The Dolphin's Wink

Start the Harmony

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 06:54:00 +0000

(Credit: Unknown. Image found on Facebook.)

Thanks to Blackfish, 2013 saw the rise in public awareness on the issue of cetacean captivity. This article gives a pretty good summary of this past year's milestones: Best Achievements in Cetacean Advocacy for 2013.

James McWilliams recently wrote an article for Forbes about how Blackfish seems to have rattled Sea World and other marine parks and gotten people to reconsider buying tickets or supporting such parks. Forbes asked him to modify his article and he refused, standing by what he wrote. He ended up quitting rather than give in to their pressure tactics. Forbes removed the article from their website but James McWilliams re posted it on his site here: James McWilliams

Kudos and respect to this guy for having the courage of his principles.

Good video here on a guy who took his niece to Sea World and tried to see it from a child's perspective, but just couldn't get past what a prison it seemed for these animals: Fellow Prisoners

Beautiful, magical, stunning video of underwater footage of humpbacks: Leviathan

We've come a long way, individually and collectively, in our efforts to bring more awareness to our friends in the sea. Unfortunately, the fight is far from over. With only about 3% of the whale population left from previous numbers, the sense of urgency couldn't be stronger.

To everyone who continues to speak up, participate, volunteer, write, dance, or sing, my heartfelt thanks for your compassion, time, love, and energy devoted to this issue. Even if you're simply an armchair activist raising hell from your home office, you matter and you make a difference!

As JFK has said, "Every person can make a difference and every one should try."

Send out daily mojo and good energy to the dedicated people fighting in Taiji and on Sea Shepherd's ships in the Southern Ocean.

Send out frequent vibes of love and peace to our whale and dolphin brothers and sisters and let them know we are not only never going to give up being their voices, but we ask for their forgiveness as well for the cruelty far too many humans display towards them.

Despite too many still dying, I try to remember this wonderful Native American quote:

(Credit: Google Images)

I remain hopeful we'll halt all of these atrocities and end the slavery of captivity before we reach the point of no return (extinction.)

Magic and Love

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 04:26:00 +0000

Roald Dahl once said: "And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

I didn't realize it at the time, but one of the magics in my life had been in my dog Kona.

We started the year with a perfectly clean bill of health for her at the vet. In fact, the vet couldn't even believe Kona was just two months shy of 14 years of age. He thought she was closer to 8 to 10 at the time. Kona did have a minor limp in her leg but upon examination, the vet couldn't find anything wrong and chalked it up to her simply getting older, maybe experiencing a little arthritis.

By May, it was obvious that a lump was starting to form on her lower leg joint. Took her in to be checked out and they did xrays. The worst was confirmed and she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. My heart dropped. I felt like my world had suddenly come crashing down around me. I attempted to pull myself together and asked the vet what we could do for her. Not much he said. Given her age and arthritis, chemo and / or amputation are not feasible. I asked how long he thought Kona had. At the time he felt maybe six months.

Bone cancer in dogs is a cruel and insidious disease. It creeps up silently, almost benignly, and by the time it whispers hello, it is often too late to do much in the way of treatment, depending on the health and age of the dog. It's often called the slowly exploding bone, and for just reason.

As Kona's lump grew, and it grew rapidly going from a pea size to basically an egg size inside of 2-3 months, she was having more and more difficulty getting around. She would avoid walking as much as possible.

Yet her spirit remained unwavering and strong. She continued to boss the others in the pack around and her appetite remained good even up to the final day.

I hired an animal communicator in July to make sure I was doing everything I possibly could for Kona within my meager resources and power. I was reassured I was doing all I could for her and Kona gave a pretty close time frame as to when she thought she'd be ready to go. It was an illuminating session in other ways too. One that left me feeling a wide range of emotions but mostly relief. Relief that I was doing all I could and that Kona knew how deeply I loved her, to the depths of my soul and beyond. It was also heartbreaking in some ways but these two sessions I had with the AC also allowed Kona and I to communicate in a way that I can't even do justice in putting into words. It made me feel even closer to her and reminded me of my instinctive feeling that Kona and I had been on journeys before. That this was another journey and that we'll have more journeys together in the future. In other words, we were soul mates.

Some people have a hard time understanding the human / animal connection. Some don't think of animals as being sentient or of having souls. But as Anatole France said "Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

From the moment I met Kona, there was an instant connection and we shared journey together that lasted just over 14 years. She saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. She was there to comfort me when my grandmother passed away and I was on the floor bawling. She just sat quietly by my side, watching over me, and comforting me.

She was my magic in this life. She opened me to love. Research has shown that people who have been abused, or have experienced trauma in whatever way and have a challenging time connecting with other humans oftentimes connect more readily and easily with animals. Love is a universal and inter species language, emotion, and energy. So however and wherever you can experience love is a magical thing.

She was my rock. She helped me to realize I have the strength to get through whatever I face. And even when I felt I just didn't have any strength left, she was there to remind me that I'm stronger than I think I am and more courageous that I give myself credit for.

I released her to the Rainbow Bridge on Monday, July 29th. We had one last session together with the AC a few days prior and Kona let me know it was her time.

Part of unconditionally loving another soul is knowing when to let go, regardless of how much you want them to stay. Kona was terrified when I put her on the table. She was trembling all over. It was as if a part of her didn't want to leave, but she knew she couldn't live in this dimension any longer in the shape she was in. As painful as it was, I pushed aside my own fears and selfishness and I comforted her, talked to her, and maintained eye contact with her until the contents of the syringe mercifully released her from her physical pains and limitations.

It was a powerful, bittersweet, and heartbreaking moment we shared as her soul lifted away and I was left burying my face in her warm fur, feeling like my whole world had just shattered into a million pieces.

Someone posted on their FB wall the other day a picture of a woman with her dog and it said "I wish the Rainbow Bridge had visiting hours."

They do. Any time. In your mind, your heart, your soul, and in your dreams. Any time I want to visit Kona, I go there. I talk to her every day. I also shed tears every day. I miss her every second of every day. But she's here. I may not feel her presence, but I know she's here. She's in my soul and I know she listens to every word I say and I always feel the love between us.

That's the magic of it. Any time you want to visit someone who is no longer around, you can visit them in your mind. Like a book can transport you to places or events, your mind can instantly reunite you with your best friend. Daily, Kona and I take walks on the beach or just sit and just be. Daily I tell her how much I miss her and love her.

She said she'll be back. Next winter some time. Whether one believes in reincarnation or not (I do) I look forward to seeing her again. And what a reunion it'll be!

Until then, I have more than enough love in my heart for my other dogs. Many dogs have had a piece of my heart. But Kona will always have my soul.

I've been blessed beyond measure because of Kona. One doesn't need money to feel rich. With Kona, I felt like the richest woman in the world :-)

See you soon my sweet Kona Bear.

We are all magical. We are all love.

Happy New Year!

P.S. The Dolphin's Wink is now on Facebook!

TEOTWAWKI

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:23:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Eva M. Sakmar @ Star Dolphin)

Tomorrow is 12.21.12.

Some people think the world is going to end tomorrow. Among the fear mongering theories are an asteroid or comet hitting our planet, solar flares, or a bunch of E.T.'s with intentions to make us all slaves descending through the atmosphere and having us all running in panic stricken fear.

The Mayans, the Hopis, etc never said the world was going to end tomorrow. It is simply the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. And research indicates that every time a cycle is nearing its end, planetary changes occur. This is a transitional period. What may seem, in some ways, to be the end of days for humanity is, in my opinion, simply a period of challenging changes towards the betterment of our planet.

