The Cove

[wilma-bride]

Has anyone else seen this film/documentary? We Sky +'d it and watched it last night and were incredibly moved/shocked/astounded/horrified all at the same time.

Just wondered if anyone else saw it and what your feelings were. Do you think the global distribution of this film will assist in getting this place shut down?

The thing that struck me was that there was a slightly surreal air to it and it seemed, at times, more like a 'story' than a real life incident. I am not sure whether it was filmed/edited for that reason as the unedited version would have been far too shocking or whether that was just my interpretation.

If you've seen it, what are your opinions?

Please, please, please don't turn this into a Sea World bashing thread as I am genuinely interested in others' opinions and would like the thread to stay open.

 

[oceanscape]

It's painfully sad but brilliantly made and definitely deserved its Oscar win. I'm not "bashing" SeaWorld but after watching we decided we will never visit any aquatic park, including SW or Discovery Cove, ever again.

 

[disney_princess_85]

From what I've heard, I don't think I would physically be able to watch it. It would upset me too much. I hope it gets shut down.

 

[Dollyrar]

It's painfully sad but brilliantly made and definitely deserved its Oscar win. I'm not "bashing" SeaWorld but after watching we decided we will never visit any aquatic park, including SW or Discovery Cove, ever again.

Will you also stop visiting Disney and Universal Parks, who are both additionally responsible for keeping animals in captivity?

 

[wilma-bride]

From what I've heard, I don't think I would physically be able to watch it. It would upset me too much. I hope it gets shut down.

Lauren, I thought that but, in actality, the only bit that was desperately upsetting was at the end (and you knew it was coming so would have been able to look away). The rest of it was just an amazing insight and absolutely fascinating.

 

[mandymouse]

Will you also stop visiting Disney and Universal Parks, who are both additionally responsible for keeping animals in captivity?

Please keep this thread on topic, it's a discussion about the documentary

 

[oceanscape]

Will you also stop visiting Disney and Universal Parks, who are both additionally responsible for keeping animals in captivity?

I never said that keeping animals in captivity was the issue, although it does sometimes upset me. What concerns me more is the quality of the care provision and size of the living space - in SeaWorld a 7 tonne killer whale gets a small tank and is "forced" to perform tricks; at Animal Kingdom the animals have free roam of a hundred acre wild savannah. A slight difference. As for the dolphins at EPCOT, AFAIK they were rescued and rehabilitated - and would otherwise have died - and they are of course not forced to perform in shows multiple times per day. But after watching The Cove it illustrated how continuing demand for aquatic shows and dolphin interaction experiences such as Discovery Cove drives the gross mistreatment of these animals in the wild and at "the cove" itself. What's more, there is lots of research that shows how the sonic reverberations off the small SeaWorld-style tanks can eventually drive the whales and dolphins insane.

Where do Universal keep animals in captivity? That's news to me.

 

[Dollyrar]

I never said that keeping animals in captivity was the issue, although it does sometimes upset me. What concerns me more is the quality of the care provision and size of the living space - in SeaWorld a 7 tonne killer whale gets a small tank and is "forced" to perform tricks; at Animal Kingdom the animals have free roam of a hundred acre wild savannah. A slight difference. As for the dolphins at EPCOT, AFAIK they were rescued and rehabilitated - and would otherwise have died - and they are of course not forced to perform in shows multiple times per day. But after watching The Cove it illustrated how continuing demand for aquatic shows and dolphin interaction experiences such as Discovery Cove drives the gross mistreatment of these animals in the wild and at "the cove" itself. What's more, there is lots of research that shows how the sonic reverberations off the small SeaWorld-style tanks can eventually drive the whales and dolphins insane.

Where do Universal keep animals in captivity? That's news to me.

I don't want to take this thread off-topic at Mandymouses request (which wasn't my intention, I was just further interested in your opinion after watching the documentary, as per the OP's original post), but Universal keeps animals such as Orangutans in captivity for their Animal Actors show, where they are made to perform throughout the day.

 

[wilma-bride]

Please, please keep this on topic - I really was just interested in opinions on the documentary and how your thoughts/feelings/opinions may have changed as a result.

 

[scojos]

i havent watched it but...
have become friends with one of our english teachers at school, she is vegan and very active in educating kids about vivisection/cruelty issues, and has told me things which i never knew, and yes, she has informed and changed my opinion.
the death at sw was a deciding factor in our not going there this year, im not bashing SW, they DO do good work, however I felt that it was against what I believed in, so after doing DC once, i will not be returning (financially we cant afford it, however i do think it was something i would only do once)
I do believe if the only way for these creatures to be safe they need to be in captivity, then so be it, however we should make sure they are happy/occupied/not over feed etc.
just my opinion for what its worth (which around here isnt alot)

 

[Dollyrar]

I watched the documentary, and whilst I thought it was very well made, I do feel that it was a very one-sided but clever piece of propoganda. At times it certainly felt like things were being 'directed' rather than documented, if that makes sense? We were talking about this at work, and my argument with my colleagues was that if I showed them a 90 minute film of any group of animals where they were killed at the end, it would probably have the same effect. The question is, it is very easy to paint other peoples cultures and activities in black and white, whilst considering your own as being without fault.
Why is it acceptable to take you and your kids to Mcdonalds at the weekend to eat chickens, pigs and cows, but the slaughter of any animal you consider 'cute' or 'intelligent' is unacceptable? If you are opposed to any sort of captivity or slaughter of animals, surely that should extend to every creature out there?
More of a 'Devils advocate' kind of question, but certainly something to think about.
I am not a vegetarian or vegan, but I felt that they were labeling the people in the village as 'barbaric', when in all honesty there is little difference between what they were doing and what we as westeners do. If anything, these dolphins get to live in their natural habitats their whole lives before they are killed, where as we keep thousands of chickens locked up in a barn inches from each other and consider that 'civilised'.
I would recommend that people watch the documentary, as it certainly was interesting. I would just remind them that the way any event is edited and presented can make a huge difference in the viewers perception.

