Dolphins Should Be Free

In the film The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos in 2009, a group of activists sneak into a cove near Taijii, Japan to reveal the shocking case of animal abuse towards dolphins. Throughout the movie dolphins are presented in both their natural habitats and in captivity, which unfortunately affects their health. In the wild they are shown as carefree, energetic, and most of all happy. Once in captivity however, the dolphins lose their personalities and begin to show signs of depression. Psihoyos puts a contrast on these scenes throughout the film to force the audience to finally acknowledge the abuse dolphins face and to treat them not as entertainment, but as live animals.

Wild dolphins in this film are presented as beautiful, loving, and carefree animals. They do not cause harm to humans or other animals. In fact, in The Cove a surfer tells a story about how he watched his friend be saved by a dolphin from a shark. This proves the connection that dolphins naturally share with humans. The dolphins went out of their way and risked their own lives to save that of a humans. Some might even make an argument in saying that this is the way they show their love. In the film there are many scenes where wild dolphins come up to divers and allow the divers to rub them. These scenes show the mammals as carefree creatures. Just by them coming up to the divers willingly shows how comfortable and secure they are with themselves as well as with humans.

Dolphins in this film that are held in captivity do not have the same sense of energy as those who are wild. It is as if they have been drained from the life which they once knew. They are represented as only entertainment. In the film they mention that the reasons why humans like to watch dolphins so much is because naturally, it looks as if they are always smiling. Their look of happiness gives the humans a feeling of happiness also. However, just because it looks like they are smiling does not mean they are happy inside.

Dolphins are meant to wild and free not held in a wall to wall tank. They are deprived of their natural scenery and therefore change drastically into a negative and downward direction. No living creature should suffice to this kind of torture. The contrast in the sceneries leaves the audience with the idea that dolphins are meant to be free, just as Psihoyos wanted to portray.