Each year in Japan, Taji Cove is home to a particularly brutal hunt of dolphins for their meat and for capture for aquariums.

The hunt is sanctioned by the Japanese government, which sees approximately 17,000 dolphins slaughtered or captured by hunters in the water. The hunt has garnered criticism from animal rights activists and conservationists from across the globe, however the hunt still continues.

What's more, interfering with the hunt is a criminal offence, with foreigners being arrested and deported for attempting to save the dolphins.

This footage, captured by Dolphin Project's Ric O'Barry, shows a terrified dolphin launching itself onto the shore to escape the nets and hunters.

Various petitions to have the dolphin hunt stopped have gone unnoticed or ignored by the Japanese government, despite international efforts to have it stopped.

 

Via Vimeo