Behind the Dolphin Smile: One Man's Campaign to Protect the World's Dolphins

by Richard O'Barry, Keith Coulbourn, Susan Casey (Foreword)

Behind the Dolphin Smile is the heart-felt true story of an animal lover who dedicated his life to studying and training dolphins, but in the process discovered that he ultimately needed to set them free. Ric O’Barry shares his journey with dolphins and other sea mammals in this captivating autobiographical look back at his years as a dolphin trainer for aquatic theme parks, movies, and television. Also included is a preface relaying a first-hand account of his adventures filming the 2010 Academy Award–winning documentary The Cove , which covertly uncovered Japan’s inhumane dolphin-hunting practices. O’Barry, a successful animal trainer who had had everything—money, flashy cars, pretty women—came to realize that dolphins were easy to train, not because of his great talent, but because they possessed great intelligence, and that keeping them in captivity was cruel and morally wrong. O’Barry now dedicates his life to stopping the exploitation of these exceptional mammals by retraining them to return to their natural habitats.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Memoir, Science, Nature, History, Natural History

285 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1989

Reviews

[Paulette Jaxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book literally changed my life when I read it back in the early 90's. I grew up watching Flipper on TV and would always bug my parents to stop at any little road-side aquarium that had a dolphin show. I thought they were cute, intelligent creatures who enjoyed human company the same way dogs do.

Then I read Rick O'Barry's story and came to realize that dolphins are not pets or show animals, they are sentient beings with feelings and a life of their own apart from the human world. We have no more right to "own" them than we do owning human beings. It took the civil war to end slavery in America, I'm still wondering what it will take to free the dolphins.

Now I cry whenever I see those "dolphin show" billboards. I cringe when I hear that the Georgia Aquarium is spending millions of dollars to build a new wing just to house a dolphin show. And now I see there is a new reality show based on O'Barry's fight to end the enslavement of these amazing creatures.

Before you pay good money to see another dolphin show, please read this book.

[EL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Ric O'Barry's (recent) work so was excited to pick up this book. However, I think if I wasn't a fan beforehand, this autobiography wouldn't have turned me into a fan. This was mostly about his work as a dolphin trainer on the tv show Flipper. Even knowing that he no longer agrees with marine mammals in captivity, it is clear that he's very proud of the work he did. Interesting as it was to read about his earlier career, I would be much more excited to read about the work he does now with Earth Island Institute, the Dolphin Project, and in Taiji.
http://www.dolphinproject.org/

[M.L. Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more reviews, or to see my favourite quotes from this book, check out my blog at http://mlsparrow.wix.com/mlsparrw

I was really interested to read this book, since it's by Ric O'Barry who starred in The Cove and is at the forefront of the campaign to stop the Taiji dolphin hunts. I'm writing a book about said hunts and thought this would give me further insight. It was very interesting, however, it wasn't what I was expecting; it was more about his earlier career in dolphin training than his current aim to free the worlds dolphins. Like I said, it was interesting and it did give me a fair bit of information, but I thought it would have been better if there had been more about his later life, once he realised keeping dolphins in captivity was wrong... 

[... · Rating 4 out of 5]

The man behind Flipper

Everyone who's seen The Cove knows who Ric O'Barry is: former dolphin trainer turned activist. Having seen the documentary, you would expect a book about his struggles to end the dolphin captivity and show industry. And you'd be right - but that book is To Free a Dolphin, published after Behind the Dolphin Smile. His first book, however - apart from the prologue and the last couple of chapters - is mostly about Ric O'Barry's time as Flipper's trainer and his work on the TV show.

The good first.

What I find particularly admirable is that he doesn't try to justify himself; after all, he helped the whole industry develop. It was his dream job, he was good at it, proud of it, and most of all, he enjoyed it. Back then, he didn't see anything wrong with capturing wild dolphins and putting them in Seaquarium. As a narrator, he's aware of his ignorance, and yet he doesn't try to paint himself as a hero of the story, an unwitting accomplice, and that's something to respect. I half expected him to defend his actions after every few paragraphs, as some authors tend to do, but he didn't. He's authentic. He tells it how it happened. And the story is so much more powerful because of it. It also shows how, gradually, he became the activist that he is now. And I have to say, the details about the TV production and how they shot the dolphin scenes are truly fascinating.

And now the bad & the ugly.