We're not going to wake up tomorrow and suddenly see a bunch of changes. Although a global reset economically would be nice. It would be awesome to wake up tomorrow and suddenly no one is killing dolphins and whales, much less each other. It would be wonderful if suddenly no one was poor or hungry or homeless. It would be stupendous if suddenly we had world peace tomorrow.

Ain't gonna happen. But I'm optimistic that we are entering a new age where it WILL happen and we are moving forward in that direction.

The end of the world as we know it is going to end. The beginning of the world as we will come to know it is beginning.

Call it a rebirth or an awakening or just call me crazy. Despite how totally messed up in so many ways our world currently is, if you look around there IS an increased level of consciousness among people. An increased level of spirituality and connections. And these increased levels of energies and senses of awareness have been gradually becoming more apparent over time.

That's not to say, again, that a switch is going to flip when we go to sleep tonight and when we wake up we suddenly feel like we are in the garden of Eden. And this transition into the new age that we are all embarking upon is going to happen with or without you. It's up to you if you want to join the journey towards a better future or to remain stuck in the old age.

It won't be easy. Nothing ever is. It won't always be love and light, but that comes from within each of us not the people running the world.

"Here's a test to find out if your mission on Earth is complete. If you're still alive, it isn't." ~ Richard Bach ~

It's up to each of us to define just what being alive truly means.

Here's an excellent video with a wonderful message. If you are Deaf or Hard of hearing or simply like to be able to read captions/subtitles, just watch on YouTube and click on the "cc" on the bottom of the video screen to follow along.

(Or click here if you do not see it: http://youtu.be/CPriixJ6_Ms)

Whatever your beliefs, may the Aquarian Age bring you peace, harmony, and love.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Quieter Than a Gunshot

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 02:52:00 +0000

Is it sad that it takes a shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut to get me to open up my dusty blog platform and write something?

I'd explain why I've been gone for so long but it doesn't really matter. We all have our demons to slay and they can be time consuming and make you feel drained of energy.

That said, I want to write a bit about the Sandy Hook school shootings.

What the hell is this world coming to? It's a quote that's been said for generations for whatever reasons are defining said generations. Is it just me or does it seem like things are just getting worse in many respects instead of better?

People are currently debating, once again, the issue of gun control. Guns have a role, yes, but they are not the reason this happened. They are simply the catalyst.

If the government wants to point fingers at who and what is responsible for tragedies like this, I humbly suggest they start with themselves. That's not to say they are the reason. But I do feel they are ONE of the reasons.

Mental health services have been cut deeply across the board all over the country. Insurance is harder and more expensive for middle class folks, let alone poor folks, to obtain. Lots of people need help and have fewer and fewer places to turn to.

Yet somehow, inexplicably, the government always has money for war, for the TSA goons who violate every one's 4th amendment rights, for the drug cartels they claim to be fighting, for the drones and other surveillance tools they say are for our protection but at the expense of our privacy and liberties, and for the politicians who earn at least six figures annually and get six figure pensions into retirement and the best health insurance taxpayers can buy.

Isn't anyone angry yet? If not, you should be. I'm not talking about the anger that plays a role in killing or hurting people. I'm talking about anger that is passion. Anger that is the opposite of apathy. Anger that inspires you to stand up and say "I'm mad and I'm not taking it anymore!"

Unfortunately, for the most part, we seem to live in a world that simply does not care enough. Too many care more about the latest celebrity gossip or who won American Idol or Dancing with the Stars than they do about what's happening NOT on TV. We have a media that focuses on so much bad that is going on in the world that we've become numb and cynical.

Mental health, emotional health, psychological health, etc are issues that we all need to pay more attention to. There are a lot of people out there in pain and feeling ever more increasing amounts of hopelessness and despair. And for all the enhancements in technology, we are an even more isolated and lonely world.

Shut off your television. Turn off your phones, ipads, and computers. Look someone in the eye and smile. Get out in nature and let the energy wash over you and through you. Trust me, it will rejuvenate your soul and re-inspire your spirit. Re-connect with the people you love. If you need to talk, ask someone to listen. If they won't listen, find someone who will. Don't close up and shut down. Trust me, I speak from experience on this. It's hard to open up, it's hard to say "Hey! I need a hug or to talk." Scream, rant, rave, stomp. Do whatever you need to do to release your pent up anger and frustration. To hold it in is to one day realize you are a volcano that is about to rain down hell on everyone around you. Again, trust me on this. It's something I struggle with and I was reminded upon hearing about the Sandy Hook tragedy that what we need more of is compassion in this world. We need people to listen. We need people to care.

It often seems that anything quieter than a gunshot is not listened to. Even then, it doesn't last long. We need a world where a whisper of pain and a silent tear is louder and more profound than a bullet. We shouldn't have to shout or shoot to be heard.

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." ~ Plato ~

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Saved by the Dolphins

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:20:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

I don't think it is anthropomorphizing when us cetacean lovers fight for the rights of these mammals. One can argue that might be part of it, but the other part is pretty simple, at least to me. Dolphins, for example, have repeatedly shown empathy and compassion for not only themselves and the members of their pods, but for other species as well. Stories abound from centuries upon centuries before we were born about dolphins rescuing people or animals in distress in the sea.

I hope I am not engaging in any copyright infringement here, but I really want to share some examples from Diana Reiss's book, The Dolphin in the Mirror.

One high profile occasion occurred with Elian Gonazalez. I'm sure most people remember him. At the time, he was a six year old boy fleeing Cuba with his mother back in 2000 and had survived for two days in the Caribbean lying on an inner tube after his boat sank. His mother had unfortunately gone down with the boat. Two fishermen who plucked Elian from the sea said there were dolphins circling the boy on his tube. And Elian himself told reporters that dolphins surrounded him and would push him back up onto the mini raft when he was losing strength and slipping off. The boy claimed that the only time he felt safe was when the dolphins appeared.

Diana Reiss went on to share a couple of other stories of people who were rescued by dolphins when the Asian tsunami hit and another story from a woman in Greece. One family wondered if the dolphins had special sensory systems that warned of impending disaster because suddenly they had a pod of dolphins circling their craft who proceeded to push the boat to shore. Then the tsunami hit. The family was convinced that the dolphins saved them.     The woman from Greece called Diana Reiss and claimed dolphins saved her life too. She shared she would go swimming often, and she would see dolphins, but they wouldn't come near her. But on one occasion she got into trouble and thought she was going to drown. She felt a nudge and she was being pushed rapidly towards shore. The dolphin saved her life.

Another story happened off the coast of Venezuela near Isla de Margarita. A man, Tony Salazar was on a sailboat with his brother participating in a Regatta in June 1997. The seas were choppy and it was quite windy, Salazar fell overboard. Because the boat was moving so fast, it disappeared quickly from view. He thought he was going to die, and after a half hour of struggling, he was suddenly surrounded by dolphins.    His boat crew were searching frantically for him and zig zagging all over the place. They noticed a pair of dolphins would approach them, swim off, return, swim off, and finally the crew realized the dolphins were trying to tell them something. So they followed the dolphins who led them to Salazar who was rescued.

Maybe some of you remember there was a story in the news last summer about an Irish fisherman who had drowned and when his body was found, a pod of dolphins had been keeping a constant vigil around him. Article here: Dolphins Maintain Vigil for Drowned Fisherman in Australia

There are numerous other stories out there documented. Just do a keyword search with your favorite search engine.

