Inside cruel dolphin hunting season when sea turns red with blood as thousands are killed

Driven into a cove in panic and fear, wild dolphins are hunted and slaughtered for their meat in the shallows.



The lucky ones who aren't killed are sold off to marine parks where they will spend the rest of their lives performing for crowds.



This is the reality of Japan's cruel annual dolphin hunt in the coastal town of Taiji, which began earlier this month.



It is legal, as the government issues out permits for the practice, which can go on for six months.



The Japanese Fisheries Agency authorises fishermen to kill or capture almost 16,000 cetaceans annually.



Fishermen have developed a highly effective method of locating and capturing dolphins, sometimes enabling them to catch up to 100 or more in just one day, according to US charity the Dolphin Project.