Now is the time to make our opinions on this matter heard! We need to do something now! Below I'll outline the details, post some petition links as well as the links to where you can make a formal comment.

The Georgia Aquarium is requesting authorization to import 18 wild caught belugas from Russia (the Utrish Marine Mammal Research Station). These whales have already been caught, six will end up at the Georgia Aquarium and the rest will be distributed among the various Sea World locations (Florida, Texas, California) and to Shedd Aquarium.

These whales will be for the purpose of public display, not research.

FreedomForOrcas did a Vlog on this not too long ago and she shares some information and her opinions. I strongly recommend take some time to hear what she has to say. Here it is below:

Sign Petitions
Below are some of the petitions I have been able to find regarding this issue. Please sign and share them!

• http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/noaa-stop-georgia-aquarium-from-importing-wild-beluga-whales-for-captivity
• http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/noaa-don-t-let-the-georgia-aquarium-import-wild-belugas-to-the-us

Submit a Formal Comment
This is the really important one. Since this is the time now where the public gets a say we really need to make sure we are getting as many people as possible to make a formal comment. The site address on which you can submit a formal comment is:

• http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/08/30/2012-21481/marine-mammals-file-no-17324

Since they make you jump through a few hoops to get to the email portion, here is the direct link as well in case you have trouble finding it.

• http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=25;po=0;s=NOAA-NMFS-2012-0158

All comments are due: Oct 29, 2012 11:59 PM ET

Thank-you for taking the time to read through this and please make sure you send in your comments! We need to make sure our voices are heard before it's too late for these whales!

It's that time of the year again... I've been dreading this post knowing what's coming for 20,000+ cetaceans this year in Taiji. So what I'm going to do is give you guys some statistics and info along with links, videos, petitions and other information that you can share. I figure it's best if it's all in one place to make it easier since this can get pretty depressing pretty quick.

I know how upsetting all of this is and I know this is going to be a long post, but please try to make it to the end. These dolphins desperately need our help!

I've rated the footage based on how graphic I find them to give you fair warning when you are watching/sharing them. *= Some gore and blood, *****= Horrifying beyond belief. Of course all of this footage is heart breaking and horrifying, so it's hard to rate, but here they are anyway.

I have collected this information off of various websites, all of which can be found on our Resources page and many of which I will list below this post. I will list these in point form to make it easiest to digest and share with others.

• 20,000 dolphins, porpoises and small whales are slaughtered each year in Japan.
• The slaughter starts on September 1st and generally continues through to March of the following year.
• Cetaceans are herded into the cove where they are contained using nets.
  
• They are then stabbed and drowned.
  
• The meat is toxic as it contains very high levels of mercury and is not safe for human consumption.
  
• The more attractive dolphins are picked out and sold to amusement park aquariums around the world where they will spend the rest of their lives swimming in circles, performing tricks in a swimming pool prison.
• It is thanks to the purchase of these dolphins that this horrifying event continues. Dolphins sold to these marine parks sell for significantly more than those sold for meat.
  
• For the dolphins who didn't die from being stabbed or from being hauled by the tail into the bay (many drown this way) they meet their end when they are cut open and gutted.

Don't let anyone tell you there is nothing we can do. We all have a voice and if we have the will to make a change, it can be done. It must be done. That being said here is a list of ways you can get involved and show your support.

Become a Cove Guardian!
http://www.seashepherd.org/cove-guardians/

By a T-Shirt from SaveJapanDolphins.org!
http://www.ecojoia.com/index.php/stores/category/sjd/6

Sign Some Petitions!
These are just two that I've found, but there are many more if you search on Change.org!
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter-in-taiji-japan
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/stop-the-annual-slaughter-of-dolphins
http://www.causes.com/causes/331088-the-cove-save-japan-dolphins

Join the Peaceful Protests on Sept 1st!
Find out where the Japanese Embassy is where you live and look on facebook to find out if any peaceful protests will be held on Sept 1st.

Spread the Word!
Please spread the word! Tell anyone and everyone! Please encourage them to take 15 minutes out of their day to watch some of the videos I have provided and read up on some of the facts. Then encourage them to share the info!

Don't Visit Aquariums With Captive Cetaceans!!!
I can't stress this enough! Please don't visit these awful theme parks that keep whales, dolphins and porpoises captive! It's thanks to these places that the dolphin slaughter continues on! If they weren't funding it by buying the dolphins, it would be a lot easier to put a stop to this horror! Please encourage others to do the same!

Send Positive Energy
I know some of you will roll your eyes, but a lot of people (including myself) strongly believe that one can influence change by using their own energy. If you can, please take some time of your life over the next few months to be calm and send your positive vibes to those thousands of pour souls in Taiji who will die this year.

I would like to say a huge thank-you to those of you who made it all the way through my epic post. I know it's hard to digest, but I love you guys for trying. Please do whatever you can to help! Even the little things like sharing this site will help make a difference! Thanks so much!

