A large pod of bottlenose dolphins was driven from the open ocean into the Cove on the first day of the 2026 dolphin drive hunt in Taiji, Japan, marking a devastating start to another season in which wild dolphins face slaughter or captivity for entertainment.
According to Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project,nine species of dolphins are included on this season’s quota list, with up to 1,814 dolphins allowed to be taken for slaughter or captivity.
Dolphin Project reported: “11 dolphins had their freedom stolen while the remaining pod members were held overnight.”
The organization also highlighted the disturbing connection between the Taiji hunts and the global captive dolphin industry, stating:
“Due to their popularity at marine parks and the global demand for captive dolphins, these dolphins are extremely valuable.”
Alexandra, who has worked alongside Dolphin Project to document the Taiji dolphin drive hunts, also emphasized how demand for captive dolphins helps fuel the hunts, writing:
“Our goal is to help break the cycle of supply and demand for captive dolphins. By reducing the demand for dolphins taken from the wild, we can impact the financial incentive that helps drive these hunts.”
In Taiji, wild dolphins are pursued by boats and driven toward the coastline, where they are confined inside the infamous Cove. Some dolphins are selected and taken alive for captivity, separating them from their pods and taking away their freedom, while others are slaughtered for their meat.
The capture of bottlenose dolphins at the start of another hunting season is a devastating reminder of how the captive dolphin industry continues to tear these highly intelligent and social animals away from their ocean homes.
Dolphin Project is urging the public not to support facilities that keep dolphins in captivity, stating:
“End the demand, end the supply. Don’t buy a ticket to any facility with captive dolphins.”
Alexandra also reinforced why documenting what happens in Taiji and keeping international attention focused on the hunts remains critical:
“Continuing to document these hunts, share the reality of what happens in the Cove, and keep Taiji in the global conversation and media is essential to maintaining pressure for change.”
Animal advocates in Japan and around the world continue to call for an end to the Taiji dolphin drive hunts and the capture of wild dolphins for the captive entertainment industry.
World Animal News and Peace 4 Animals are calling for continued international pressure on the Japanese government to end these cruel hunts once and for all and protect dolphins from being killed or stolen from the wild.
These highly intelligent and social animals belong wild and free in the ocean with their families — not torn from their pods, killed, or confined for human entertainment.
For three years in a row, our crew has witnessed the damage caused by krill #supertrawlers in Antarctica. What should be some of the most intact waters on Earth are being turned into an industrial production line.
These vessels operate as floating factories. They vacuum up krill, process it onboard, and turn it into products that feed a destructive global market. The consequences for #marinelife are severe and they are unfolding right in front of us.
Later this month, we are returning to #Antarctica. Once again, we will document what is being ignored and keep sounding the alarm until real protection is in place.
We are also preparing something new to fully immerse you in this campaign. From the crew perspective to Antarctica itself. Stay close by subscribing to our newsletter and turn on your notifications https://seashe.ph/antarctica
🚨Launching January 2026: Operation Antarctic Defence. 🚨
We thought the whales of the Southern Ocean were safe. We were wrong. 😓
Fourteen massive supertrawlers from six countries are working between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Orkney Islands - competing directly with fin and humpback whales for krill, their primary food source. Despite the availability of plant-based alternatives, krill is being stripped from Antarctic waters to produce Omega-3 supplements, farmed salmon feed, and even pet food.
When we returned to Antarctica where our crew witnessed supertrawlers plowing straight through a pod of over 200 whales actively feeding on krill.
The images we captured spread across the globe, sparking outrage and renewed calls to shut this industry down.
“Supertrawlers dragging nets large enough to swallow a jumbo jet are taking the food of whales, seals, and penguins from one of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems — so it can be fed to dogs and cats at home,” — Peter Hammarstedt, Director of Campaigns, Sea Shepherd Global.
Sea Shepherd has stopped illegal whaling and dismantled criminal fishing operations in the Southern Ocean before. But this threat is different. The krill fishery is technically legal - lightly regulated, poorly protected, and expanding fast.
To protect Antarctic whales, we must change the laws, strengthen regional protections, and shift market demand. When whales are under threat - Sea Shepherd will be there, and that's why we are returning this January.
