Where in the World is Ric O’Barry?
He’s everywhere! Like a tornado ripping through the Far East, from Japan to Thailand to the Solomon Islands to Singapore, Ric O’Barry is constantly on the move in his passion to save dolphins from cruelty and exploitation.
After peacefully protesting the annual massacre of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, this week he’s been in Singapore, trying to stop Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), one of the world’s largest marine resorts, from bringing dozens of captured dolphins to a new circus show.
After the management of RWS refused even to meet with him, O’Barry went public at a competing hotel, where he drew a crowd of 500 people from all walks of life to hear him spell out why 25 dolphins recently captured in the Solomon Islands and brought to Singapore should be returned to their homes.
“The solution is simple,” he said. “Do not buy a ticket to a dolphin show.”
Sitting with a large copy of his MasterCard credit card in front of him, O’Barry said that as a protest against the company continuing to sponsor the marine circus, he was planning to cut up the sign in front of the large audience. Moments later, before the scissors were produced, MasterCard called in to pledge that they were cutting off all promotional relationships with the Marine Life Park.
Meanwhile, despite its huge public relations efforts, the management of RWS was blindsided by the straight talk of a man on a mission. As more and more of the media picked up the story of O’Barry’s visit, the marine circus was left publishing a lame response on its own website.
A small victory for the dolphins. And another day in the life and work of Ric O’Barry.