Countries like Japan put a high emphasis on science to back up their reasons for why they kill cetaceans.   I'd love to know WHY they do not take into consideration all the scientific studies and research that has taken place for years now about cetacean intelligence and their emotional intelligence as well. What is it going to take to get people like this to accept and finally acknowledge that cetaceans are in a class deserving of rights and protection? It just doesn't seem right to me to hear them spout off about all sorts of justifications for doing what they do and yet ignore all the mounting evidence out there that gives them solid, logical, reasonable, and SCIENTIFIC reasons to NOT kill them.

For a lengthy but very interesting reading related to this, check out: Culture, Politics, and Japanese Whaling.

This same argument applies to the Faroe Islands (who claim killing the pilot whales is a matter of local tradition and pride as the most common reason I hear) and Norway, for giving the same excuses of culture and tradition to kill whales.

Many people see whales as majestic and magical creatures whose haunting songs evoke a multitude of emotions in people. Many people see Dolphins often as extensions of themselves given their playfulness, joy, intelligence, and compassion.   We feel an unexplainable spiritual and primitive connection with them. And many who have made eye contact with a whale or a dolphin swear they are in the presence of an alien or otherworldly intelligence.

One doesn't need science to explain feelings. It just is. It's like trying to have someone explain God exists but can't prove it. You just know it. You just feel it. It's about faith and knowing deep in your soul.

So maybe we can't argue with the cetacean killers with emotions. But we can with science. The proof is out there. We have to keep presenting it to them. We have to try to get International laws changed to protect these species. And we need to continue to have faith, belief, and hope that our fights will one day soon result in victories and that the songs, clicks, and whistles from our friends will finally be heard and more than that, truly listened to.

They are always saving us. It's long past time for the world to return the favor and to save them.

The Case for Emotional Whaling

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:40:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Howie Cooke at Surfers for Cetaceans)

This is one of the other things I wanted to write about today. Japan states that people need to take "the emotion out of whaling."

Does anyone else see the blatant hypocrisy of everything the Japan government is stating in this article? Maybe it's just me, but here I go stepping back on my personal opinionated soapbox:

(1) "Mr Nakano said only through accepting that Japan is conducting scientific research on whales in the Southern Ocean can the debate move forward."

Scientific research? Please explain to me why you need to cull thousands of whales annually just to do research? For what? Are your scientists so inept that after years of killing thousands upon thousands you still don't know what you're researching? Where are the peer to peer review articles? What epiphanies have blown your mind thus far that would also blow the rest of humanity's mind that we are supposedly in the dark about? Please educate us poor ignorant souls.

(2) "But Mr Nakano said Japanese people were not emotional about the debate and most were not even aware of the details of the issue."

I'm just taking a wild wild WILD guess here. But is it possible that your citizens are unaware of these issues because there is censorship in your country's media on this matter? Perhaps I'm blind, but I'm not seeing much transparency on your part here. It seems that much information is withheld from the population and the only way they seem to find out anything is via outside media and organizations. Examples: The movie The Cove. Many were unaware of what goes on in Taiji until this movie. Organizations such as Sea Shepherd and Save Japan Dolphins have certainly worked their asses off to bring world wide attention to these matters. They deserve credit for this. If you want to tell your side of the story, then do so and back it up with full transparency.

(3) 'We have to try to understand what are the differences and what is the problem,'' he said.

''And we have to try to find a way based on a calm environment and based on the scientific."

You guys KNOW what the differences are and what the problems are. Many people are anti whaling and anti cetacean captivity because of several reasons. Among them are that cetaceans are becoming endangered and in some species are now extinct due to you hunting them to this point. Another is that you guys blame the whales and dolphins for the fish depletion in the seas without taking any responsibility for the fact that you guys are the problem with the overfishing. Blaming the cetaceans is a cop out and speaks glaringly of your own character, ego, and greed.

Calm environment based on the scientific? Ok. Since you love the scientific so much, why don't your scientists peruse all the scientific evidence that has been out there for quite some time now and is becoming so commonly well known now that more and more people are currently on board to protect the whales and dolphins and to give them rights. There is strong irrefutable scientific evidence that cetaceans are of a higher intelligence, with strong social and cultural associations, and are self aware. Various scientists from various countries back up these claims and research studies. Are the Japanese scientists so special as to believe that their research is the correct one and no one else's studies are worthy of your attention and acknowledgement?

(4) "Mr Nakano insisted that vigorous anti-whaling campaigner Sea Shepherd must be treated as separate from the wider whaling debate. He said the environment group's tactics are violent and unacceptable. Diplomacy will not work with the group."

Violent and unacceptable? So killing whales and dolphins violently and inhumanely or capturing them in violent ways to sell off to the highest aquarium bidder is acceptable? How is this not hypocritical on your part? You can't say that the SSCS is violent when you guys are violent as well. Does the Ady Gil boat come to mind? How about the fact that in last year's Southern Ocean trip and again in this year's trip, there were at least two incidents that I'm aware of where none of your ships offered to help any of the SSCS crew that were endangered out in the waters.

And lest we forget, allegations have been coming out for years that representatives from Japan that attend the IWC meetings are forking out millions of dollars to blackmail and bribe certain countries and/or people to vote their way. And we're supposed to be calm, unemotional, and diplomatic with you?

Diplomacy goes both ways bucko.

You're not in this for your pride or culture. You're in it for the money. You seem to not care that the increasingly higher levels of mercury found in cetacean meat that you are feeding to your citizens is either making many people violently ill or killing them. Where's your scientific research on that? Why does it take outside scientists to present this evidence to you as proof and you still ignore it?

You can't pick and choose certain scientific evidence to suit your agenda to kill off more whales and dolphins. To do so shouldn't surprise you in knowing your government has earned the well deserved reputation as cetacean killers and as a country that appears to only care about themselves without any regard to the rest of the world that shares this planet and her oceans with you.

Fewer and fewer people are buying into your lies. Either change with the times and accept all the scientific evidence out there supporting the movement that cetaceans deserve rights and deserve to be a protected species, or start proving your own scientific evidence for all the killing and selling to the highest bidders you do.

The Web of Life

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:52:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Morgansartworld @ Deviant Art)

Given all the discussion of late about cetacean rights and captivity, it brings to mind the hotly debated issue of whether this is really such a black and white matter. On one hand, some animal rights activists hold the view that you are either completely for animal rights (complete autonomy and anti captive for all species) or you can't truly claim to be for animal rights if you support places like zoos, safaris, and places like Sea World.

Personally, I think a lot of people are somewhere in the middle of this wide spectrum. Some, like me, hold the belief that there are certain species that simply do not belong in captivity. For example, whales, dolphins, sharks, lions, tigers, bears, elephants, etc. I'm also not a vegetarian. While I mostly avoid red meat and am not a big fan of sea food, I do eat turkey, chicken, ham, and enjoy hamburger now and then. Does this make me a hypocrite? I don't think so.

I don't personally judge those who are 100% or semi-vegetarian, and I certainly hope they don't judge me. But we're all human. We're all passionate about our beliefs and some of us view things in black and white and don't consider that so much of life, what we do, and who we are is constantly venturing into shades of gray or other colors. Some people are constantly evolving on these particular beliefs and some remain steadfast throughout their lives.

For me, what matters is akin to one of the greatest things about some Native American tribes that I have always respected. And that is to treat all living beings with respect, humanely, and sustainably. When they would, for example, kill buffalo or bears. they first thanked their spirits and the animal spirits for this gift. Then they would use 100% of the animal for their needs. Every piece of meat was used. Bones were used for tools, jewelry, etc. The fur was used for clothing, blankets, housing, etc. This, to me, is the greatest example of humans taking what they need, maximizing the hell out of it, and always always giving thanks for each and every single gift it bestows upon them individually and as a tribe. And when they didn't need anything, they left the animals alone, even communed and/or worked with them, and again always treated them with respect.

