Monday, January 31, 2011

`9 Days in Taiji` Posters

Its amazing how one thing leads to another and I am the first to tell anyone and everyone to take ALL OPPORTUNITIES - They will lead to more and take them too!

My 9 days in Taiji were life changing from the loss of almost 90 Dolphins of 4 species to the meeting of other passionate people that were able to make it to ground zero and share their energy and support for the dolphins. The stories I learned from each of the people I met are their own amazing stories that I can say are being talked about, shared, and respected from others within their own communities and myself.

I would like to share you with some amazing work done by three artists. One would be myself but not my art but my physical passion as an activist to use my fearless skill to create a mind over matter situation and endure the frigid cold for 30 minutes while it will never compare to the suffering and loss of life from the dolphins. The second artist would be Libby Katsinis - the Cove Guardian campaign leader who`s background is photography and she showed it very well with sharing her skill for these art pieces below. The third but not least of any sort is the artist who finalized the connection to us all and that is Pete Mander who is also an amazing artist in many ways from expensive collector costumes of the Predator to a visual artist.

I always say good things come in threes because I`m an optomistic person filled with positive energy and we connected in our own way to create a few posters that we hope to put out a great message - `PROTECT THE DOLPHINS`. These words were discussed to me by Ric O`Barry who knows how to do such that - Protect the Dolphins. So actually that would make 4 people and actually I`m sure there is more and that is what  positive energy does when emitted. The actions in a positive manner will extinguish the negative actions of any being that chooses to make such actions.

Please view the poster and share if you like - they will be up for sale soon to raise money for either the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society`s Cove Guardian action or Save Japan Dolphins. It will be the choice of the buyer where their money goes and both are for the dolphins.

So if you`re interested now then email me at timmons.animal.artist@gmail.com and tell me which one since there is 3 posted I will number them 1, 2, 3.


ONE

 

TWO


THREE

Friday, January 28, 2011

Final Day & Final Words of Taiji - Japan

January 27th in Japan I finalized my 9 days in a video response.

I did speak infront of my camera which sadly moved a bit and cuts off a bit of my head but its not my looks that means anything - its my words.

Just a recape of my 9 days:

Day #1 - Approx. 50 Black Striped dolphins were killed in the cove.
Day #2 - Dolphin Free
Day #3 - Approx. 15 Risso Dolphins killed in the cove.
Day #4 - Dolphin Free
Day #5 - Dolphin Free
Day #6 - Approx. 5 Risso Dolphins Killed in the cove and 1 that strayed rescued from the harbour.
Day #7 - Dolphin Free
Day #8 - Approx. 10 Bottlenose Dolphins killed in the cove.
Day #9 - 2 Pacific White-sided Dolphins killed in open ocean and 1 taken into captivity.

Its been a tough week with the above  9 day record and hopefully my video and pictures will continue to go further and educate. I will be sharing my video with a movie producer who needs ocean related topics for the upcoming movie "Don't Eat Me". This movie will be coming out in June on what they started - Animal Freedom Day.


PLEASE GO HERE FOR THE VIDEO ``FINAL WORDS``
The Cove Guardian Crew I was privy to be with while in Japan.

The second meeting with Ric when I interviewed him for Don`t Eat Me - John on the left drove 9hrs to meet us both.

A couple amazing ladies came from Hong Kong to help the Dolphins.
Mark with Ric O`Barry`s design stating `Protect Dolphins
`My most memorable positive action of the 9 days with Taiji Dolphins.


Please visit "Don't Eat Me" to mark your calenders to watch - I believe - the movie free on its launch in July.



Please contact your closest Japanese Embassy/Consulate and let them know you do not approve and want the dolphin slaughter to stop: Stop The Slaughter

Bob Timmons
Future Cove Guardian
http://www.bobtimmons.org/
http://thecoveguardian.blogspot.com/
_______________________________________________________________
It was a couple of years ago that I first learned about Taiji Bay aka "The Cove" when I did a painting that I called "The Rising Sun Exposes The Guilt". Now I have an opportunity to do more and this is becoming a "Cove Guardian" with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in Taiji Bay, Japan.
 I have started to organize ways to raise some money and awareness about this decision I have made and you can donate and share on facebook,  , Paypal (timmons.animal.artist@gmail.com)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Speaking with Dolphins Through Meditation

The night of the 24th of January I was in my third Onsen at the Urashima Hotel here in Katsuura.

