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Dolphin in Brazil helping with fishing illustration

Dolphins and fishermen working together

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Gray whale (eschrichtius robustus) Gray whale in Ojo de liebre lagoon Baja California.

Why we’re walking for whales to save the world

We've got enormous ambitions when it comes to fighting climate breakdown, and so two members...
Dolphins with keepers in the new Windsor Safari Park. Image: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

Three decades on from UK’s last dolphin show, what needs to change?

The UK hasn't had captive whales and dolphins on display for 30 years, but it's...
Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

We're funding a project in Hong Kong that's working with fishing communities to help save...
Whale evolution cover

How did whales end up living in the ocean?

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Fishers chatting

Scottish fishers working with us to reduce risks to whales

Small changes to fishing gear could make a big difference to whales around Scotland, and...

Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

'We should look at whales and dolphins as the indigenous people of the seas -...
tins of whale meat

How Japan’s whaling industry is trying to convince people to eat whales

Japan's hunters kill hundreds of whales every year despite the fact that hardly anyone in...

Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim

This afternoon, I joined hundreds of people, young and old, as we marched through central London in brilliant winter sunshine. As we headed down Regent Street and along Piccadilly, the air rang with singing, drums and whistles, whilst colourful flags and banners jostled for space against the skyline. Despite the carnival atmosphere, we marched with a common – and grim – purpose: to honour the hundreds of dolphins brutally killed or captured so far this season in the ‘killing cove’ in Taiji and to call upon Japan to end the bloodshed.

Congregating in front of the Japanese Embassy, the crowd sang along to Heroes, the song which David Bowie, a quiet supporter of dolphins and animal rights, allowed to be used as a rallying call at the end of the documentary, The Cove.  Since then, it has been adopted as the anthem to the campaign against the drive hunts at Taiji and of course, was sung this week – of all weeks – in homage to the man as much as to the cause.

I found the whole experience extremely poignant – but what possibly moved me more than anything was the realisation of just how many people care about the dolphins’ plight and are determined to do something to end their suffering. 

Today, London called – let us hope that someone in Tokyo is listening.

About Vanessa Williams-Grey

Policy manager - Stop Whaling and Responsible Whale Watching