
BLOOD DOLPHINS is produced for Animal Planet by Creative Differences in
Association with BayRock Media. Erik Nelson, Dave Harding and Lincoln O’Barry are executive
producers. Raymond Bridgers is a co-executive producer. Dawn Sinsel is executive producer for
Animal Planet. Marc Etkind is vice president of development for Animal Planet.
ABOUT THE COVE:
Winner of the 2010 Academy Award® for Best Documentary, The Cove is an astounding
piece of investigative journalism with the heart of an action thriller. Led by Louie Psihoyos, cofounder
of the Ocean Preservation Society, and Richard O’Barry, an internationally recognized
authority on dolphin training who is best known for his work on the 1960’s TV show “Flipper,” the
film follows a high-tech dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the international dolphin
capture trade as practiced in Taiji, Japan. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden
microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a
horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide.
THE COVE is directed by Louie Psihoyos, written by Mark Monroe, executive produced
by Jim Clark and produced by Fisher Stevens and Paula DuPre Pesman. It is coproduced by Olivia
Ahnemann and edited by Geoffrey Richman.
THE COVE can be purchased at the Discovery Store by visiting www.discoverystore.com.
ABOUT ANIMAL PLANET MEDIA
Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the
world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal
kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners
access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, highquality
entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet
television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband
channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that
facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD)
service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

posted November 21, 2010 01:26 AM         

This makes me so sad.