I don't necessarily agree with everything that Ric O'Barry has said and done. He's fiercely against keeping dolphins in captivity - and yet the Dolphin Project kept some that they wanted for research purposes. And the research itself? That was some New Age stuff that I can't say I'm a fan of. I like to think that I'm open-minded, but I prefer more down-to-earth science rather than soul-searching fantasies. Of course, they let these dolphins go. Eventually. When the money ran out and they couldn't feed them anymore. O'Barry also wanted to breed them in captivity back then. Ironic.

Then there's his attitude toward dolphins versus other animals. He was haunted by the death of a dolphin. But he was perfectly okay with killing loads of sharks, since they're basically stupid, according to him. Dolphins in captivity are unhappy and hate it. But Pete the Pelican that O'Barry captured "loved it." Training dolphins for Hollywood? Unacceptable. But training Salty the Seal for the movie to get some money for the Dolphin Project? No problem. Using dolphins in war by the navy? Disgusting. But using dogs, horses, mules, pigeons, and other domesticated animals during war? Not as bad as using dolphins, because "dolphins are way smarter than dogs anyway, and the domesticated animals have been bred and trained to do human's bidding for the longest time." Frankly, I find this claim repulsive.

In the end, he's done more good than bad.

Ric O'Barry is not without flaws. But who is? Despite his past mistakes, he rescued and freed many a dolphin, and is still working to protect them.

I can only recommend watching The Cove, its three-episode follow-up Blood Dolphin$, reading Behind the Dolphin Smile and To Free a Dolphin, and of course, checking out the Dolphin Project website to see what you can do to help.

*4.25 stars*

[Maja Kron · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In a world where so much that is wild and free has already been lost to us, we must leave these beautiful mammals free to swim as they will and must. They do us no harm and wish us none, and we should let them alone"

I loved this book, a lot! It's the first autobiography I've read, and it made me want to read more. I love this man and he's so inspiring and what he's done, is what I want to do with my life later on. I wasn't aware of how seriously we have to change our care with dolphins, and I got to learn more about how intelligent these beautiful creatures really are.

This book was more than just an autobiography about someone's life. This is a story everyone should know. I don't think he's a bad person for capturing and training all the "Flipper" dolphins, I admire him for changing. He began to understand that what he did was wrong, so he did something about it, and he never looked back. That's how you accomplish something.

[Rachel McHugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very readable book. I had it in my head that this book was published recently and would include information on O'Barry's more recent activism in Taiji, the Solomon Islands, and elsewhere. However it was published in 1989 and ends off at around the same time. The vast majority of the book concerns O'Barry's early work with dolphins at Marineland and later training the dolphins who played Flipper. I think the title is a bit of a misnomer: while the book certainly covers a lot about O'Barry's life and work with dolphins, it's more autobiography than activism. Still, I loved the book and found it a very easy read as far as non-fiction goes.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true story of the man behind the Oscar winning documentary "The Cove" and the popular TV show "Flipper." O'Barry's story shows that it's ok to admit you're wrong, but once admitted, you have an obligation to make a change. You're either an activist or an inactivist - and O'Barry is certainly the latter. From dolphin trainer to dolphin and ocean advocate, this story gives you a glimpse behind the dolphin smile from a guy who created the illusion in the first place.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books. I read this many, many years ago (when I was in my marine biology phase in high school!) and only recently received my own copy this year. I'm saving it for my summer break. If you love dolphins, you will LOVE this true story written by the man who used to train Flipper.

[Elena Traduzioni Oceano Mare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro che apre gli occhi sull'industria dei delfinari e sulla cattività dei delfini. Uno sguardo dietro le quinte di questi presunti luoghi di divertimento, dove dietro il 'sorriso' di questi animali si nasconde, in realtà, la sofferenza. Il racconto di un ex addestratore passato in prima linea per combattere la cattività.

[Taylor Stumpf · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his book “Behind the Dolphin Smile”, Rick O’Barry documents his experiences working as a dolphin trainer for the popular TV show ‘Flipper’. While I admire O’Barry and his efforts to emancipate dolphins from the shackles of captivity, this book was a big surprise for me, and I think it will be for many readers. In this review, I will try to limit spoilers as much as possible.

In “Behind the Dolphin Smile”, Rick goes into great personal detail, showing the dark nature of the dolphin and marine organism trade. At the beginning of the book, Rick talks about being involved in capturing dolphins and sharks for aquariums. He says that most of the dolphins died before making it to their pens, and even at one point admits to cutting open a drowned dolphin, releasing the air in its body cavity so that it would sink and not be encountered by outraged activists. He describes the scene in graphic detail, explaining how wrong it felt as he watched the dolphin’s blood rise to the surface as the lifeless body sank, and how it weighs on his conscience to this day. Understandable. I guess I was just surprised to find out that there was a point in Rick’s life where the death of dolphins was relatively common, and how it wasn’t until he was much older that he came to understand it was wrong.

