"Everyone will keep their eye on the crack, no matter what someone does, what people will remember is the crack."

Chris Porter has become known as the Darth Vader of Dolphins. He was a man who made his living exporting dolphins to buyers throughout the world. However, after years of helping the Government of the Solomon Islands, its people and himself profit from dolphin captivity and export he has had a change of heart.

Porter has set up the Free the Pod Campaign that aims to release thirteen dolphins August 2010. Before that happens he wants to implement a plan in which the Solomon Island's, fisherman and his staff can track and protect these animals. His ideas are proving to be difficult for many to support or maybe it is the scepticism that comes from his reputation.

What do you do when your reputation gets in the way of progress? Can Chris Porter earn the trust of those who have the influence to help with his campaign? Does it really matter what anyone thinks about Porter, at this point shouldn't it be all about the release of the dolphins?

He is taking his new found activism and extending it even further to the plight of the captive killer whales. Marine mammals have long been money generators for zoos, aquariums and parks worldwide. When I spoke with Mr. Porter he had just participated in an awareness campaign in Victoria BC for Lolita the killer whale who has survived 37 years in a tiny pool at Miami Seaquarium.

Here is my interview with Chris Porter; I will let you draw your own conclusions

He starts by explaining why he has changed ...

"My background is in training killer whales including Tilikum as well as other marine animals and I was the head trainer for the killer whales at the Vancouver Aquarium.

One of the worst things that has happen within the industry is that the animals are kept solitary. Killer whales are the most intelligent animals I have worked with and they are far too superior to be housed by themselves. This has long been a point of contention within the industry.

I was shocked to learn that the whales off our coast in the northwest are starving due to a lack of salmon. Some are adapting and going to other sources of food but many are stuck on a diminishing supply of Chinook salmon.

The world is a big zoo and aquarium now and we have to get into managing it as one. Insuring that the wild species are looked after because if not than the arguments from the zoo and aquariums will continue that there is no good environment to put them back into. So you keep them in the cities and that is an evolution. I hope for my kids' sake that we don't end up at that."

When you are talking about the world as an aquarium what do you mean?

People think about the wild and nature that it is as something completely separate from themselves but there is no wild and there is no wild nature because we have an impact by what we do. Even if the whales are wild we are impacting their food source, we are affecting them. My philosophy is we start managing the oceans. Like a large aquarium we decide what species do we have in there, what species do we want in there and what species do they need to eat. Then we can have a better management system instead of waiting till it's too late and the animals disappear. That is what I'm switching gears to; it's above whether some animals should be removed from the wild.

The idea would be that you are not removing them from the wild?

For me it's more of a management issue. When I release the dolphins in the Solomon Islands we can't just assume that just because they can swim free that they are alright. We will provide food if they decide to come back; there is one captive born in the pod and we need to be careful as to how he will adapt back into the wild with his mother.

Do you think that increased public interest & awareness of killer whales in captivity came through the unfortunate drowning of orca trainer, Dawn Brancheau by Tilikum?

When I was doing the Lolita campaign I was quite amazed at how indifferent people were, and all I was asking was "Can I give you something to read that is about a killer whale that lives by itself?" They were apathetic to her situation.

It's unfortunate about Tilikum. I know he is not a killer, he is frustrated animal who has lived a tough life and been kept for the benefit of the aquarium industry. We need to keep talking about that the attack wasn't related to the species but related to his conditions.

Some people were even talking about euthanizing Tilikum; this goes back to the mentality of the 60's when the Canadian Air force practised bombing runs on killer whales. We created Tilikum to be like that towards humans, it's not something that is instinct within killer whales.

How did you come to change your opinion on captivity and trading?

Writer's Note: When asked about his change of heart Porter has given multiple reasons to various media and bloggers alike. Whether it was that he watched The Cove, an Oscar winning documentary movie that features Ric O'Barry and his fight to stop the dolphin slaughter or the death of SeaWorld's trainer Dawn Brancheau. I received two different quotes one for this article which he recalled his thoughts and feelings watching Tilikum 21 years ago; the daily routine that had the whale in a confined space over night until he could be released back into a larger pool the following morning. The second answer is as follows

"One day I was going to put a net in the water and separate two calves in my facility from their mothers for breeding. As I was planning it, I looked into the water and watched the calves who are over 2 and able to live on their own, still bump their mothers and still follow them around the pool. That moment I realized FULLY that I would be separating their family. As a parent who has spent much time separated from his family due to my work the feeling affected me greatly."

When I started to export the animals I felt that the industry had to become more transparent and accountable. It's almost like this top secret mission everything is so secretive and animals are moved into parks in the middle of the night because they are scared of the protests. If we can't stand to be transparent about that they are coming from the wild, then maybe we know what we are doing is wrong and we've got to stop justifying it.

What is your primary role?

I'm trying to get funding for the Solomon Islands. They lost their initial research funding when the World Bank collapsed. The government agreed that once they release the animals that they will follow up with the dolphins and continue the research but we can't get the organizations to come to governments aid.