In modern times, sustainability seems to be a dirty word when it relates to the wildlife. Certain countries have zero qualms about killing, killing, and killing some more without regard for the increasing possibility that these very species are becoming endangered. Certain people refuse to take responsibility for causing the extinction of so many species. Certain people have the gall to blame the wildlife for their lack of food (IE: overfishing.) And certain people see wildlife as cash cows to satisfy their own greed.

We've got to get these laws changed. Education on sustainable practices, finding a balance, and living together in mutual harmony is paramount to just blindly killing thousands of sharks for their fins, slaughtering thousands of dolphins when fewer and fewer demand warrants it, and culling thousands of whales annually all in the name of so-called research. The hypocrisy is so obvious. Hardly anyone is buying it any more that it is necessary to engage in so much destruction against these species.

And more than that, we need to get past our egos and sense of superiority that humans are numero uno and to hell with everything else. Humans alone do not make this world go 'round. Every plant and every animal has a role in our large and diversified eco-system. Some are so highly crucial that to lose them would be catastrophic. We need the mentality that everything here is necessary for every one's survival, including the animals. I don't know why it's so hard for certain people to not understand that if we just practice sustainability and balance, Mother Earth's gifts would remain infinite.

What brought the topic of today's post to my mind was coming across this link: Irwin Family Plays at Dolphin Habitat. The late Steve Irwin was a big Sea Shepherd supporter. Frankly, it simply surprised me to read this because I figured this family was against captivity for cetaceans. Goes to show how much I know. I never followed Steven's Crocodile Hunters show nor really followed the news on this family much. So my ignorance here is showing. And I guess because they own a Zoo, then it really shouldn't shock me that they'd go see dolphins in captivity. Are they hypocrites? I don't know enough about the Irwin family to say. My knee jerk reaction without all the facts is to say yes, they are. They are profiting from their zoo, they spend money to see dolphins being held captive in the middle of the desert and seem to have no problem with that, and yet at the same time Terri Irwin claims to be a supporter of Sea Shepherd. I just don't see how this can go both ways at the same time. Maybe I'm being thick in the head. I welcome feedback and comments on this.

Steve's father moved on to focus on his own environmental endeavors. Currently, he's actively involved in saving the dugongs and turtles. I've been hearing remarkable things about this man and I get the sense he doesn't like the spotlight on him, only on his cause. Here's his link if you'd like to know more and would like to donate to his organization: Bob Irwin Wildlife Fund

I had a bunch of other things to say and share today, but I think I've gotten carried away enough for this post :-)

Let's all work on instilling and sharing some of these wise Native American sayings that to me, are even more profound in today's times:

When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.

~ Cree Prophecy ~

Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.

~ Chief Seattle, 1854 ~

The Power of People

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:51:00 +0000

(Artist credit: CrystalsPanther @ Deviant Art)

Yesterday I mentioned that Amazon had been allowing for the sale of whale meat on their site. Environmental Investigation Agency brought this to the public's attention and all hell broke loose. Amazon's Facebook page was overwhelmed by hundreds of people posting on their wall in protest, among numerous other places and numerous other news reports. The word spread like wildfire and it appears the power of the people has spoken and Amazon listened.

Amazon has yet to release an official statement saying anything. But just hours after I found out about it myself and joined the chorus of other protesters on their Facebook page, all whale meat products were quietly removed from Amazon's site.

Australia was the first to report this last night / this morning at: Amazon Backs Down

If only activism was this easy in everything else :-)

A few days ago, Norway announced it was resuming whaling and set a quota for this year at 1,286 minke whales. I wonder if Sea Shepherd will head over to Norway next to try to cut into this quota? One can only hope.

Ric O'Barry of Save Japan Dolphins needs your help. Please check out his latest post here: Letter From Taiji Whale Museum. Sign the petition and please take a moment to email WAZA and ask them to release these two dolphins in the world's smallest dolphin tank.

Hong Kong Airlines is profiting from the sale of Taiji dolphins by transporting them on their planes. See here: Misery of the Dolphins in Flying Coffins. There is a petition urging Hong Kong Airlines to please stop this practice. It's never been easier being an armchair activist - please take a few minutes and make your voice heard too.

If you are a PBS supporter / viewer, you may already know this, but in case you don't ... Nature is showing a special on whales and dolphins starting tonight called Ocean Giants. There will be repeated airings at various times so be sure to check your local listings.

BP continues to profit enormously despite last year's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the people living in that area continue to suffer. Gotta love how the oil companies get richer and make certain politicians richer while millions of folks are suffering needlessly because of their stupidity.

A lot of discussion is currently taking place about giving cetaceans equal rights and recognizing them as non-human persons with basic rights such as life, freedom, and well-being. One article here: Dolphins Deserve Rights

I have to take issue with this quote:

“I sometimes wonder whether we’ve got our priorities mixed up when we treat animals and the environment with more respect than human beings,” Paul Schratz said. “There are billions of people around the world who deserve our attention.”

One of the problems I personally see with humanity is our ego and misplaced sense of superiority. All life is interconnected on this planet. All beings deserve respect and humane treatment. I find it highly hypocritical and anti-compassionate to think that humans rule the earth and are far more worthy of life and liberty than non-human species. Why is it that way? Because we say so?

I'm reminded of this wise Native American saying:

Honor the sacred.
Honor the Earth, our Mother.
Honor the Elders.
Honor all with whom we
share the Earth:-
Four-leggeds, two-leggeds,
winged ones,
Swimmers, crawlers,
plant and rock people.
Walk in balance and beauty.

~ Native American Elder ~

Far too many humans seem to know squat about living in harmony with nature and other species and treating all life with balance and respect. It's no wonder our planet is so messed up. It's not the mammals in the sea or the wildlife on the land that is causing all this misery, it's US! Our oceans would be abundant with enough fish for everyone, both human and non, if we'd find that balance and use everything sustainably, humanely, and with respect. We have the power people. Please don't give up the fight.

"If a group of beings from another planet were to land on Earth - beings who considered themselves as superior to you as you feel yourself to be to other animals - would you concede them the rights over you that you assume over other animals?" ~Attributed to George Bernard Shaw

Geniuses of the Sea

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:34:00 +0000

(Image source: Google Images)

There's been a great deal of talk lately about giving cetaceans rights equivalent or close to the same rights us humans have. There's been a lot more reports, scientific research, books, etc. pointing out via a variety of evidence that cetaceans are not only self aware, but next to humans are the smartest beings on this planet. (I'd argue they are, in many ways, even smarter than us.)

Currently I am reading The Dolphin in the Mirror by Diane Reiss. It's truly remarkable and if you have not yet read it, please do so. She lays out a lot of evidence about the cognitive abilities, intelligence, and self awareness of these mammals and calls them Geniuses of the Sea. It boggles my mind that so many people are either apathetic or unaware of just how insanely brilliant these cetaceans are and yet are being systematically slaughtered.

Last week there was a scientists meeting in Vancouver to discuss this very issue. They want support for a Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans. One excerpt:

That would mean the end of whaling, and of dolphin and whale exhibits in aquariums and zoos. The creatures would also no longer be used in entertainment.

You can read this article here: Should Dolphins and Whales Have Human Rights?

Here's another great article: A Bill of Rights for Dolphins

I shared this link quite some time ago and it's worth sharing again: Cetacean Rights Please sign their declaration and help spread the word. Remember, no action is too small to be a voice for our friends in the seas. They need our help now more than ever.