An Onsen is natural sulphur springs that the Japanese have capitalized all over. They are truly an amazing experience. I sat in three separate ones the night before just to relax since it was only the cheapest way to get some attention on the body and mind after all the horrific visuals, sounds, and stress that one endures daily here in the Taiji area of Japan.

After being at my 3rd Onsen in this gorgeous hotel that is built within a large rock, I started to open my mind and body up to thoughts and ideas. I was laying back in the hot springs and I could see the dark night with the stars glowing, I could feel the wind lightly enter the cave I was in, and I could hear the crashing of the ocean water against the rocks outside the cave. It was then the sound of the water was very similar to the sound of the rushing water I hear at the Cove when the dolphins are scared and are about to be killed. My mind instantly wanted to take this as a sad sound and to me this was not going to be the case. I was not going to allow such beauty of the ocean sound become the death sound of the dolphins. I took this sound as the dolphins sound as if they were spiritually connecting to me. Remember I was in these life altering springs for about 2 hours now. I started to listen and my mind was opening up more and more.

Then I thought to myself that I do not want to hear the death of the dolphins, I do not want to see them kill the dolphins, I do not want to watch the cruelty within the cove anymore - I want to be with the dolphins. I kept thinking and opened my mind up to the skills I have in the animal action I have done and being involved in extreme weather conditions to show that the animals go through more than what I am enduring at that very moment. I chose to speak through my mind to the dolphins because I couldn`t directly touch or get close to them without being arrested and never to return again to help them. I kept my plan evolving in my mind as I got in and out of the springs to stand naked at a railing that overlooked the Pacific Ocean to feel the elements even more while I thought.

The plan came to me as I accepted it was what I was going to do. If the 12 Deadly Sins of Taiji were going to  drive in any dolphins on my last 2 days here in Japan then I was going to get into the frigid water and meditate to speak to the dolphins about how to see through the sound - there is a hole in the sound - go through - dive deep - swim far - over and over. Then I started to give them energy from my thoughts that I am human but I am not like the ones taking your life.

The water was terribly freezing from my first step in while a Fisherman`s Union Leader was yelling at me not to go in the water, I entered. As I went mind over matter and focused and fell deep into meditation within the frigid water I started to speak to the dolphins and my body was perfectly still. About 25 minutes later my body started to tremble and I felt this was when the Cove infront of me was quite but the killing part was doing what they do - killing the bottlenose dolphins. It was a terrifying experience for them but I was grounded in the Cove and could feel this negativity while I kept pushing my energy to them.

It was about 30 minutes total I spent in the frigid water when I finally took some of the water in the Cove and splashed it on my face. I instantly came back to reality and lost feeling in my lower half as if I was apart of the Cove now. The sun warmed my upper part while I was numb waist down. I then removed myself from the Cove.

The police were all over me and took my information and said ``You No Make Trouble for the Fishermen, Right`` and I said ``Yes I No Make Trouble - I was speaking to the dolphins and to give them my energy even though I believe the fishermen need some positive energy too.``

____________________________________________________________________


I wanted to be with the dolphins today - not witness anymore blood, cruelty, sounds. I rooted into the rocks and stayed in meditation for 30 minutes sending off my energy and thoughts to the dolphins. At the end of 30 minutes it honestly felt like my lower half was now one with the bay. Believe me the water was frigid.

I was informed by Rupert that the police took a bit more time because they put their bullet proof vest on just for me :) haha In Japan tattoo`s are mostly on criminals in organized crime like a mafia.














Staying positive its the only energy that the darkness cannot extinguish!



