Had a great night showing a few films off the back of Migaloo 2 in the water off Sea world on the gold coast tonight. Showed Paul Watson in Costa Rica, Migaloo 2 sailing in tonga and yesterdays sail, plus showed an interview I did with Mick McIntyre from Whales Alive at the IWC in Panama and The Cove. I sent out a media release and invited the dolphin Trainers and vets from Sea World but none showed up. It was an epic set up hanging the large screen off the back mast with the projector perched on the back solar panels and computor and Ritumbas portable sound system running off 2 different inverters from my batteries. I had to anchor close to shore and pull the back of migaloo 2 around and tied her to a tree to get a good angle with the screen only 10 meters from the sandy shore. Good test of what is possible and whats to come. Thanks to the good folk who came from Brisbane and Byron on this glorious full moon night. Thanks too to the crew from Local Search Services who donated $400 to Sailing 2012 and beyond. 6 more like that and ill be able to get a decent mainsail that will get me to cairns and back. seewww.migaloo2.com to see the int I did with Mick McIntyre from Whales Alive at the IWC in Panama and to get involved and donate to migaloo 2. Ric O Richard O’Barry reminded us how important it is for dolphins to swim free and how tragic Taiji is. Let hold and see all dolphins whales and sea creatures swimming safe and free. Following is a media release i threw together today in the middle of all this.
First Day Sailing the winds of change in Migaloo 2
Media Release 4th July,
Migaloo 2 at Seaworld to Screen Dolphin slaughter film “The Cove”
Dolphin and whale conservation yacht Migaloo 2 sailed into the Gold Coast yesterday on the first day of her 5 month Whale and Dolphin awareness tour up the east coast of Australia. Tonight, Wednesday 4th, Skipper and founder of the Migaloo 2 foundation, Dean Jefferys, will screen the Japanese Dolphin slaughter film “The Cove” free to the Gold Coast and Brisbane Sea Shepherd groupsand and anyone interested, next to the Sea World carpark at 6pm Wednesday 4th night. Dean will give a talk about marine conservation and screen his own films about migaloo 2 traveling through the south pacific. Dean will also show an interview with Byron conservationist Mick McIntyre from Whales Alive recorded today at the International whaling Commission currently occuring in Panama.
Another Marine conservationist from Byron, Howie Cooke, from Surfers from Cetaceans is also at the IWC in Panama. Howie was in Taiji Japan in 2007 and was part of a paddle out with other surfers to form a circle to commemorate the thousands of dolphins that get slaughtered there every year. Howie Cooke said, “Japan Kills around 20,000 dolphins every year. This brutal slaughter continues despite global outrage. This is not only an issue of the dolphins right to life, but also their right to liberty. Beyond the brutality of the dolphin slaughter by Japanese fisherman is the dark shame of trade in dolphins captured at Taiji cove and elsewhere, wherein traumatised dolphins are sold into slavery at seaquariums, hotel pools and reserch institutions thus perpetuating and financing the brutal dolphin drives. Migaloo 2 and S4C call on World association of zoos and aquarium WAZA and Japan association of zoos and aquarium JAZA and the likes of Seaworld and marineland to have nothing to do whatsoever with dolphin captivity and publicly condemn dolphin captivity and slaughter and to move towards liberating and no longer incarcerating cetaceans whatsoever.
Migaloo 2 is a 45 ft fiberglass yacht bought to use as a platform to raise awareness on important issues facing whales, dolphins and ocean health. Migaloo 2 sailed into the Gold Coast seaway on Tuesdsy the 3rd as the first leg of a 5 month journey/campaign. Skipper and Co- founder of the Migaloo 2 project, Dean Jefferys said “ I am dissapointed the South Atlantic Whale Sanctury got voted down at the International whaling Commission by a block of nations including some south pacific nations that obviously have been bought out by the Japanese. It is also very sad to see America support false claims of aboriginal hunt by countries such as Saint Vincent in the Carabean who now have permission to kill 20 humpback whales over the next 5 years. This is such a sick joke as these people have only been living there for less than 2oo years and is clearly a push by Japan again to keep coastal whaling alive. Meanwhile Japan still plans to kill up to 2000 whales this year under the false claim of “scientific reserch”. Sea Shepherd continue to oppose whalers with direct action and Paul Watson is still under house arrest in Germany awaiting extradition to Costa Rica for opposing shark finning. Migaloo 2 is sailing along the east coast of Australiafrom Byron Bay to Cairns during the humpback whale migration visiting ports along the way showing films and giving talks about critical issues facing whales, dolphins sharks and marine health. We also plan to do lots of live internet streaming from Migaloo 2 so the whole world including the Japanese can see what amazing beings the whales and dolphins really are. “
To see “The Cove” promo see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsahRij5cQQ&feature=youtu.be . Global opposition to Japans dolphin slaughter is huge especially since “The Cove” movie won Best Documentary at the Oscars and was recently screened on ABC TV. ”The Cove” exposes Japans dirty secret where they kill around 20,000 dolphins every year and select and sell to the worldwide captive dolphin industry. Migaloo 2 and Dean Jefferys is Sailing north towards Brisbane tomorrow morning Thursday and is available for interveiws.