Did you know that Amazon Japan sells whale meat online? Are you as outraged as I am? If so, go take a looky here: Amazon Sells Whale Meat

Check the video on that page, sign the petition, spread the word. We have no excuses in failing to make Amazon aware of our disgust.

Time for a blog spotlight. Holise Cleveland III is the creator of Cyber Whale Warrior and is absolutely worth your time and energy to follow. Please check out his site, subscribe, or look for him on Facebook as well. He is a truly dedicated activist for whales and dolphins and has a terrific team on his site regularly posting updates.

On the Sea Shepherd front, remember Japan filed a lawsuit against the SSCS in an attempt to restrain or curtail SSCS's efforts against them in the Southern Ocean. Well, the whalers lost. See here: Japanese Whalers Suffer Setback in their War Against Sea Shepherd

Here's something interesting. Pro Sea World activists launch censorship petition against David Kirby's book, "Death at Sea World."

Some days I wonder if we'll ever win this battle against those that are killing and enslaving dolphins and whales the world over. Some days it seems hopeless. Other times I am proud to bear witness to so many activists on Facebook, via a variety of blogs and websites, videos and movies, reports in the news, etc. and I remain optimistic. Every single one of us has a role here no matter what size it is. Never ever give up the fight and never ever let your voices be silenced. We are collectively the voices for our whale and dolphin friends and we are collectively a force to be reckoned with.

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." ~ Robert Kennedy ~

"If only I could so live and so serve the world that after me there should never again be birds in cages." ~ Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen) author, 1885-1962 ~

Madness Reigns

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:56:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Data2link @ Deviant Art)

As if killing whales and dolphins isn't enough, Japan has plans to begin seal hunting. Never mind that Japan fishermen have hunted many species of fish to the point of extinction. Many species are already at or near 90% depletion. Never mind that humans have options on what to eat, the animals do not.

Japan's method of killing seals? Shoot 'em. 82% of seals who are shot do not die from that first bullet. Humane? Hell no!

Japan wails on and on about how they feel many people are racist against them. I don't give a crap what nationality, ethnicity, color, etc you are. If you're seriously going to be a narcissistic greedy egoistical asshole and think YOU are entitled to deplete all the resources on this planet, then it's pretty damn simple- you SUCK! What the hell are you going to do once you've hunted down every last animal or mammal? How will you deal once there's NOTHING left? I simply can not believe the idiocy, the lack of foresight, and the appalling lack of compassion and empathy people and countries like this have. Sustainability and peacefully co-existing means squat to these folks.

Link: Japan to Start Seal Hunting

Ok now that I've gotten my little tantrum there out of my system ...

Some drama between Surfing Life and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

First, Surfing Life posted an article before last weekend: Fuzzy Wuzzy Whales which resulted in hundreds of varying comments. Captain Paul Watson then wrote a lengthy response to Surfing Life, which is published here: Sea Shepherd Responds

If you like to participate in discussions like this online, there are comments sections after both articles.   Personally, all I care about is that the SSCS gets results and have played a huge hand in messing with Japan's ability to kill whales.

I am currently reading this book: The Dolphin in the Mirror    I highly recommend it :-)

Another book I believe I have mentioned previously is Dolphin Way. I have not yet read it but have heard a lot of rave reviews on it. Mark Caney also has a group discussion forum on Facebook that is very active about news and issues related to our cetacean friends.

Still on the subject of books, two others I have also mentioned before, have read and highly recommend:

Rekindling the Waters: The Truth About Swimming with Dolphins - Leah Lemieux

The Aquarians: 2012 - A New Era Begins - Eric Rankin

I'm sure by now you've heard of the famous PETA lawsuit against Sea World that has been dismissed by the Judge hearing the case. I'm not surprised. I don't think the world is ready (yet) to accept certain species as being equal to humans.   Personally, I think this lawsuit didn't have a chance in hell. But the good thing is that it certainly got people talking and raised a lot of awareness about the plight of the orcas and dolphins being held captive in marine parks.

I believe changes need to be made in the laws. And those of us that are against cetaceans being held captive still have a lot of work ahead of us in continuing to educate and help make more people aware of this. Change is slow, but I do see it happening. Hopefully we won't be too late.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

- Martin Luther King Jr

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Special Idiots

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:30:00 +0000

(Artist credit: junefeier @ Deviant Art)

Yesterday was another dark day in Taiji, Japan. 25 striped dolphins were slaughtered mercilessly and without remorse. While global awareness of this has increased at an amazing rate over the last few years, there are moments when I wonder if we'll ever see the end of this. Not just in Taiji, but in the killing of pilot whales in Denmark, whaling in Japan, Norway, Iceland, etal, and other places too numerous to mention.

I recently learned about Diana Reiss, the author of The Dolphin in the Mirror and one of the founders of the website Act for Dolphins. I've requested The Dolphin in the Mirror from my local library and based on what I've heard, it comes highly recommended among several of my dolphin friends.

I also found an article about her here: Studying the Big-Brained Dolphin

I find it highly encouraging that more scientists are jumping on board in support of cetaceans and even supporting the notion that these mammals deserve human rights recognition. One such opinion piece I found is here: Whales are People Too

Even some notable experts in Japan are speaking up more against whaling and one such example is this pdf pamphlet now available in English online that was published last June 2011. You can find that here: Research Whaling?

One highly suspected culprit in why so many whales and dolphins around the world are stranding themselves lies in the military use of sonar. Will suing the military make a difference? I don't know. But I'm heartened by the efforts of so many compassionate souls out there bringing this to every one's attention: Groups Sue Over Navy Sonar Impacts on Marine Mammals

Another example of people coming together to speak up and to protect these mammals is A Voice of the Orcas. This site was put together by a group of former Sea World trainers who are now making their voices heard on what really goes on at Sea World. Please help spread the word on this.

Here's some good news! As you know, Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has not only been active in helping to protect whales, sea turtles, sharks, and dolphins, he's also been instrumental in making people aware of the harp seal cull up in Canada. Many other organizations and people who've been involved in this deserve all the kudos and credit in the world as well. It's been a battle that's raged for over 40 years. According to this article by Paul Watson, it appears these slaughters are finally coming to an end. You can read his commentary on this here: The Canadian Seal Hunt is Dead!

It takes a special class and level of idiocy to not give a shit about what you're doing when you're out on the water in a boat or on a jet ski. Some people thought it would be a great deal of fun to terrorize a pod of dolphins (with babies) with their jet skis down in Hobart, Australia. Their self proclaimed ignorance that they were bothering a pod of dolphins is no excuse. Boating requires one to be mindful and watchful of where you're going and to be careful to not disturb the wildlife. That's just common sense.

Here's an interesting site that has a page full of varying whale and dolphin links dating back a few years. Dolphin and Whale News

"It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment." ~ Ansel Adams ~

First They Came

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:45:00 +0000

(Artist credit: BunnyBubble @ Deviant Art)

In yesterday's post I shared a link to an article that included a poll about the use of dolphins in the military. When I first read that article a few days ago, the poll for and against the use of dolphins in this manner was pretty much split down the middle.

Now that number has risen dramatically to over 70% on the side of NOT using dolphins in this way. Quite a turn around!

If you haven't seen that article yet or voted, here it is: Dolphins Used to Detect Underwater Mines

In other news, Sea Shepherd is setting up a chapter of it's organization in Hervey Bay, Australia this June. There appears to be a split in that community over whether or not to support the SSCS.

Many who have vocalized opposition have stated they disagree with SSCS's "violent" methods at sea against the Japan whalers.