Please contact your closest Japanese Embassy/Consulate and let them know you do not approve and want the dolphin slaughter to stop: Stop The Slaughter

Bob Timmons
Future Cove Guardian
http://www.bobtimmons.org/
http://thecoveguardian.blogspot.com/
_______________________________________________________________
It was a couple of years ago that I first learned about Taiji Bay aka "The Cove" when I did a painting that I called "The Rising Sun Exposes The Guilt". Now I have an opportunity to do more and this is becoming a "Cove Guardian" with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in Taiji Bay, Japan.
 I have started to organize ways to raise some money and awareness about this decision I have made and you can donate and share on facebook,  , Paypal (timmons.animal.artist@gmail.com)

Monday, January 24, 2011

Baby Blues - Fins - Juveniles

Today once again a quick stop into the fishing docks to see the latest catch and it is different everyday!

A friend of mine who was just here in Katsuura for the Taiji action did some research on the Katsuura Fishing Industry and this is what he sent me:


"Katsuura is a base port of coastal and offshore tuna longline fisheries and these fisheries sometimes target sharks. The major landed species are pelagic.

Blue shark is the  dominant species among pelagic fisheries and comprises more than 70% of sharks caught in the tuna longline fishery industry.

The major pelagic shark species caught by the tuna longline fishery are blue shark, bigeye thresher shark , oceanic whitetip shark , silky shark and shortfin mako shark.

There is no particular management objective on shark. However, the Fisheries Agency of Japan instructed the tuna longline fishermen to bring back both fins and carcass together when they land shark fins.

(Here's an interesting statement - I take "biological regulations" to mean the size of the sharks taken) :

Generally, there are no particular biological regulations in fisheries for sharks. However, the Japan Fisheries Agency instructs large distant tuna fishing boats to record shark bycatch and to bring back carcass as far as possible."


I seen a lot more sharks scattered in piles today and could not tell you how many exactly but I would say a lot more young ones then large ones.

























Sunday, January 23, 2011

Baby Blue Shark Landed in Katsuura - Japan

As I stay in Japan I do my daily watches not only on the Taiji coastline and the cove itself but I also go to the Fishing ports to see what the daily catches the fishermen bring into land.

Yesterday morning here in Japan - January 23rd - I witnessed something sad besides all of the fish lives caught of course. I seen this baby shark which I believe is a Blue Shark. It is beside a much larger one to show the comparison of what its future held for growth. This species is a pelagic one meaning you have to go far out into the ocean to catch it. Now I am not sure what the method of catching this shark was since the docks held more of yellow fin tuna but I can say is that from the three days I have visited this port I have probably witnessed about 30 sharks landed.

They seem to have the shark gutted and its head chopped off prior to offloading them. They probably do this to lessen the weight on the ship itself and helps prepare for auction on the arrival at port. Why I have focused on the sharks is because no one else is and the decline is astronomical! About 70 to 100 million sharks are decimated yearly from longlines to by-catch and 80% of this is for shark fin soup alone. Looking at this one port and how much fish and sharks they bring in - then times that by million other ports that do the same and you have a lot of dead sharks and other fish constantly.

I will be heading there again today all the way up to when I leave Japan to keep an eye on their days catch.









The Ying & The Yang

Since I have been in Japan I have had a ton of "Ying/Yang" thoughts or opposites of attraction. The people here are so amazing, respecting and constantly bowing to one another. The respect for nature with praying temples in the forest and at waterfalls is amazing. The actual beauty that surrounds us her is incredible with high hills that go back as far as the eye allows us to see. Not sure to call this the Ying or the Yang but let's say it is totally opposite to what happens in Taiji and the Killing Cove they call their own.

Today's events at Taiji were a Ying and Yang moment which left us with mixed feelings. We were put through the suffering and killing of dolphins - Risso dolphins - and then we witnessed a rescue of a dolphin. Yes you are reading that correctly - a rescue of a dolphin.



The ships were out far past the regular time frame of 9:30am with no dolphins on the horizon but I believe with 2 days of no dolphin kills they forced themselves to stay out longer than usual to make up for that. Well they did find themselves some dolphins to drive in and that was about 12 to 15 Risso Dolphins. It was sad really to see this happen when we almost felt it was going to be the 3rd day with no kills but sadly the 12 Deadly Sins of Taiji took that away from us.

