Moving Misty

First Hand Account by Nicole Mclachlan - A Cove Guardian


Describing what happened last night, I knew, would be a difficult task…
Put simply, because it didn’t feel real. The whole event felt like something out of a movie. Like a scene where the main characters were under siege … And it had all the important elements and makings of a blockbuster; cops, undercover filming and muffled radio communication…
However, it was very, very real. Throughout the entire night, we were all subjected to countless emotions; worry, confusion, anger, fear, sadness, adrenaline and finally exhaustion. We never totally expected any of it to occur last night- but the fact that we were all present, ready and working together as an amazing team made a whole lot of difference… and we were able to capture the footage that we needed.
Yesterday afternoon was when it had all began. We had heard a few days previously, from a member of staff at Dolphin Base that they were contemplating moving Misty into another tank… we were unsure what to make of this statement, but vowed to be there if and when it happened.
After checking the harbour, visiting dolphin base and having lunch together yesterday, the boys; Andy, Tim (Save Japan Dolphins) and Simon went into Taiji to see if there was any sign to suggest that they might be moving Misty. Andy positioned himself in almost the only spot in Taiji to get a good look at Misty’s tank without being seen. He climbed a nearby hill, and hid amongst the undergrowth. Meanwhile, Simon and Tim returned to the hotel to retrieve a few Radio devices, in order to communicate with Andy. When Simon came up past our rooms and mentioned what was happening down at Taiji, I grabbed my camera and passport, and hurried to join them. We drove to a nearby lane, just around the corner from Dolphin Base… we knew that if the trainers were to spot us anywhere near the Dolphin Base as they attempted to transport Misty, that they would most likely abort their task. We wanted to be unseen, at least until we knew for sure that they were undertaking the operation.




Story continues here: Moving Misty

Without the dedicated, dangerous work of the Cove Guardians this story would never have been brought to light. Please share this story with all of your Social Media contacts and friends. This is a small victory for Misty, but we must work towards the ultimate goal of freeing all of these dolphins that are crammed into pools far to small to support them.

Thank you for your love of dolphins and for your work to see an end to the slaughter and capture in Taiji.

Stay Passionate
@Luv_Dolphins