Read more here: Split on Whaling Protest Group

Personally, I'm more inclined to support an organization like Sea Shepherd vs, for example, Greenpeace. Sea Shepherd, despite their controversial tactics, get results. Greenpeace just appears, to me anyway, to blow a lot of hot air, spend a lot of donated money on campaigns and protests, but not much in the way of real hands on action. That's just my impression anyway and I could be wrong. However, I hear more about Sea Shepherds actual successful results in reducing the whale kill quota versus the publicity and media loving Greenpeace. To be fair, Greenpeace does raise awareness. But visible action just seems to be more apparent from Sea Shepherd.

Japan has made it clear they dislike the SSCS. Why? Because the Sea Shepherds actually impede their progress and make the whalers' jobs much harder to kill off the whales.

That is enough for me to be a Sea Shepherd supporter.

They've also been instrumental in the Faroe pilot whale slaughter, Canada's harp seal culls, and Taiji's dolphin slaughtering. Ric O' Barry's organization Save Japan Dolphins is another shining example of activism in action by making their presence heavily felt not just in Japan on the dolphin slaughter, but around the world as well.

When I think of Sea Shepherd, I think of whales and harp seals. When I think of Save Japan Dolphins, I think of dolphins. Both are filled with passionate people who are out there doing something about these inhumane killings.

You know that famous quote by Martin Niem'Her?

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Let's alter that a little.

First they came for the whales, and I did not speak out because I was not a whale. Then they came for the seals, and I did not speak out because I was not a seal. Then they came for the dolphins, and I did not speak out because I was not a dolphin. Then they came for everything else left in the sea, leading to a slow death for the entire world, and I wondered why there was nothing and no one left to speak up and do something about it.

The Dolphin's Wink

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:19:00 +0000

I've changed the name of my blog back to The Dolphin's Wink. "Eye of the Dolphin" is quite common and at the time I decided on that title, I was not aware there was a movie out with that title nor that a number of people used that as a moniker online.

I'll be back later this weekend with some updates.

In the meantime, in relation to my previous post on Dolphins being used by the military, please check out this link and vote on the poll if you are so inclined:

Should Dolphins be Used to Detect Underwater Mines?

Thank you for your continued support and interest in my blog :-)

Namaste!

Dolphins in War

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:01:00 +0000

(Artist credit: catrina330 @ Deviant Art)

When I think of dolphins these words come to my mind: love, joy, harmony, playful, spiritual, etc. So to hear about them being used in war or military actions goes very much against what not just I, but most people think of when it comes to dolphins.

the US Navy has trained about 80 dolphins to detect mines. Some reports say that the dolphins only locate the mines and drop acoustic transponders nearby, so that humans can destroy the mines, but it is also possible for the dolphins to set off the mines and die in the resulting explosion, and, of course, using the dolphins in this way makes them – and any other dolphins in the area – targets for the Iranians to destroy if they can. ~ Peter Singer, The Guardian UK ~

Please read this excellent commentary here: Dolphins Have No Part in Dispute with Iran

I realize there are arguments to be made for dogs being used as explosive sniffers and historically, horses have been used in wars, as a couple of examples. But with today's technology, as imperfect as it may be, it's my personal opinion that animals simply should not be sacrificed just so that certain governments and war mongers can satisfy their primal needs and greed.

Shame on the United States Navy for their role in this. Sending in the dolphins to do a "man's" job is just plain pathetic and cowardly. If you're foaming at the mouth for war, then do it your damn selves.

Down near the bottom of the world, things have been getting violent between the Japan whalers and the Sea Shepherd activists. Apparently some of the Japan whalers decided it made perfect humane sense to use hooks to get the S. Shepherd activists to back off. Consequently, three were injured.

As usual, there are two differing accounts of the incident by SSCS and ICR. I'm more inclined to believe the SSCS activists than the whalers. Mainly because based on the information provided publicly, the whalers stated they were only trying to push the boats back, not hurt anyone. Well if that's the case, then why not use something that won't cut some one's face or risk ripping the boat which could then result in the people ending up in the water and possibly dying?

Yeah, using grappling hooks makes a LOT of sense.

One article of many here: Activists injured by whalers

This is an interesting and thought provoking article: Who are the Outlaw Heroes?

Excerpt:

Acting outside the law for the greater good is always dangerous practice, but where the public and media believe that we can pick and choose our outlaws based on how they look and whether their ideal is government transparency or saving marine mammals, it becomes even more of a lottery.

While I'm no advocate of violence as an ends to justify the means, I have to say that with the way most governments these days are run in addition to how controlled the mainstream media is, I'm more inclined to support some actions against the law and/or the governments in order to bring about change for the greater good.

On a side note, yesterday's SOPA / PIPA internet blackout / protest garnered not only international attention, but appears to have been instrumental in influencing certain politicians to either backtrack on their support or drop it altogether. One summary here: SOPA-PIPA Protest What's Next?

As Margaret Mead once said: "Never underestimate the power of a small group of people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has."

Indeed, my friends, indeed.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

SOPA Strike

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:33:00 +0000

In support of protesting SOPA, tomorrow's (Jan. 18th) blog will be silent.

Please go here if you want further information on SOPA and the fight against internet censorship: Stop American Censorship and SOPA Strike

If you have a blog or a website, please consider putting this on your blog/site and joining the protest tomorrow from 8:00 a.m. EST to 8:00 p.m. EST.

Big Miracle

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:43:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

A couple of movies to share here that I have not yet seen, but am hearing rave reviews.

Dolphin Tale

Leaving aside the whole captivity issue, it's amazing what a coming-together of people can accomplish and the magic of compassion for another species. I've got this movie on my Netflix list :-)

Big Miracle

This movie comes out next month on Feb 3rd, so check your local theaters. It truly looks amazing and the synopsis of the plot is:

Based on the inspiring true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure Big Miracle tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and a Greenpeace volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

Here's the trailer (for email subscribers that may not see the image, please click on the link that will take you directly to the site.) Link to trailer: Big Miracle

In continuing along a similar vein in my previous post, I'm currently reading a book titled Kindred Spirits by Allen M. Schoen. If you wonder if animals have feelings, here is an excerpt from this book I would like to share with you:

We have already seen that when animals experience fear, or love, or stress, they release the same emotion molecules as people do. This emission has an impact on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, as it does on ours.

Still, some skeptics argue that even if animals do have feelings, humans are the dominant species on the planet and animals are our subordinates - and that they should be treated as such.

This strikes me as a remarkably unjust attitude, both from a pragmatic and a spiritual perspective. (bold emphasis is mine)

For one, animals provide humankind with a remarkable range of benefits. On one end of the spectrum, they are a primary food source for all nonvegetarians; on the other, they provide loving companionship and friendship. Should we not also provide love and respect to them as well? Do we truly want to think of ourselves as a species that only takes, but never gives?

And considering the fact that we all live on this one planet together in a delicate balance, taking care of the animals can be viewed as a means of taking care of ourselves. If we pollute the environment, if we hurt other species, we are the ones who will ultimately suffer. Destroying species that we may not consider directly relevant to our well-being may harm us in ways that we will discover only when it is too late, ways that could have potentially devastating effects on the survival of the planet, our only home.

(No copyright infringement intended.)

Just sayin' :-)

And a few words about Japan whaling. While one can see the tides slowly turning on this issue, we still have quite a ways to go. The part of me that remains optimistic that we'll see an end to whaling in the next few years battles that cynical part of me that is reminded of what Paul Watson once said:

"You know what the Japanese delegate Tadahiko Nakamura said to me at the 1997 IWC meeting in Monaco? He said he didn't care if all the whales died. He said his duty was to his family, his company, his country, and that it was his duty to harvest all the whales they could before they were all gone. 'Realize maximum profit from them before they go extinct' are the words he used."