If you can't convince the government that there's a benefit to conserving then of course they'll go back to export, hunting or killing them. Last year the government received $200,000 to export six dolphins.

I'm in touch with organizations, sending articles and saying "I know you are probably sceptical but ask me any questions. It is feasible to release these animals but we can't keep telling the public one thing and then another because then they don't know who's right."

When you undertook this release program, how did those who have worked closely with you react?

They were more supportive than anyone else and for the last three months all of us have sacrificed salary and payments, scraping by just to continue with the release program. We've turned down offers for sale of the animals. Forty of my staff members, a couple hundred fishermen, my partners and the Solomon government. They have put their trust in me.

The Solomon Islands are caught between two transitions. On one side they still garden, hunt and fish and at the same time they are getting bombarded with iPods, solar power and lights. They want both and don't know which way to go. When you get a dolphin that is worth $165,000 and you're in your dugout canoe you know that you can paddle out and bring 20 -30 dolphins in the bay and as long as you get a market of course that concepts in their thinking.

Unless conservation groups and organization get together and say "you've got a beautiful thing here and you need to conserve cuz the rest of us don't have anything like this left, we are going to help your government do the research, help your community get some alternative livelihoods that don't include the utilization of the dolphins. We're going to stand beside you and prove that conservation can be a benefit your country.

In ten years they have gone from a country that has been hunting and killing dolphins, to keeping dolphins in captivity and understanding that they are intelligent social animals, to the point now where they are going to release and conserve them. That is a fast process that not even in Canada or America have we come close to.

What is your current relationship with Ric O'Barry & what is the difference between your approaches to the protection of these dolphins?

He came down and talked with me and their organization has contributed funds, to date they've contributed $12,500 dollars to help us release the animals. Ric has questioned why I don't just drop the nets, let the animals go and not do any scientific follow up. I'm working to get a follow-up to prove that it is feasible to release these animals. There have been releases in the past but when they fail both activists and aquarium industry end up battling, "I was right and you were wrong".

We need to focus on the general public and I've invited groups, aquarium and activists to the table to help. It is an opportunity to understand the dolphins social integrations in the wild, we understand our affects on them only when we keep them captive. Nobody knows in the Solomon's what they end up eating or their routes for food sources.

So your focus is to obtain approval & the funding to do research, to show the world that this works?

Exactly, if we just drop the nets now and the animals swim off there is no benefit to the Government, no research project, no benefits to the land owners, staff, and fisherman. How realistic is it that?

It is a big opportunity to use the Solomon Islands as a template for our own backyard and for other countries around the world.

Is there a point at which you say "ok, I'm going to drop the nets anyway"?

Well, definitely I don't believe that animals should be kept in captivity but there also is an irresponsible way to release dolphins, I don't want to be part of that. I will get them released and find someone to follow-up but in the meantime I will be making a lot of noise to challenge the organizations and bring it to the general public.

I email organizations to make donations I get a response within 24 hours from 90% of them. Yet when I talk about releasing the animal and supporting the Government of the Solomon Islands to adapt and make changes to the animal protection acts which would stop the export of dolphins forever there is no interest.

What is the position of the Solomon Island government?

They are split which is better because at one point they weren't. The intent is to build a resort where people could spend unlimited time with dolphins. The original export was to fund the building of that resort and have up to 6 – 8 dolphins kept within the large harbour at the island.

I started disagreeing with the approach of charging a hundred and fifty dollars to go touch a dolphin for 15 minutes; some parks allowing up to 40 people with one animal. I was saying. "This is exploitation that is even above displaying the animal for educational reasons." People were touching the dolphin without even realizing the impact of creating that huge demand. There are some aquariums and institutions around the world making $30,000 – $75,000 a day from people who touch dolphins. That is a lot of motivation for people who might not care about these animals.

They say in the aquarium setting that we are learning about them, are we?

I think you are learning about the individual animal; they are fascinated by them and they say "Wow! I love Bjossa".

Aquariums are in a bit bind because they have such an infrastructure they have to support and costs related to keeping the habitats operational for the animals health. Yes, they do contribute a little bit to research and conservation but it's not enough to have an impact on the wild and oceans. The amount of money that is paid to zoos, aquariums and swim programs could easily solve the problems of dolphins and whales throughout the world. So, what is the motivation? The money or actually helping these animals?

It is something like 60 million people who go to zoos and aquariums in America. With 60 million people that is a lot of money to go towards conservation.

There are still zoos and aquariums around the world saying we need to catch more wild animals, because there is still more to learn. These same zoos and aquariums have the same old experiments of echolocation and other research that they have been conducting since the 1970's.

How many dolphins are currently in your charge?

I have 15^** now we lost two since I started this campaign. It could be a marine toxin that has been happening at the same time each year, that may be getting into the reef. This is a good thing for people to know.

^** Since my interview two of the dolphins have died, there were originally 17.

How do you intend to build the trust necessary for people to support the Free the Pod campaign?

