The Cove on Netflix

My family and I had Netflix on our Wii a while back but we cancelled it about seven months ago because we weren't really using it due to the dreadful quality. Although I never watched it, I remember browsing through documentaries and seeing The Cove (the first time I watched it was on Animal Planet). Since canceling it on the Wii, we have gotten an Xbox. The quality of Netflix videos is far superior on the Xbox, so we recently decided to sign up again. One of the first things I searched for was The Cove. It had been around two years since I'd seen it, so I really wanted to view it again. However, THEY NO LONGER HAVE IT!!!! I was so mad. I'm now just thinking about buying it sometime in the future. I own Sharkwater as well as a four-disk set of ocean facts and photography, so The Cove would be a nice edition to my documentary collection.

Why Must The World Be So Cruel?

About 1,000 dolphins are now dying annually in Taiji, Japan. That is still too many, but think about the millions of sharks that are still being killed each year. The death toll for them hasn't decreased at all, and it's because people don't care. Also, there are thousands of dogs each and every year being abused, killed, and spending their whole lives in shelters (I praise everyone who rescues dogs and doesn't buy!). The world is filled with too much cruelty, and I don't understand it. Why do some people have to be so inhumane, so heartless? Why can't everyone just leave the poor animals alone and let them live their lives? They have just as much of a right to live here as us humans do. To be honest, I think when it comes to most situations, the "humans" shouldn't even be classified as humans. But then again, I guess that's what makes us humans. The power and ability to rule everything, both bigger and smaller than us. If we can effortlessly slaughter the largest animal on the planet (the blue whale, of course) nearly to extinction, then we can do anything. But without weapons, we are nothing. If we weren't intelligent enough to create weapons as we do, we would have died off long ago. We're smart, but that's about our only advantage. We are tiny and insignificant without weapons. Sometimes, I feel ashamed to be human.

Dolphin Day 2012

The day is finally here. Yep, you know it. Dolphins are probably being killed as I'm typing this. I hope that 2012-2013 is the last hunting season for at least several years, but it probably won't be. We must all look at it optimistically though and realize that just a few years ago, 23,000 dolphins were being killed annually. Now, it's only about 1,000. 

September 1st is Getting Close

That gruesome time of year is coming up again soon. If you don't remember from last year's post or you just don't know, September 1st is the day that the annual Taiji dolphin slaughter starts. The hunt ended four weeks early last season, and Save Japan Dolphins reported that between 726 and 786 lost their lives. The death toll was about 1,500 in the 2008-2009 season, and decreased each season thereafter (2009-2010 was about 1,300 and 2010-2011 was almost 1,200). This is good, but it needs to decrease faster. Last year, I didn't remember dolphin day till a month after, and I was so upset with myself that I totally forgot about it. This year, I'm not going to forget. I will be doing another post on September 1st.

Ridiculous Website

Check out this ridiculous website I just found (click on "Anti-D Resources" on the left-hand side to see more ridiculous sites). Tell me what you think.

http://www.anti-dolphin.org

Viking Shores Review

I should have posted this long ago.  I'd like to give you a review of the Whale Wars spin-off, Viking Shores, that I told you about a while back (see http://theyneedavoice.blogspot.com/2012/04/whale-wars-spin-off.html for original post). I watched all five episodes with my Dad, and I believe that it started very good. The first couple episodes were exciting, but by the third it began to get boring. At the end of each episode, it would show a "Next time, on Viking Shores," and they would make you think there was going to be lots of action in the next episode. Then in the next episode, there wouldn't be any action and it would show the same "Next time," that the previous episode did. Starting in like the third one, it just kept showing and explaining the same stuff over and over again. My dad and I just wanted to see them to try stop a Grind like they kept showing on the "Next time," clip. We got to where in the last two episodes we just forwarded through most of it. Finally in the last episode, it showed a little bit of action with them trying to stop a Grind. It was nothing like we were expecting though. They did stop one Grind, but at the very end of the episode, it had a message on the screen saying that shortly after the sea shepherds left, there was a Grind where like 250 pilot whales were killed. Such a happy ending, isn't it? My dad and I were both disappointed with the show overall. We agreed that it was just way too stretched out and could have been better if it was shorter.

Summer Swimming Lessons

As you know, I really want to dive with sharks and dolphins someday. Unfortunately, I am not a very strong swimmer and I have to be in order to dive. The good news is that my family and I moved recently, and my parents are going to try to find a good place for my brother and I to take swimming lessons over the summer. I really want to take them. If I take swimming lessons, I'll be able to hopefully take snorkeling and diving lessons someday. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to become a good enough swimmer to take snorkeling/diving lessons, but hopefully not long. I will update my blogs once I start the lessons.

This post is also on my blog, Sharks Need Help!!!