That last line keeps me vigilant against this country's stance on continuing to kill whales and dolphins, regardless of their publicly stated excuses or reasons.

It's incumbent upon each of us to remember that we all share this home. And that includes every single species on this planet, not just humans. Imagine if everyone treated this planet with overwhelming love, compassion, kindness, and mutual respect, what an even more amazing world it would be.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Loving Life Enough to Save it.

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:25:00 +0000

Artist credit: Eva M. Sakmar-Sullivan

"We are at the beginning of that path that can lead humankind to humanity." ~ Sviatoslav Zbeelin, Russian environmentalist ~

Some of the words attributed to the Aquarian Age that's upon is are: altruistic, humane, enlightenment, consciousness, truth, compassion, spirituality, and love. That doesn't mean these have not existed. I simply believe they will become more the norm and we'll see a more commonly held belief that we each have a responsibility, it not a moral duty, to treat ourselves and all species humanely and with respect.

Over the years, Japan has earned a well deserved reputation for being whale and dolphin killers with little regard and with a stubborn defensive stance in claiming to protect their cultural rights to hunt them. They also seem to have little regard for the exploitation of the fisheries industry and seem to have a short term mind set versus considering the long term consequences of their actions. So instead of accepting responsibility that they have played a role in the depletion of various species of fish in the sea, they blame the dolphins and the whales for the lack of said fish in the sea. This makes little sense to me personally. Cetaceans need the fish and plants in the oceans for their own survival. Japan claims the same. So going to war against the dolphins and whales only makes sense to them.

Obviously, Japan is a seafood nation. But their practices and choices are currently not sustainable. But they are not the only country guilty of this. Denmark, for instance, continues to slaughter pilot whales. Norway as well. And the USA is complicit in this hypocrisy.

I'm not trying to be judgmental here. However, it deeply concerns me that with our planet teetering ever closer to the point of no return, that we have yet to set a course for sustainability and a mutually beneficial human/species relationship.

I'm reminded of this Cree prophecy that I've shared here in the past:

When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.

Are the times changing? Based on this article from the Japan Times, it gives me some hope: Wars Over Whaling

It's the first article from inside of Japan that I can personally recall as being the most level headed and articulate.

And this article offers up a solution to end whaling: Save the whales .. going once

I especially like this line: "To see a whale up close, or to hear its song, is to recognize the presence of an alien intelligence."

If you want a reminder of why we all need to show more gratitude for the gifts our Earth give us every second of every day, please re-read my previous blog post Fly Away.

"Will humanity love life enough to save it?" ~ E. O. Wilson ~

I remain hopeful ...

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Transitions and Transformations

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:39:00 +0000

If I had to pick one quote that best sums up 2011 for me, it would be this:

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~ Anis Nin ~

I started the year taking steps to return to therapy. Long story short, I spent most of my life denying and repressing a lot of pain and anger dealing with various things that happened in my childhood. I don't share this to garner sympathy but rather to simply share parts of who I am and how all those convoluted pieces went in to shaping who I am today.

The journey back to therapy however was fraught with a lot of challenges and limitations. Thanks to the government caring more about waging wars in other countries, bailing out Wall Street, and tip toeing towards an Orwellian State leaving less and less money in programs such as mental health, I ended the year being cut off due to budget cuts. This is a sad story for many people so I'm not the only one.

But I digress.

I had a dozen sessions over the course of the year that laid the groundwork for what I need to do and it gave me the gift of some tools I can use to finish the journey I set out on. There's no going back now. There have been many dark days. There have been times I've thought it would be easier to just give up. There have been moments when I've wondered if I would ever emerge on the other side with the hope that yes, I'm strong enough, brave enough, and worthy enough to fight this battle and to eventually win.

We're all survivors. Whatever journey we are on individually, collectively we all pretty much want the same thing in our lives, in other lives, and in the world as a whole. To find peace and ultimately to experience love and to be open to that giving us the strength and the courage to face whatever demons or battles we may have.

It was a year of transitions and transformations for me in many ways, especially emotionally. It's been a shift in consciousness for me and it's only the beginning. The darkness no longer constantly dominates my world. It's a constant battle but the tide is turning and I find myself growing a little stronger every day despite occasional setbacks and self doubts. Failure is simply not an option.

The biggest and best tool each of us have in our battles with whatever we are facing or fighting for is LOVE. The love of your family, friends, yourself, pets, even the world in all it's warped and demented glory. People everywhere are fighting back and coming together in their communities. More people are speaking up against the slaughtering of whales and dolphins globally. More people are making headway in protecting organic farmers by pushing out factory farming and Monsanto. More people are pushing back against the governments attempts at tyranny and their various destructive ways against humanity and the environment. And it stems from the love people have for all living things and the world. Sure this may sound naive, corny, even wishful thinking.

But the Age of Aquarius is upon us. 2012 means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For me it doesn't mean the end of the world is coming on Dec 21, 2012. It means the old world is coming to an end and as the Golden Age transitions, we too are all in that state of transition towards creating a more peaceful and loving planet. This transition has been occurring for some time now and it will continue. Much like the snake needs to shed it's skin to grow a new one, we are all doing the same thing. It's not easy. It's never going to be easy. But as Jimi Hendrix has said, "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

Whenever I feel like giving up or when I question whether or not it's all worth it, I only need to look into the eyes of my dog and have them looking back at me with unconditional love. I only need to have a hug from a friend or to hear "I love you" from my family. And sometimes all I need is to see the sun shining when I wake up in the morning and feel it inspiring me to start my day with a smile.

Whatever your journey is and wherever it may lead for you, I wish you peace and love in this coming New Year and beyond.

Namaste :-)

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:36:00 +0000

Wishing each and every one of you a warm, loving, safe, and memorable holiday :-)

May our friends in the ocean and on the land know a life free from cruelty and greedy hunters.

May peace guide our planet into the upcoming Golden Age and may love and light shine from every single heart and soul.

Warm smiles and hugs to all,

Dolphin

It's Time to Thrive

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:06:00 +0000

It's been awhile. Make that it's been a very long time :-)

I could give you a slew of reasons and excuses for why I haven't been writing here but that would just be weak. The two main reasons I haven't been by are (1) I've simply been busy with way too many other things and (2) emotionally, I just haven't felt up to it.

The latter reason is probably the strongest of the two. I've often thought about returning here and resuming but when I do, I battle that old feeling and question of "Who really cares about what I have to say?" My perspective is probably skewed and I'm just way too sensitive but I find it to often be a battle in myself in questioning the apathy in others.

Then a couple friends of mine basically said "Who cares? You do. And that's all that matters. Keep writing. Everyone has something to contribute to the world and a passion. Don't be afraid to put your voice out there and to stand by your own beliefs."

This was brought even more home to me by the passing of Steve Jobs. He's had some profound things to say that have always stood out to me. Allow me to share a favorite of mine:

"Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

He also often borrowed a famous quote by Jack Kerouac that is something I read often to remind myself that my individuality is something to be celebrated and embraced, not feared or hidden.

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

They are both right on :-)

How is everyone feeling about the OWS protests that have pretty much gone global? Personally, I'm a fan. I think a lot of people appear to be struggling with what this movement is all about because there seems to be as many issues brought up as there are people protesting.

For me, the core of what people are finally speaking up about is the corruption and greed going on in the financial sector of our country and our government. For far too long, we've been complacent and have bent over while huge corporations have gotten far too powerful with far too much lobbying (money) spent on politicians to do the corporations' bidding.