While this book focuses primarily on Rick’s experiences with dolphins, there are also many parts where he talks about handling sharks. I was genuinely shocked to find out just how poorly sharks, especially tiger sharks, are treated in captivity and on movie sets in the wild. At one point in the book, the author talks about how he and his crew shot the vast majority of the sharks they worked with because the government of the Bahamas thought they would pose a threat to people after “getting used to their presence”. In a way, this book could have easily been given a name such as “Behind the Shark’s Grin”, as the book goes into great detail about how sharks were and are victims of the demand for human entertainment. While sharks were manhandled to make them appear viscous, it was the humans involved who were the true monsters all along.

This book was truly a difficult read. It was hard to read about Rick’s experiences and the lack of respect for non-human life during his time as a trainer. I do respect his honesty, even thought it upset me to find out just how poorly he had treated animals in his care when he was young and ignorant. That being said, I was expecting this to be a book where Rick opens up what inspired him to become an advocate for dolphin liberation and what issues still exist today. Instead, this book reads more like the autobiography of an ex-trainer, with his moral conclusions saved for the very end. I was hoping for a kind of heart-felt plea to free dolphins, but this was only really present in the first and the final two chapters of the book.

Overall, “Behind the Dolphin Smile” is a memorable read that offers disturbing and unsettling perspective about the marine organism trade from someone who was involved in every part of the process. If you care about oceanic life, there is no doubt that you will find this book upsetting, especially knowing someone who is now greatly respected for protecting the rights of dolphins at one point did such terrible things to enslave them. I can’t imagine it was easy to talk about his sins and regrets, and in this way, “Behind the Dolphin Smile” is like Rick’s published confession and plea for redemption. I kind of wish I didn’t know the things I learned in this book, but I also understand the necessity of this information in order to ensure such evil practices are abolished.

I give “Behind the Dolphin Smile” three stars. It was an informative biography that supporters and fans of Rick O’Barry will appreciate. In the future, I would like to read books that focus more on what he is doing to liberate dolphins and less about working as a trainer, but I appreciate this book for what it had to offer. Keep fighting the good fight, Rick: there are people around the world who support your mission and want all dolphins to be free!

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly fascinating story about how Richard O'Barry started as a young man capturing, training and displaying dolphins in Seaquarium in the 1940's. While I know O'Barry primarily from his work on The Cove - one of the most confronting documentaries I have ever seen - it was really quite fascinating to read about how his opinions about dolphin captivity evolved. We read through his change from a happy go lucky young man, living his dream life (which was working with dolphins) to a more mature man who is convinced that keeping them in captivity is deeply wrong. I found this journey of discovery moving and extremely convincing. He did not start out as a crusader, he just learned incrementally along the way that our actions with dolphins are wrong.

Now before anyone automatically judges him too harshly for his early actions - 1940's! Dolphins have become so part of pop culture that it is easy to forget that this love affair with cetaceans is very recent. In the 40's a large part of the population did not even realise they are not fish and would not for a second have given credence to intelligent behaviour on their part, let along the deep emotional, social and vocal range that we now know they have.

Basically speaking, O'Barry's journey to realisation parallels (maybe slightly ahead of his times) human growing awareness of this problem, although the back cover suggests it was a realisation that occurred in an instant, that is far from the case. It was a slow realisation backed by a whole lot of experience, and so, much more valuable that an instantaneous emotive response would have been. As he was so deeply involved with the industry it makes for a fascinating and very convincing story. While the subject matter could easily have been depressing O'Barry's love for the dolphins and the way his life entwined with their keeps it form being more that sad, at times. At other times the stories are almost joyous though they become grimmer as the book progresses.

As a kid I, too, loved Flipper (the show) I was a kid who loved animals so of course I loved it. My parents were more discerning and while they did not try to ruin my enjoyment I always knew that they had reservations. Still, it was a magical show and it sounds like it was almost as magical to make the sad thing is what happened to the dolphins after it ended.

I really enjoyed this book, it is full of courage and personal growth as well as being full of animals. Dolphins are amazing creatures, I am glad that the culture of Seaworlds and dolphins shows is dying out. That culture that made Flipper was full of cruelty and though it was fascinating to read about the history of it I am full of respect for people like the author who are working at making the world a better place for all animals.