👉 Stay up to date with Operation Antarctic Defence by subscribing to our email newsletters via the link in bio.
This August, the M/V Sharkwater is at Scorpion Reef.Sea Shepherd has always been most effective when we put ourselves where change needs to happen, and on the water that means ships, crews and a persistent presence in places where wildlife and protected areas are under pressure.
Together the corridor covers over 6,300 square miles of protected ocean in the Gulf of Mexico — two parks, two ships, one permanent mission.
Poachers strip spawning aggregations ofqueen conch, squid, octopus, grouper, amberjack, and snapperbefore enforcement can reach them. Remoteness is their greatest advantage.
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Ghost Nets and Abandoned Gear
Discarded nets strangle coral colonies and ensnare everything from lobsters togreen sea turtles, catching indiscriminately long after the boats that set them are gone.
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Pressure on Nesting Grounds
Sea turtle nesting and breeding is disrupted by illegal access, boat traffic, and gear entanglement duringcritical reproductive periods.
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Illegal Recreational Access
Vessels without permits cause anchor damage, spear fishing, and line fishing inside sanctuary boundaries. Routine battles for our crews.
Most puppies born on the streets will die before they are weaned. There may be enough food scraps to sustain a few dogs, but rarely enough for six or seven hungry puppies. Many will starve or become sick with diseases like canine distemper or come under cars.
For an unsterilized community dog, this cycle can continue litter after litter.
Our street dog sterilization program helps break the cycle before it begins. When you help us spay or neuter a community dog, you prevent litter after litter of puppies from being born into hunger, illness and danger.
A monthly gift of $50 can support the sterilization of one community dog every month, protecting her from the strain of repeated pregnancies and preventing generations of puppies from suffering on the streets.
We just completed our annual street dog sterilization survey and are thrilled to share the results. Following specific routes through Udaipur, our teams count the sterilized dogs they see, helping us assess the reach and effectiveness of our program. The results show that we have sterilized 69% of Udaipur's estimated 22,000 street dog population, and in our first three priority areas we have achieved and are maintaining sterilization rates between 70-80%!
Watch the video to join the team on their latest survey — and see the difference the program is making across Udaipur.
Our scientific approach to creating lasting change
We don’t simply sterilize dogs wherever they are found. Our veterinary and rescue teams work systematically, area by area, using population surveys to identify priority locations and work towards achieving sterilization levels of 75-80%.
This approach is designed to create lasting change: high sterilization coverage helps stabilize street dog populations, while vaccinating the dogs we sterilize helps protect animals and communities from rabies and other viruses.
We record every dog, including where they are caught and released, monitor populations across the city and use the results to guide where we work next. Our approach follows established animal welfare and dog population management guidance.
When our ambulance arrived, mange-afflicted Muffin was so relieved!
Poor Muffin was suffering from terrible mange, but he knew as soon as he saw the ambulance that something good was about to happen.
Muffin’s wagging tail and trusting approach told us he knew he was in safe hands. His notched ear told us something else: Animal Aid had already sterilized and vaccinated him.
Did you know? We notch the ears of dogs we’ve sterilized and vaccinated so we can quickly identify them in the community.
Watch Muffin’s first spa treatment and follow his journey from terrible mange to a happy, healthy new life. Without rescue, Muffin wouldn’t have survived.
Mimi was hit by a car and left badly injured. Caring neighbors found her and rushed her to our hospital. With a deep head wound, Mimi was confused and frightened, and hearing her whimper was heartbreaking.
We gently bandaged her up, made her comfortable and gave her the rest she needed. By her second day with us, Mimi was already showing us just how brave she was. Her recovery was underway.
Day by day, she grew stronger and happier until the frightened little girl who arrived at our hospital was replaced by a joyful young dog.
Life is more beautiful when you’re surrounded by friends.
You helped us unlock $10,000 USD for Unlimited Unleashed
We’ve been blown away by the response to our match giving campaign, which reached its $5,000 USD target in just a few days. It’s been a powerful way to raise funds for Unlimited Unleashed bringing the total raised through the match to $10,000USD!
If you’re considering making a donation and would like to explore setting up a match giving opportunity of your own, we’d love to hear from you.
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