 

[BethEJo]

Why is it acceptable to take you and your kids to Mcdonalds at the weekend to eat chickens, pigs and cows, but the slaughter of any animal you consider 'cute' or 'intelligent' is unacceptable? ....

Cows are cute!

Anyhow, what's the story of this documentary? I would love for somebody to fill me in - sounds quite thought provoking and interesting from what you'll all been saying.
If you don't want to tell me what The Cove was about on the thread incase it spoils it for somebody, could somebody PM please?

Also, when was it on? and what channel?

TIA!

 

[Dollyrar]

Cows are cute!

I agree! They are even held as sacred by some cultures, which is kind of the whole point I guess. It's a tough cookie all round.

The cove can be purchased/rented on dvd if you want to watch it. It might even be on again later this week on More4 or something maybe? Worth checking.
It's basically a documentary about a village in Japan where dolphins are lured in and slaughtered each year. A film crew use sneaky ways of trying to get past the security/locals to film it (cameras in rocks etc), which is all quite 'mission-impossible'.

 

[BethEJo]

I agree! They are even held as sacred by some cultures, which is kind of the whole point I guess. It's a tough cookie all round.

The cove can be purchased/rented on dvd if you want to watch it. It might even be on again later this week on More4 or something maybe? Worth checking.
It's basically a documentary about a village in Japan where dolphins are lured in and slaughtered each year. A film crew use sneaky ways of trying to get past the security/locals to film it (cameras in rocks etc), which is all quite 'mission-impossible'.

Thanks Martin! Think I'll look out for that one!

 

[jockey]

I hear it's an excellent program but I can't watch it I am worried it would upset me too much

 

[Ware Bears]

I hear it's an excellent program but I can't watch it I am worried it would upset me too much

Snap ~ this is exactly how I feel.

 

[julieannbabe]

i am glad this topic is on here.
i watched it last month and it broke my heart.

i have always wanted to swim with a dolphin and now i know that to do that is wrong.
i have been to seaworld in the past and now i realise it is just plain wrong what they are doing.

i would like to think that in ten years or so more and people will be educated about how wrong it all is and shut these places down or at least stop the whales/dolphins doing these shows/swimming with people.
but as long as $$$$ is involved it will never happen.

the only way all this will stop is if people don't buy a admission ticket to a park. end of.

 

[julieannbabe]

It's painfully sad but brilliantly made and definitely deserved its Oscar win. I'm not "bashing" SeaWorld but after watching we decided we will never visit any aquatic park, including SW or Discovery Cove, ever again.

thank you. every person who stops going to seaworld and other aquariums where dolphins/whales are made to perform tricks, just by watching this film, HELPS. X

 

[julieannbabe]

Thanks Martin! Think I'll look out for that one!

'The film states that the dolphin hunt is, in a large part, motivated by the tremendous revenue generated for the town by selling some of the captured dolphins to aquariums and marine parks. The dolphins that are not sold into captivity are then slaughtered in the cove by the fishermen and the meat is sold in supermarkets. According to anecdotal evidence presented in the film, most Japanese throughout Japan are unaware of the hunt or the marketing of dolphin meat. The film states that the dolphin meat contains dangerously high levels of mercury and profiles local Japanese politicians who have, for that reason, advocated the removal of dolphin meat from local school lunches.'

and yes, seaworld isn't as innocent as they make out:

'SeaWorld's attempt to capture several Orca in Puget Sound in the early 1970s using powerboats, airplanes and explosives to drive the animals resulted in the capture permit being revoked. The animals are now obtained through breeding including artificial insemination, loans, and purchases from other marine parks around the world.'

 

[julieannbabe]

have you heard about Lolita the whale in Miami aquarium?
where she is kept makes seaworld look like an ocean.

terrible, terrible - stolen from her family in the 1970s - she is probably the oldest whale in captivity:

http://www.slavetoentertainment.com/

and this website:

http://www.savelolita.com/

'Lolita is a 42 year old captive killer whale (orca) living at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida. Since her brutal capture in 1970, she has been kept in a tank that is illegal by the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) standards for size requirements. Lolita is approximately 21 feet long and 7,000 pounds. Her tank is 20 feet deep at the deepest point and a mere 12 feet deep around the edges. The pool is only 35 feet wide. The Miami Seaquarium is considered to be one of the most dilapidated aquatic parks in the world. It is in need of major repairs, and per the Marine Mammal Inventory Report, has a substantial death rate for their animals.'

Who the hell are WE to put this beautiful animal in a cage, don't feed it so it performs for us, then us turn round and say its all the name of 'conservation'?