Sincerely,
Courtney Mermaid

After a former trainer from Marineland came out and spoke against the park's cruel treatment of their animals and the foul, toxic water that they are being housed in, attention is finally being paid. Now if only we can keep it rolling...

Basically the animals are suffering many ailments due to the extremely poor water quality and lack of attention paid to this serious issue.

Now let me give you an example of a personal experience of mine...

As a professional mermaid, I spend a lot of time in chlorine water at various pools around town. When training I wear goggles, but when I perform I don't since who wants to see a mermaid with goggles on right? Now to be clear, I can't actually see more than light, dark, colour and various shapes underwater, but I do keep my eyes open underwater to complete the mermaid look.

For one of my videos I was doing a Q&A session where I was answering some of the more popular questions I get asked. Earlier during my swim I had encounter many small children who wanted to see some of my tricks. After having spent about two hours, a good chunk of it underwater with my eyes open, I was starting to feel pretty awful. Then I did my interview and by then my eyes had already started to go. By the time I was dropped off at home, a white fog was clouding my vision. I got upstairs and rinsed my eyes again and laid down on my couch. I dozed off for a minute or two and when I woke up I had about 20% of my vision left. I could barely open my eyes and could feel with my fingers that my eyes were really swollen. This lasted almost four hours, most of which I was in a lot of pain with an icepack over my face. I couldn't see well enough to find my phone to call for anyone either and I was alone.

Now that was only a two hour experience in chlorine water. Imagine living your life in it everyday! Imagine the searing pain, the swollen eyes, the constant white, frightening fog! Not to mention the raging headache!

Watch me in this video, if you have time, and see how I squint and how red my eyes are. I try really hard to make it look like it doesn't hurt, but it really does, especially at the part where I swim under and come up with my eyes open.

Here are some things we can do! First off I would recommend checking out Marineland Animal Defense if you haven't already done so! They have a lot of information on their site that is really worth checking out!

They also include contact information for Libby Davies (an NDP member who, years ago, introduced a private members bill to close the loophole that allows for which allows wild caught cetaceans to be imported into Canada despite the fact that we don't allow cetaceans to be caught in the wild in Canada) and how you can get in touch with her. For more information on who she is, please check out the post on Marineland Animal Defense. They have her email and various phone numbers as well.

I did a search on Change.org for Marineland petitions that you could all sign and here is what I've come up with so far:

http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/save-marineland-s-animals
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/marineland-ontario-stop-profiting-from-animal-cruelty#

Please, if you have any more petitions or any more information on this, please comment or send us an email!

I leave you with this inspiring video of protestors outside Marineland on August 18th, 2012.

They had tried to import another orca named Kshamenk (living in Mundo Marino in Argentina) but that didn't worked out and poor Shouka has been alone since November 2011.

So last night Shouka was packed up and moved to SeaWorld San Diego...

I think my biggest question is why was she not returned to France and her family? I am digging and digging to find more info on this, if anyone has anything to contribute, any links for me to add, please leave a note in the comments! Thank-you!

So I'm cruising through my usual Saturday morning ritual of getting caught up on anything I missed this week and I started with FreedomForOrca's YouTube page only to find out that Kohana gave birth to her new calf (who's been named Vicky) and she has rejected her. 

I am really looking forward to hearing what information FreecomeForOrca's has on this. I of course started digging as soon as I read her message and I have come up with quite a bit of disturbing/sad information.

Loro Parque is still calling this some kind of triumph for their breeding (I would rather say inbreeding here) program. Inbreeding? Yes, inbreeding. If you have time to check out what I found on this, here is the link to the page on Digital Journal where Elizabeth Batt explains it. 

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/331012

What makes me really sad is that Kohana has also reject Vicky. For anyone not aware, Kohana rejected her first calf Adan in 2010. Kohana was 8 years old when she become a mother for the first time. Only 8! As referenced in the article from Digital Journal (link above): The Center for Whale Research, says female orca in the wild, "give birth every three years starting at age 13." Also, according to National Marine Mammal Laboratory, "whales usually give birth every 3 to 10 years."

I have been looking for any updates and information I can find to share with you guys about Morgan's status and I came across this on YouTube and wanted to share it with you all.

They are accepting donations at: http://www.orkacoalitie.nl/

Here is video I wanted to share with you all about the situation at Marineland. Phil Demers, a former trainer at Marineland, talks about some of the horrors he witnessed about the terrible water conditions at Marineland.

Here is a link to another video (I can't embed it onto the blog unfortunately), but it is also really worth taking a look at: Marineland Denies Mistreating Animals

If you have any links or photos you can share on this issue, please email them to us or post a link to them in the comments section.

Here is a link to a petition I've found as well and if you could all please do whatever you can to spread the word about what has been happening and please encourage people not to visit Marineland that would be amazing!

Marineland (animal suffering); A message to John Holer (owner) to provide better management and care.

Thanks everyone!