The Cove follows a team of activists and filmmakers as they infiltrate a heavily-guarded cove in Taiji, Japan. This cove harbors a deep secret about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Dolphins are butchered and sold as whale meat in Japan with the Japanese public unaware of what’s going on. This all done illegally with corrupt politician and Japanese Yakuza involved. Here’s a synopsis of the film:

The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the 5 dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.”

But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality. It is here, under cover of night, that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt. The nature of what they do is so chilling — and the consequences are so dangerous to human health — they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.

With the local Chief of Police hot on their trail and strong-arm fishermen keeping tabs on them, O’Barry and his team will recruit an “Ocean’s Eleven”-style team of underwater sound and camera experts, special effects artists, marine explorers, adrenaline junkies and world-class free divers who will carry out an undercover operation to photograph the off-limits cove, while playing a cloak-and-dagger game with those who would have them jailed. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope.

When you watch the trailer, you can see that the Japanese public has no idea what is going on. The film is in limited release. Look for it at a theater near you here. You can get the DVD here.

The Cove Trailer