Richard O'Barry. A living legend in his own right. Known for his role as dolphin trainer turned dolphin savior, he was the main trainer for the dolphins in the TV series Flipper. After building up the captive industry, he realized with the death of a dolphin named Kathy how truly horrid and wrong cetacean captivity is. Now, he devotes his life to tearing down the industry he helped create.
Then, along came The Cove, a 2009 Academy Award winning documentary covering a mass scale dolphin slaughter in the small town of Taiji, Japan. As the star of this film, Ric gained celebrity around the globe and brought attention to a very real issue. These days, wherever in the world there is a dolphin who needs saving, Ric's phone will ring and he's on his way to help. A true super hero.
Due to my involvement in the anti-captivity and marine conservation world, I have had the great fortune of becoming friends with this humble man. Recently, I traveled to Florida, where Ric lives, and spent a day at his homeb talking business and doing a photoshoot. Below are a select few of the moments I captured that day.
Then, along came The Cove, a 2009 Academy Award winning documentary covering a mass scale dolphin slaughter in the small town of Taiji, Japan. As the star of this film, Ric gained celebrity around the globe and brought attention to a very real issue. These days, wherever in the world there is a dolphin who needs saving, Ric's phone will ring and he's on his way to help. A true super hero.
Due to my involvement in the anti-captivity and marine conservation world, I have had the great fortune of becoming friends with this humble man. Recently, I traveled to Florida, where Ric lives, and spent a day at his homeb talking business and doing a photoshoot. Below are a select few of the moments I captured that day.