Ric O'Barry: "You may have received an e-mail with my name on it, but it was not sent by me"

17 December, 2014

As I write this, I am on the ground at the Cove in Taiji. This is my 11th consecutive year visiting the Cove since I first witnessed the slaughter in 2003. My first trip to Taiji was in 1975, five years after the Dolphin Project was born.

On September 30, 2014, I resigned from my position at Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project/Save Japan Dolphins. After 44 years of protecting dolphins, it was time to preserve my legacy and remain true to my roots. I believe the best way to do this is through a small grassroots organization with financial transparency.

Now called Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project, our mission remains the same: it’s about protecting dolphins, 100% of the time. Moving forward, it’s time to set the record straight.

Despite my resignation, EII continues to send out fundraising emails using my name.

Ric O’Barry protesting in Brussels

I am locked out of my original website (DolphinProject.org) and mailing list. Earth Island Institute has refused to return to me the web site that I originally created. This means I’ve been unable to update our well-meaning supporters, and now some of you unknowingly continue to send your donations to Earth Island Institute, believing they support our team on the ground in Taiji.

I do not wish to use our precious resources and energy fighting Earth Island Institute, but their current fundraising campaigns are misrepresentative.

Even after I quit, my name, signature and likeness continue to be used without my permission.

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project has some phenomenal projects in the works: returning to the Solomon Islands, ending Indonesia’s traveling circus, Taiji of course, and Camp Lumba-Lumba –– the first and largest permanent dolphin re-adaptation center in the world.

We are the longest-running, most active, anti-captivity dolphin welfare organization in the world. If you share our mission and support direct action, please ensure that you are donating to the original Dolphin Project.

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project has applied for U.S. federal tax exemption as a 501(c)(3) public charity. If this designation is granted, the full amount of your contribution will be deductible for federal income tax purposes.