[Rachele Deans · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW - animal cruelty, suicide.

As I'm sure is true of most people, I became aware of the horror that begins every September 1st in Taiji watching The Cove. It has to be one of the most heartbreaking and informative documentaries ever made. The senseless, needless slaughter of thousands of dolphins really made an impact on me. As an animal lover, the footage of the blood red ocean and the cries of the dolphins has never left me and it affected me that much that I attended a protest outside of the Japanese embassy where Ric O'Barry would be in attendance.

The book focuses more on Ric's life beginning at the Miami Seaquarium, through dolphin training with Flipper and other Hollywood productions, to the moment the captive dolphin who played Flipper essentially committed suicide. His explanations of his actions while he participated in the whole enterprise of captive dolphins for entertainment are hard to read at times. There is a flippancy with which he describes depriving animals of food, capturing the animals from their families and killing fish who were deemed accidental by-products.

But there is always an undertone of guilt and the first chapter opens on Ric trying to free a captive dolphin as he began his life of repentance for his part in the captive dolphin industry.

It's an interesting book and I'd absolutely recommend reading it alongside watching The Cove.

You can only hope that one day we'll never have animals used as entertainment in any form. Speciesism is a real thing in every form - science, food, fashion. So the more people aware of atrocities, the better.

[Melanie_O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Ric's recent work, and I was curious how his mind has changed from a dolphin trainer into an activist for freeing captive dolphins. The book is a good read and provides insights into his life as Flipper's trainer and how the relationships to dolphins developed over time. I think it's not east to change your mind and lifestyle 360 degrees. He is sure proud of what he has accomplished, that he was the "dolphin man", that he was the one who was able to train them and work with them over years. He knows what it means for a dolphin to be held captive and that is what his recent work makes so authentic. He experienced both sides and at the end he chose the rigt one! Good work Mr. Ric O'Barry. Would be nice to read a follow-up of his recent work!

[Charlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this a 3.5. I am a big fan of ric and his work. this book is dated and it does show. I wish he had a book written now.

I think if I wasn't familiar with his work I would have looked at this book so differently. about 80% of this book is about his days as a dolphin trainer/catcher and does not have much reflection on the morality or issues there. it isn't until the last 100 pages we vaguely learn of his change of heart and learn about his activism.
and even then it's very early activism. it is also a bummer we got such a short overview of Hugo the orca and their time together. 

I think watching his more recent work is probably better. I still really enjoy following him and will likely read his second book.

[Ashley K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. It was a fascinating blend of stories from Ric's time working behind the scenes on "Flipper" and other entertainment ventures as the chief animal trainer, and his later efforts to rescue dolphins (both captive ones exploited for entertainment was well as wild ones slaughtered for food). I strongly encourage others to read this to become more aware of the issues facing these profoundly intelligent creatures. It was a shot in the arm to get me more active in environmental and animal welfare activism.

[Xavier University Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout his life, Ric O'Barry went from training captive dolphins to fighting for their freedom. My favorite quote: "Most Westerners...tend to rate life-forms in terms of how they control the environment. The history of the world as we know it is written from that viewpoint. But perhaps a relationship more indicative of intelligence, I said, was how well one adapted to the world and became a part of it."

[Charlotte Louise Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book about Ric O’barry and how he came to do what he does now. It details how he became a Dolphin trainer and helped train dolphins in shows like Flipper and how now he realised these animals don’t belong in captivity. Really interesting read. Also recommended watching The Cove after or before reading as it shows the horror that occurs in Taiji and what Ric does to try stop it/make people more aware.

[Margeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for any dolphin lovers. Ric has seen it all and been an advocate for dolphins since before the world fell in love with Flipper. He met many key figures in the research of dolphins and goes into detail about the good, bad and ugly of training dolphins. I recommend donating to The Dolphin Project and to support their efforts to release dolphins back into the wild and care for the ones ones who can’t be in sea sanctuaries.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book was like beating my head against a wall. This co-authored project falls flat, with mundane retellings and scientific knowledge so obvious, I felt at times I was reading the work of a fourth grader. I am a big fan of The Dolphin Project and Ric's efforts to liberate and protect dolphins, but this book is a far cry from an inspiring manifesto/mission statement.

[Abril · Rating 4 out of 5]

hermoso libro para aprender sobre delfines y también conocer una historia de arrepentimiento y conversión de la vocación de una persona. es muy triste que proyectos como el de O'Barry queden en la nada por falta de fondos

[Smead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book further explores dolphin captivity that was introduced in the documentary “The Cove”. A must read.