As the drive was being pushed towards the harbour some dolphins strayed from the pod and went fearing for their lives into the harbour while the rest of the pod continued on and pushed into the Cove. Sadly the Cove took more intelligent sentient beings this morning to add to the other lives lost in this dolphin graveyard. However the few Risso Dolphins that broke from the pack were swimming around in the harbour. Then for some reason 2 of them left leaving behind 1 dolphin.


The one remaining dolphin for some reason was swimming in one area near the captive dolpin pens in the harbour and was swimming in a circle. You could almost pick the spot he/she was going to come up for a breath. It seemed very sad as if he/she were waiting for its mate or parent to find him/her. We watched the dolphin for awhile since the dolphin bodies from the cove were already transfered to the dolphin slaughterhouse and the fishermen seemed to be done for the day. We were planning to do shift work to keep an eye on the dolpin incase the fishermen decided to wait until we were gone to go and capture - then kill the dolpin for food.

Then 2 boats came out and had about 8 fishermen with one snorkeler. They came up to the last dolpin pen and slowly turned not to scare the free dolphin that did not want to leave the harbour. They started to put out their nets and they successfully closed off the freedom from the dolphin. We were very worried about this whole situation and a dozen cameras and more eyes were staring at this whole ordeal. It wasn't until we seen the dolphin stretcher that we knew they were going to lift the dolpin out of the water to relocate it but where?

As I was filming the situation and snapping photos here and there the fishermen managed to lift the dolpin out and into a small boat almost unaware of my 2 lenses. One boat took off out of the harbour and the other 2 started to take the netting up and back into the boats. At that moment I knew the dolphin was on the boat that left. I then quickly ran to my car and me and Sheri met other Cove Guardians at the Look Out Point to watch the boat and ensure that this was actually a rescue and not a ploy to hide the killing.

I climbed down the cliff at the look out and scaled across some rock at the bottom of the cliff near the ocean. I found a great spot to set up my camera the best I could and film the boat heading out to sea. After they reached a very good distance from the harbour they lifted their motor and started to shuffle about in the boat. It was tough to see but the boat had successfully been freed of the dolphin and the boat turned around and headed back to port.

This day really gave a Ying Yang feeling of mixed feelings from the horrific cruelty, fear, sounds, and finally death of the 12 to 15 Risso dolphins all the way to the happy moment of seeing this amazing sentient being carted off to the open ocean to live. However the poor Risso was left alone with 95% of its family decimated with the cove walls by the same men who freed it. Now this is the country of the "Ying Yang" and this ordeal today showed the disregard of compassion within the work hours of the cove to the compassion after hours to the freedom and/or relocation of the last remaining lost dolphin from the pod. It may be because we chose to stay with this dolphin no matter what or some of these fishermen do really have a heart and may not like how they have to earn their money to feed their family.




When we arrived they were searching for the dolphin and then left to the harbour.



The Taiji Fishermen Come To Catch The Lonely Dolphin


The Once Free Dolphin Is Now Netted



 


 Staying positive its the only energy that the darkness cannot extinguish!



Please contact your closest Japanese Embassy/Consulate and let them know you do not approve and want the dolphin slaughter to stop: Stop The Slaughter

Bob Timmons
Future Cove Guardian
http://www.bobtimmons.org/
http://thecoveguardian.blogspot.com/
_______________________________________________________________
It was a couple of years ago that I first learned about Taiji Bay aka "The Cove" when I did a painting that I called "The Rising Sun Exposes The Guilt". Now I have an opportunity to do more and this is becoming a "Cove Guardian" with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in Taiji Bay, Japan.
 I have started to organize ways to raise some money and awareness about this decision I have made and you can donate and share on facebook,  , Paypal (timmons.animal.artist@gmail.com)

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Meeting The Dolphin Protector In Japan


Today had a lot of positive energy with the 12 Deadly Sins in at the docks to allow the dolphins to be free and the meeting of the main dolphin protector "Ric O'Barry. I heard the night before that Ric was coming in from Tokyo for some press meetings and I was very anxious to meet him especially in Japan while I was doing a noble job of protecting further deaths of dolphins in Taiji.

