Ric O'Barry is urging the town of Taiji to follow Miyakejima's example. O'Barry is heading to Taiji, made notorious in "The Cove." The annual dolphin hunt is set to start Sept. 1. In that film, fishermen on boats scare dolphins into a small cove and bayonet them. The dolphins writhe in pain and turn the waters red with blood.

O'Barry says he will lead a prayer ceremony in Taiji, with two-dozen dolphin lovers traveling with him. O'Barry visited Miyakejima recently for the first time, and was impressed with the tourism it had built around swimming with dolphins.