That's my #1 view and opinion of OWS and I wholeheartedly support it. I also admire all these people who are out there day in and night out, no matter the weather and no matter how intimidating the police might be behaving in certain cities. It's about time we have a revolution in this country. It is my fervent hope that it will ignite much needed change. After all, I believe it was Jefferson who said "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." The time to be silent is over.

One of the things I'm going to be doing next week is changing banks. For over 23 years I have been banking with Bank of America. My reasons for having stayed this long have been stupidity and laziness. BOA is a national bank and when I moved to the Midwest from California, it was simply easier to stay with the same bank. Nowadays, it's gotten much easier to switch banks.

So after payday this next week, I'm withdrawing everything from my BOA and taking my business to a local credit union.

If you are interested in learning more about bank corruption and what you can do to OWS yourself in your own small but significant way, please check out the Thrive Movement.

They offer a three step guide here to switch banks: Move your money

And now a few words from our sponsors, the whales and dolphins.

One would think that given all the challenges that have been heaped upon the country of Japan in the last year, that killing dolphins and whales wouldn't be such a high priority any more. Sadly, this is not to be.

Taiji, Japan continues to be a hotbed for dolphin killers.

Japan has allocated over 20 million in Australian dollars to the upcoming whaling season in the Southern Ocean. They are also currently trying to get approved for 30 million more to have a bodyguard ship escort them down there for the entire season and to "protect" them from the Sea Shepherd activists.

Gee. Maybe it's just me but wouldn't it be a more important to use that $50 million on the country's citizens who have suffered through the tsunami, earthquakes, and nuclear fallout from Fukushima? I've got to be the planet's biggest idiot for thinking otherwise. It baffles my mind to see that they care more about KILLING whales and dolphins than they do about taking care of their country.

Well, that'll do it for now. This has been long enough for today :-)

If you are still around and still reading, I thank you and am deeply appreciative of your continuing interest and support!

Mahalo!

Without Me There Is No You

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:47:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

Please check out withoutmethereisnou's YouTube channel and blog:

YouTube: Withoutmethereisnou Channel

Blog: Without Me There is No You

Here's a really cute video of a cat and dolphin interacting & playing together:

Cat and Dolphin (Link goes straight to YouTube)

Embedded here (email subscribers might not see the video here, so use link above.)

I hope to resume more regular posts here now that I have mostly settled in at my new home after months of my partner and I doing the renovations. My apologies for the long absence ... but do hope everyone is doing well. Personally, I am happy Spring has sprung :-)

If you are on Facebook, there are a number of great pages related to our beloved Cetacean friends. If you'd like the links to some I recommend, please post a comment and I'll put up a post dedicated to my favorite Facebook dolphin/whale related groups or pages.

Until next time - mahalo for being here,

Dolphin

Silencing Their Messages

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:08:00 +0000

(Artist/Image credit: Advice for All My Children)

Far be it for me to theorize that the Japanese fisherman are evolved enough to believe they are actually killing dolphins in order to silence their messages to humanity. Some people believe that. I don't know if I would give them that much credit for intelligence. I believe it's more about their greed and apathy. They simply are not highly evolved enough to understand the spirituality of our cetaceans and how, by murdering them systematically, they are also killing themselves and humanity.

Joan Ocean has a very interesting interview I just came across. It speaks a great deal of our connection with dolphins, the messages they have for us if we emerge ourselves in the stillness and quiet of our souls, and simply listen. She also speaks of what changes she believes are coming to humanity and our Earth, and also touches a bit on time travel and teleportation abilities.

Check it out here: 2012 in Harmony with Earth

A friend of mine heard about this woman on the radio the other day and gave me her name and website. Patricia Cori. She's authored several books that you can find on Amazon. Her latest one, Before We Leave You: Messages from the Great Whales and the Dolphin Beings will be released in April of this year. Click on the link of the book to pre-order your copy if you so desire.

Personally, I believe we are seeing and sensing a shift in humanity's consciousness. How you personally perceive or sense it is your own journey to realize. But I'm a believer.

The question now, is what are we collectively going to do about it? We can ignore it, we can deny it, but it's going to happen with or without us. And our cetaceans play a huge role in all that connects us here, whether you believe that or not.

"In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you." ~ Deepak Chopra ~

And let's not forget Little Grandmother/Keisha's profound statement:

"These animals I can say with my own knowing are holding a vibration for us humans even in our darkest hour when us human beings have been the worst of our worst, they are the ones that have held their vibration to keep this planet OKAY. And for anyone to think it is okay to kill a dolphin, a whale, or an elephant is killing every one of us and our planet."

S.O.S.

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:00:00 +0000

This video says it all.

Please help spread this. Please boycott marine parks such as Sea World, Marineland, etc. The captivity industry is the reason why so many dolphins are murdered. Dolphin trainers, in all their hypocrisy and amid the blood spilling in the waters, fuel these kills.

Humanity should be ashamed.

Even if all you do is share this video with others, you are lending a much needed voice to the dolphins. They need our help. You can also do much more. Check out one of my previous posts: What You Can Do.

Mahalo.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 01:23:00 +0000

(Image credit: Deviant Art)

Just a short note to wish each and every one of you a fabulously memorable and joyous holiday season :-)

Thank you, as always, for being part of my journey here and for caring about our ocean friends.

Dolphin

What You Can Do

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:57:00 +0000

(Artist credit: inuryoko / "The Cove")

There are a lot of ways to express one's passion for our cetacean friends and a lot of ways to spread the word and to help raise awareness.

More dolphins were killed in Taiji yesterday. Most were killed, a few taken captive to be sold to a place holding them basically in a swimming pool enslaved for peoples' ignorant entertainment, and some were released - especially babies and juveniles who still needed guidance by their mothers and very possibly face the risk of death because of that. :: letting out a deep breath at that long sentence ::

So what can you do if you're someone like me who can't afford to fly out to places like Taiji, the Faroe Island, or to join Sea Shepherd in the Southern Ocean?

You can attend protests in your area. You can sign petitions and send emails to the country's embassies, Prime Ministers, etc. You can also call them or send letters in the mail. You can write about them on your blog, website, social networking site, or make it a topic of conversation with your friends at your next dinner party.

Again, it's not about politics. It's about life. I've said it before and I'll say it again now and repeatedly into the future: without the whales and dolphins, a vital part of our ecosystem, our oceans, our balance, and our connective energies, we would not be alive. Everything in nature is connected to us, and us to them.

Sure, things adapt .. things evolve. But oftentimes, it is not for the better.

Remember what Little Grandmother said in my previous post:

"These animals I can say with my own knowing are holding a vibration for us humans even in our darkest hour when us human beings have been the worst of our worst, they are the ones that have held their vibration to keep this planet OK. And for anyone to think it is ok to kill a dolphin, a whale, or an elephant is killing every one of us and our planet."

Some email actions you can take regarding the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan:

THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER

https://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment_ssl.html

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.env.go.jp%2Fen%2Fmoemail%2F&h=9fc7f

MAFF (ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries)

https://www.contact.maff.go.jp/maff/form/114e.html

TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT

http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/SUB/contact.htm

And be sure to check out this video and share it with as many people as you can:

Our Tribute

There are a lot of organizations and websites/blogs you can also support, such as Sea Shepherd, Save Japan Dolphins, Hope 4 Dolphins, Surfrider Foundation, Rekindling the Waters, A Teenage Activist, among many others worthy of your time, attention, and donations.

The fight may seem hopeless at times, but the tide is turning. It's slow, but it is noticeable given the increasing numbers of people around the world joining in this fight. No action is too small and no words are ever wasted in their defense. We are each a drop in the ocean with the potential to create quite a wave. Collectively and individually, we can and do make a difference.

Mahalo :-)