February 10, 2017 6:58 AM EST
Dolphin drive hunting, also called dolphin drive fishing, is a method of hunting dolphins and occasionally other small cetaceans by driving them together with boats and then usually into a bay or onto a beach. Their escape is prevented by closing off the route to the open sea or ocean with boats and nets.
The Japanese town of Taiji on the Kii peninsula is, as of now, the only town in Japan where drive hunting still takes place on a large scale.
This is a work of fiction to bring awareness to the plight of the dolphins.
Stella is a 2 year old Bottlenose Dolphin. Though she is starting to assert some independence, she is still close to her mother and relies on her guidance and the close bond they share. Her pod lives off the coast of Japan, near the town of Taiji.
On this day, Stella wanders off from her mother Still within sight of the pod, she feels safe while she explores her surroundings. She playfully chases a fish. She’s not hungry at the moment but just seeking amusement. She’s blissfully unaware of the imminent danger that lurks near her pod.
She bounds to the surface, jumps out of the water and splashes back down in. Spiraling, she speeds to lower depths, enjoying the feel of the water rushing over her skin. She doesn’t see the shadow of the boats on the water.
On the surface, the fishermen watch their prey. They see a young dolphin jump up out of the water but are not concerned with one small dolphin. Their attention lies elsewhere. They get into position to drive the dolphins into the cove.
Once in position, they start their hunt. They insert metal rods into the water and start banging on them to confuse the dolphins. Using this method, they force the dolphins into the cove. Once all of the dolphins are cornered, they close off the escape route with nets so the dolphins can’t escape.
Below the surface, Stella is alarmed by a loud noise that permeates her body and confuses her. She panics and makes a sound that will alert her mother to her dilemma. The noise that’s filling the water is blocking her from receiving a signal from her mother and her mother is unaware of Stella’s distress.
The pod, in a panic, moves into the cove. Stella’s mother searches for her and calls to her but is unable to locate her. Just as she turns to go find her, nets appear before her and block her. It is then that the noises stop and she hears the call of her baby. Frantically, she tries to escape and reach Stella but is blocked by the nets. She sends out a distress call to Stella, warning her of danger and to stay away.
The fishermen above see one lone dolphin trying to escape. If the dolphin continues in its assault on the net, it could dislodge and free the dolphins. This can’t be allowed, the harvest is too important. They usually wait until the next day to kill the dolphins but this one needs to be taken care of now.
Expertly, they hook the troublesome dolphin and pull it aboard. In an instant, they drive a metal pin into its neck and it dies within seconds.
Stella moves closer to her mother’s location, but still stays far enough away from the danger to be safe. She watches as her mother struggles to be free and hears her clicks as she tries to find a way out. Suddenly, her mother is pulled from sight and Stella hears her no more. Soon, the taste of blood fills the water and she knows that her mother will never again be at her side and she is alone.
She slowly swims away. Away from her pod, away from her home and away from her mother.
In the days and weeks that follow, Stella roams the ocean, looking for another pod. She has no way of knowing that she is the last of her kind. That her pod was the last of the Bottlenose dolphins. One young dolphin alone cannot survive.
On a dark day in October, 2010, the last of the Bottlenose dolphins is killed by a great white shark, ending her struggle to survive alone and sending another species into extinction.
#conservation
#short stories