How I Think the World will Really End

Everybody has heard of the Mayan calender and the big deal about 12/21/12. I believe that all that is a bunch of BS. The Mayans lived in ancient times. It is impossible for them to have had any way of knowing how and when the world would end. Sure, their calender ends, but according to the NASA website, nothing bad is going to happen. I'm going to believe the modern technology of NASA over some five thousand-year-old calender. I know the world is going to end someday when my generation and many others are dead, and I have an idea about how it will end. I think we are going to destroy ourselves. How the world may end, however, could be related to the oceans and other ecosystems that we depend on for survival. As you know, humans are destroying the ocean and its inhabitants. Eventually, we will completely wipe out the important species of the world, including our ocean dwellers. Only invasive species will be left, destroying everything else. The plankton will be gone due to the overpopulation of fish, and we will slowly run out of oxygen and suffocate. Doesn't sound very pretty, does it? And that's if people don't start caring and striving to make a difference. I honestly don't want the world to end that way, but it is possible if we don't make some important changes. We need future generations to be aware of these problems. Most adults and seniors can't really do anything right now. We need children. More children like me to make sure that destruction of the oceans doesn't happen. Kids need to be educated. I need more people to join me in my fight. I really hope that future generations won't have to see the world end that way, but we can't just sit here and whine and feel sorry for ourselves. We must get up and do something to save the most beautiful, complex ecosystem on our majestic planet.

This post is also on my blog, Sharks Need Help!!!

A Newly Discovered Excuse

I have recently discovered a new excuse for dolphin and whale killing. It seems to some people (including some scientists and biologists) that if a species is not endangered, that murdering them is okay. I have read things on the Internet saying that slaughter is not a problem for certain species because their population isn't low. Whether a species is endangered or not, killing is killing; it is cruel no matter what. If you kill enough, they will eventually become endangered, just like others. Then the endangered species will become protected, and the killers will move on to another species with a steady population. Slaughters will go on and on until we eventually wipe out our oceans. Obviously, the dumb biologists who think it's okay to slaughter one species after another don't understand the eventual consequences and devastation. I am not going to be a biologist like that advocates killing.

Humans aren't endangered (actually, our population is probably too high), but they were once being massacred in huge numbers (most recently during the holocaust circa WWII). If humans were currently being slaughtered like ocean creatures, people would go crazy and everybody would want to stop it. If an animal has a high population, all people can think is, "well if just a couple hundred are killed every day it's okay," but that's not true. It's not okay. The world is messed up, and there will always be evil, but the amount of evil can decrease if we have enough people who care.

A Few Faroese Terms

Here are a few Faroese terms relating to the pilot whale slaughter. I've already explained a couple of them, but the others are new. Here they are!

Grindadrap: The killing of pilot whales

Grindaknivur: A whaling knife

Grindhval: A pilot whale

Grindamaour: Participant at the grindadrap

200 Petitions

I have been waiting a long time to add this post and now I've finally accomplished a goal. I have signed a total of 203 petitions on the Care2 petition site to help animals all around the world! My goal was 200, and I told myself that I would post it on my blogs once I reached that goal. I am very happy about this. Next goal, 300!

There are thousands of petitions available for you to sign at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/

This post is also on my blog, Sharks Need Help!!!

The Excuse I'm Sick Of

I said I would now be putting posts about dogs, and this post is a dog post. At my school, there is this girl who hates dogs and of course loves cats. She laughs when there are stories of them dying or being abused (such as a story of a puppy that was tied to the back of a car and then the person drove off, dragging the puppy). She refers to them as 'ugly, drooling things that always want more food' and says that it's good when they die. I have told her that they aren't like that, but she still says they are. I told her that I hate cats and I actually called her a dog hater to her face. But then she says that she loves poodles but hates dogs. To me, people like her who laugh when an innocent creature gets tortured are people who turn into animal abusers. Today, I found out why she hates dogs. She says that when she was three years old, she was bitten on the leg by a chihuahua. I am so freaking tired of hearing that excuse. "Oh, I don't like dogs because when I was young I was attacked by a dog". People need to understand that most dogs aren't like that. Some people are bad, but that doesn't mean all people are bad. It's the same thing with dogs! I told her that today that not all dogs are that way and all she said was, "you can tell me that all you want and I will never love a dog again". It is ridiculous! I hate that excuse! I understand people may be scared of dogs for a short time after they are attacked, but they need to get over it and learn that most dogs are sweet, loving creatures. If I was attacked by a dog, it would not make me scared of them. And if somebody wants to be scared of dogs, that's different from somebody in her case who hates them and gets a kick out of them dying. She is just stupid.

New Topic

My blog has never really talked about anything other than dolphins/whales and sharks. It is indeed called They Need A Voice, and dolphins are certainly not the only animals that need a voice. Though I adore ocean life, I have loved and cared for dogs for as long as I could remember. Dogs face many issues in China and Korea, where they are eaten and even skinned alive. Eighty-five percent of fur in America comes from China, where live dogs and cats are skinned. That means that if you buy a jacket or sweater or something of that sort with real fur on it, you will most likely be wearing dog or cat. In both Korea and China, they're beaten to death to be eaten. Another big issue is animal testing. I have known of all these issues for a while, but I haven't really said anything. I can't hold in my feelings for these innocent dogs anymore. I had to say something. I will from now on be putting posts about dogs on this blog. I will explain the issues of slaughter, skinning, animal testing, and other things in more detail and depth in later posts. For now, I just wanted to let all of you know that I will now talk about these things. They need a voice too.

Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Month

April 4th was World Stray Animals Day, and April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. Many probably think of it as a month dedicated to pets such as dogs, cats, horses, etc but I see it as a month to ALL animals, including dolphins and sharks. These creatures face just as much cruelty as dogs, cats, and horses, maybe even more in some cases. So why should this month not be dedicated to them too? I think it should. Who agrees?

This post in also on my blog, Sharks Need Help!!!

Whale Wars Spin-off

Most Whale Wars fans are probably excited about the five part spin-off, Whale Wars: Viking Shores, scheduled to premiere on April 27. Even though I support The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, I have never really been a fan of the Animal Planet series, Whale Wars. Although I've never been a fan, I am looking forward to this spin-off. If you visit my blog often, you have probably seen my post about the pilot whale slaughter in the Faroe Islands (see http://theyneedavoice.blogspot.com/2011/04/joyful-tradition-no-way.html for original post). Whale Wars: Viking Shores follows the Sea Shepherds in their efforts to stop the traditional Faroe Islands whaling. I am very happy about this, simply because the Faroe pilot whales were not really getting any attention, unlike the Taiji dolphins. They deserve attention just as much! I will probably watch the spin-off. Who else will be watching???

Good And Bad News

I have recently found out that the hunts in Taiji are done for the season. This is great news, but it's not as thrilling as it could be. The bad news is that the hunts start back in September. It is just so sick that those people are still doing this! I'm not racist by any means (I know that the majority of Asians are good people), but I really do hate those Japanese in Taiji. Their race has nothing to with it. If they were Americans like me or Germans like my ancestors, I'd still hate them.

New Petition (CLOSED)

I have started another petition for dolphins and whales. Here it is:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/83/stop-the-killing-of-all-cetaceans-whales-dolphins-porpoises-everywhere/

Baleen Whales

Although toothed whales are my main focus, baleen whales are very special too. As a request from one of my followers, I have decided to make a list of all baleen whales and their conservation status according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Rorquals:

Blue Whale: Endangered

Fin Whale: Endangered

Sei Whale: Endangered

Bryde's Whale: Data Deficient

Pygmy Bryde's Whale: Unknown (no picture found)


Common Minke Whale: Least Concern

Antarctic Minke Whale: Data Deficient

Omura's Whale: Data Deficient

Humpback Whale: Least Concern

Right Whales: 


Bowhead Whale: Least Concern

North Atlantic Right Whale: Endangered

North Pacific Right Whale: Endangered

Southern Right Whale: Least Concern

Gray Whale (placed in family of own):

Gray Whale: Least Concern

Pygmy Right Whale (placed in family of own):

Pygmy Right Whale: Data Deficient

Source: iucnredlist.org

Asia's Getting on my Nerves

Like the title says, Asia is beginning to get on my nerves. Japan kills the dolphins in Taiji and is a whaling country. China is the cause for all of the sharks and large rays that are killed each year. Lastly, Korea as well as China beats dogs to death (in public) to release blood into the meat in belief that if an animal suffers horrible pain before death that the meat will be tastier and of higher quality.

These things make me very mad and sad, but I know that not all people in these countries are like that and most are good people. But the ones who do do these things are bad people, although they may not know it.

This post can also be seen on my blog, Sharks Need Help!!!

My Petitions (CLOSED)

I have started two petitions. Here are the addresses for them if you would like to sign them:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-the-faroe-islands-pilot-whale-massacre/

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/eat-eggdrops-not-shark-fins/

Haley's Voice

Haley's voice for marine mammals is really getting loud. I'm very proud of young people who are passionate about preserving the precious ecosystems in our world. The delicate balance of our oceanic ecosystem is in obvious jeopardy. I encourage Haley and blog fans to read and learn about other seemingly less significant organisms (less than cetaceans and sharks) whose preservation is critical to maintaining the balances necessary for the long term survival of the sea as we know it.

That being said, we must all remember that nature is cruel and the only thing inevitable in evolutionary processes is change! Most things will change no matter what we do; nonetheless, we must do what we can to curb self-destructive human behaviors!

Let 2012 Be The Victorious Year

2012 is here now, the year that I and many others have been waiting for. The Taiji slaughter has decreased from 23,000 a year to 850 having been killed between 2010-2011 due to public pressure on Japan. That is a huge acheivment for activists, and makes me very happy. 2012 is said to be the year that this brutal slaughter ends for good and dolphins can swim freely. The killing cove is actully quite pleasent looking when it isn't blood stained, and let's all hope that it stays that way!