I'm trying to do it anyway I can to bring it to the public. There is one man who could ensure the whole thing occurs and it's just a matter of getting the right groups to say "Yes, we think there is some validity in here and maybe no one can trust Chris but as long as we use him to get into the country and as long as we believe in what we are doing for the country and the dolphins...let's take advantage of it". As for me, I'm going to continue to get louder.

The scepticism & your name attached to this is causing people to stand back

Right, which I don't understand because if you were really interested in helping and releasing dolphins why wouldn't you come up and ask certain questions or frame the action plan in a way that would protect yourself or be comfortable with.

For the sake of the dolphins if people can't sit down with Chris Porter and talk, then there is something wrong because it shouldn't be the dolphins that are affected by this. I'm saying "Guys, whatever you want me to do, I'm totally whatever parameters, I'm open. I made some serious mistakes, I want to influence change and here's how I see we can influence that change let's do it."

How will you measure success with these projects & initiatives?

If more people get involved, communicate and put their differences aside. Agree on how to display them, how we can make it better for animals so that the public doesn't expect them to jump at 2pm and ensure that whale watchers aren't having an influence on these animals.

Human nature follows the majority and right now we don't have majority. We have a tiny minority on the aquarium side and a tiny minority on the activist side and there is the general public.

How do I measure success? I don't know the right answers but I do know that for my kids' sake that killer whales better be in the waters 30 – 40 years from now.

The whole nine years I was exporting dolphins not one person asked me what I was doing, from either side, either the activists or aquariums.

How have your personal values shifted?

They have expanded, I believed I was doing something good because when I first came to the country they were killing dolphins for $20 and they have come to see these animals aren't just fish. They now understand the dolphins are intelligent, with identifying marks that are different and different personalities and I could see that change in the hunters. Now the hunters know more about them and now I have the opportunity to say "They are so great and cool let's leave them alone and find you some benefits somewhere else."

What do you see for your future?

I think I'm going to become an advocate. Start shaking up people and I'm on fire to move on these issues. But for my kids' sake, I have 3 children, I don't want to give them that concept that just do whatever you want because everyone else is not going to help you or care. That is what I can see what is happening with the dolphins in the Solomon's.

I believe there is a huge opportunity to make the general public more aware. I already know what the aquariums are planning and what species they are targeting, and their expansion plans. Now I have spent time with the activist side I've seen their strategy, their lack of unity with each other, lack of strategy for the long term and unwillingness to take advantage of this opportunity.

Free the Pod Campaign what is the release date?

My aim is for August, it's a challenge to set a date and get everyone on board. I still have faith and trust that we can get it done and people can see above Chris Porter.

If you can't deal with me, then how are you going to deal with SeaWorld or a multibillion corporation or a Mexican cartel that owns 7 -8 dolphin parks that generate $50,000 each a day. You can't use your strategy against Chris Porter; you have to direct it to the general public.

People are not going to understand if those 13 dolphins are not released

They'll be release; I believe I'm strong enough to find a way to do it. The public won't believe if once they are released they are not looked after. I still have faith that these organizations will figure it out but right now they are doing the human thing in trying to figure out what do to do with Chris Porter.

I know once people talk to me and understand I am passionate and genuine and I'm going to do something about it. It's just getting everyone communicating and that is in all aspects of our society. Uphill is my destiny.

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It is that cape crusader attitude that lies somewhere between a need to save the dolphins and aggression towards those that he perceives are creating an uphill battle that makes the saga continue. From those with power to make change, to activists, to the public; people are closely watching this campaign, looking for an individual to move forward, true to his word and a government to be innovative in its approach to release, research and protection of these dolphins. That is the idea behind Free the Pod; a five year plan to track the success and have the Solomon Island and its people see the benefits of the release not capture of these social and complex animals.

It is in the act of releasing them that Christopher Porter will gain credibility for future efforts. It will make his influence stronger, allowing him to continue to do work that benefits the orca's and dolphins outside of the Solomon Islands. If that is indeed what he wants his destiny to be.

Everyone in this chess game will continue to point fingers at each other, jockey for position, make their case and try to profit either through money or their sense of accomplishment. Gaining the public's cooperation & understanding on the issue of conservation and protection of the animals in their wild habitat has proven to be a tough sell.

When I first spoke to Mr. Porter there were fifteen dolphins (two of the original 17 had died earlier) and now there are thirteen. Is it all coming down to our need to contain, display and touch the wild species that share our planet? Ultimately, are we the public fuelling all of this no matter who the players are?

Those who support the release of these dolphins wait anxiously while the politics continues; holding our collective breaths until August.

My thanks to Chris Porter for his time. Jennifer Chandler

Here is information on some of the topics talked about in the interview:

Chris Porter's Free the Pod - http://www.freethepod.org/

Richard O'Barry & The Cove - http://www.thecovemovie.com/richardobarry.htm

Save Japan Dolphins - http://www.savejapandolphins.org/index.php

Free Lolita campaign - http://www.orcanetwork.org/captivity/captivity.html

Tilikum (this is the most recent post that we could find on his situation) - http://schmoozequeentv.blogspot.com/2010/04/people-for-tilikums-law-nyc-protest.html