Full Name Lincoln O'Barry Website www.dolphinproject.net | Nationality American Parents Ric O'Barry | |
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Born 23 February 1972 (age 45) ( 1972-02-23 ) Coconut Grove, Florida, United States Occupation Executive Producer, Director, Documentary Filmmaker, Activist Profiles | ||
Lincoln O'Barry (born February 23, 1972) is an American director, producer and animal rights activist. O'Barry is known for the Animal Planet series Blood Dolphins. He is the son of Ric O'Barry, former Flipper dolphin trainer and the founder of the Ric O'Barry Dolphin Project.
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Personal life
Born and raised in Coconut Grove, Florida, United States, Lincoln spent most of his childhood in or around the ocean. He spent the first four years of his life at the original Dolphin Project headquarters where his father Richard O'Barry cared for dolphins he eventually released from captivity. Ric was the original trainer for the Flipper television series but is now world-renowned for his work against the captivity of dolphins. Now, Lincoln is following in his father's footsteps. For most of his life, Lincoln has been in front of or behind the camera.
Activism
O'Barry Executive Produced, Directed and Starred in the television mini-series Blood Dolphins. O'Barry also acted as Richard O'Barry's Assistant for the Academy Award-winning film, The Cove.
Lincoln, works with his father on the re-release of captive dolphins in such places as Colombia, Egypt, Solomon Islands, Brazil, Nicaragua, Indonesia and the United States. Lincoln volunteers for The Dolphin Project, an organization that aims to free captive dolphins and to educate people throughout the world about the plight of dolphins in captivity.
Japan
Lincoln has been traveling to Japan since 1976. His first visit to Japan came at the age of five while his father produced a series of "Celebrate the Whale" concerts throughout the country. It was on this trip that the family made its first visit to Taiji, the birthplace of Japanese whaling, and also the site of the Academy Award-winning film, The Cove, where thousands of dolphins are slaughtered each year. The goal of both father and son is to end this slaughter. Lincoln brought a film team that highlighted the changes since the release of the The Cove. Lincoln has helped keep the dolphin slaughter in the public eye through Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project's revolutionary use of Streaming Media. Live streaming video of the annual slaughter is beamed around the globe helping raise awareness.
Solomon Islands
Lincoln traveled to the remote Solomon island of Malaita, despite numerous threats. He visited the small dolphin hunting village of Bita’ama, where dolphins were hunted for their teeth and meat. He along with his father were able to negotiate an end to the 800-year-old slaughter.
Egypt
After viewing a YouTube video of 4 dolphins shipped from Taiji in a swimming pool at a home in Egypt. Lincoln jumped on the next flight to Hurghada Egypt. Ric and Lincoln were able to rally local support and get the dolphins moved into a bigger tank. The Minister of Environment issued a statement that no more wild caught mammals would be imported into the country.
Indonesia
Lincoln visited Indonesia after learning about one of the worlds last Traveling Dolphin Circuses. With locals, Lincoln helped design and build the first permanent dolphin rehabilitation center in the world in Kemujan, Karimun Jawa. He worked with his father and local NGO Jakarta Animal Aid Network. After much campaigning, the Minister of Forestry declared the Dolphin Circus to be illegal and shut down. Corruption has prevented any of the circus dolphins to be readapted and released in Karimun Jawa.