Just this past week the muscian Sting played in Tokyo and he and Ric O'Barry were to meet once again. It was last year that Sting and Ric met at a movie festival in Tokyo when Sting watched the movie "The Cove" and wanted to do something about it. You can see a great interview of Ric and Sting in Tokyo and some newly released dolphin slaughter video that was aired live on television.


I decided to take a walk to see a new found passionate friend and send her off as her and her friend left back to Tokyo and then their home town Hong Kong, China. As I arrived I was lucky enough to see that they hadn't left and then Ric was speaking to them. I walked up to Ric and said "Hi, my name is Bob Timmons". Ric looked at me and said "Oh Bob Timmons is real and not just Cyber Space!" and he continued on saying "Oh, you're the artist too right?" We spoke about many things and one being the threats he receives now after the movie "The Cove" went international. Our meet was short but we all snapped photos and launched the two beautiful ladies on to the train and back to Tokyo.


Me and Ric O'Barry January 22nd - 2011 - Katsuura ~Japan
 Staying positive its the only energy that the darkness cannot extinguish!



Please contact your closest Japanese Embassy/Consulate and let them know you do not approve and want the dolphin slaughter to stop: Stop The Slaughter

Bob Timmons
Future Cove Guardian
http://www.bobtimmons.org/
http://thecoveguardian.blogspot.com/
_______________________________________________________________
It was a couple of years ago that I first learned about Taiji Bay aka "The Cove" when I did a painting that I called "The Rising Sun Exposes The Guilt". Now I have an opportunity to do more and this is becoming a "Cove Guardian" with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in Taiji Bay, Japan.
 I have started to organize ways to raise some money and awareness about this decision I have made and you can donate and share on facebook,  , Paypal (timmons.animal.artist@gmail.com)


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Captivity Preparations in Taiji Caught on Camera Jan. 21st-2011

January 21st - Taiji ~ Japan

Heading to Taiji today we were surprised to see a truck that had already loaded some dolphins onto it. Not sure how many but having the dolphin trainers there in their wetsuits and the people in the truck constantly watering the dolphins were positive signs it was real. The truck was right next to the dolphin slaughtering plant and within the bay there is the Dolphin Pens which we believe they came from.

The dolphins from the dolphin pens are heading to captivity of entertainment where they will work the rest of their lives in a concrete pool, loud music blaring, and loneliness. If its not one thing its another here in Taiji it seems. For a tiny town on the shores of the Pacific Ocean its quite busy.

The truck left and we needed to keep an eye on the 12 Deadly Sins so we are not sure where it was heading and/or the final destination for slavery.

The 12 Deadly Sins were out on this brisk sunny morning and stretched across the ocean like a snake. It was shortly after 9am here in Japan that the 12 deadly sins decided to push full tilt to the Taiji Harbour and finish for the day. That is right! There were no Dolphins found today and no kills to watch and report. From seeing the sadness of watching dolphins being trucked away for captivity as orphans and then to see freedom for any dolphins migrating past Taiji makes me have very mixed feelings today.



The 12 Deadly Sins Of Taiji


Dolphins being prepared as shipment for a life in captivity.


Dolphin care-taker pours water on the dolphin.


Loading Up and shipping out with Dolphin(s).


Video of preparations to ship dolphin(s) as objects to a life in slavery.



Stay positive its the only energy that the darkness cannot extinguish!



Please contact your closest Japanese Embassy/Consulate and let them know you do not approve and want the dolphin slaughter to stop: Stop The Slaughter

Bob Timmons
Future Cove Guardian
http://www.bobtimmons.org/
http://thecoveguardian.blogspot.com/
_______________________________________________________________
It was a couple of years ago that I first learned about Taiji Bay aka "The Cove" when I did a painting that I called "The Rising Sun Exposes The Guilt". Now I have an opportunity to do more and this is becoming a "Cove Guardian" with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in Taiji Bay, Japan.
 I have started to organize ways to raise some money and awareness about this decision I have made and you can donate and share on facebook,  , Paypal (timmons.animal.artist@gmail.com)