The 2026-27 Taiji dolphin drive hunt season has begun.
Already, a dolphin drive has taken place, with bottlenose dolphins driven into the Cove and 11 taken for captivity.
As
@dolphin_project documented over the years, bottlenose dolphins are among the most commercially valuable species targeted during these drives, sought after by the captivity industry and sold to dolphin facilities.
Since 2003,
@dolphin_project has maintained a presence on the ground in Taiji, documenting what happens here and bringing global attention to the hunts.
More than two decades later, that work remains as important as ever.