After a brief moment of grief following the capture of 100 dolphins this week in Taiji, we can now return to a state of rejoice, as officials report that half of these dolphins will be returned to the wild. The other half will be "hand picked" for aquariums, versus being killed for their meat and turned into someone's lunch.

The reason for the change (along with the eight day delay in commencing the slaughter) is almost entirely due to the popularity of the documentary The Cove, which shed some light on a grotesque situation that desperately needed to be uncovered. Apparently the residents of fishing community Taiji are still defending their annual ritual of hunting the dolphins, but they are responding to the outrageous public outcry for the dolphins to be saved.

Ric O'Barry, dolphin trainer extraordinaire and star of The Cove, was so elated he "did a backflip off his bed."

Is this a sign of times to come? We sure hope so! The fate of the annual dolphin slaughter is still up in the air, and our fingers are crossed.

Thanks to all who supported The Cove on SocialVibe and helped spread awareness of the dolphin slaughter. Please continue to show your support by choosing The Whaleman Foundation as your Cause.

via TakePart