[Arch · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is actually a fun read. were it not for a few things that left a sour taste in my mouth, i would have given it a higher score. first off, the fun stuff: the personal anecdotes recounted in the book are very entertaining. o'barry does a great job of relating the wonder and elation he felt first as a diver and then as an animal trainer (specifically, dolphins.) now the bad: o'barry's whole mission, as stated in the first chapter of the book, is to free all dolphins held in captivity. it is his belief that dolphins should not be property and that they are too intelligent to be our "slaves" and pets. 2/3 into the book, it essentially turns into an account of his efforts to do just that. but what's this? his first act as the head of an organization that opposes dolphin captivity is to procure a dolphin to be trained (in captivity, of course) to teach other dolphins to be free. the first dolphin dies suddenly after what seems to be a period of neglect by the now very busy o'barry. oh well, he'll just get another dolphin. this dolphin is neglected as well and o'barry gets mad at the people who take care of it because they interact with it because it seems so bored in its pen. how dare they taint this wild animal by providing it with some semblance of recreation and enrichment!? o'barry also mentions briefly some other BS about talking to dolphins, dolphins reading our minds, and how they may be aliens from another planet. i don't know...read it or don't. if you have a weak mind and you're susceptible to being sucked in to poorly thought out 'movements', please don't read this. (peta members, i'm looking in your direction.) otherwise, it's a pretty fun/quick read.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ric O'Barry is best known for his story as documented in the movie The Cove, a story of going to great lengths to expose and stop the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. The potential reader should not expect to read of that Ric O'Barry in this book published in 1988, 28 years ago as of this writing. This book is almost entirely the author's account of his time training dolphins, particularly the ones known on television as Flipper. The book begins with a bit of his history, how he came to be a dolphin trainer, and it ends with the early days of The Dolphin Project. But the book is primarily about working with dolphins on a television show.

I generally try to avoid criticizing a book for not being what I wanted it to be. In this case I knew well that it was several years pre-The Cove and would not be a rehash (or "prehash"?) of the events of that movie. But what I did think I would find was some sort of epiphany after the television show was over (or during the TV show), a moment when O'Barry became the guy who is, right now, on day 12 of being detained by the Japanese government when he landed in Tokyo. There are signs of that O'Barry here but the feeling I had when I finished this book was that a) I really didn't need to know that much about training dolphins and doing the TV show, and b) that the book I'd really like to read would begin where this one left off and take us closer to the activism of The Cove. Again, I cannot fault Behind The Dolphin Smile for not being that book. If I'd learned more about dolphins through these pages, though, I would've found it to be much more satisfying.

[Viviana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard O'Barry per dieci anni ha creduto di essere il migliore amico dei delfini, d'altronde se aveva deciso di fare l'addestratore di cetacei era proprio perché amava tantissimo questi animali e desiderava passare quanto più tempo possibile con loro.

Per anni è stato un cacciatore: prendeva il largo nell'oceano e tornava con un ricco bottino fatto di delfini, squali, pesci e ogni altro tipo di creatura marina da rivendere ai delfinari, ai parchi acquatici e agli zoo di tutti gli Stati Uniti.

Ha catturato anche i 5 delfini che hanno fatto la fortuna di un film e di un telefilm famosissimo negli anni '60, che ha visto anche un fortunato remake negli anni '90, "Flipper", occupandosi anche del loro addestramento e della coordinazione sul set.

"Dietro il sorriso dei delfini" è l'autobiografia in cui O'Barry ripercorre la sua esperienza di addestratore dandoci l'opportunità non solo di conoscere a fondo il dietro le quinte di un grande show televisivo e di tutti gli spettacoli acquatici che comportano lo sfruttamento di animali (come si addestrano efficacemente i delfini? qual è il rapporto tra il delfino e il suo addestratore? che vita fanno i delfini in cattività?) ma anche di capire la psicologia e il punto di vista di chi crede di amare gli animali ma li imprigiona e li umilia, e il percorso graduale che lo ha portato ad essere oggi dall'altra parte della barricata, ad essere cioè uno dei più importanti attivisti al mondo che combattono in prima linea per porre fine alla caccia, alla cattura e alla messa in cattività dei cetacei.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written by Ric O'Barry, the star of the documentary 'The Cove'. It was written 20 years before the movie was realeased, and tries to explain how o'Barry went from being to dolphin trainer to realizing that dolphins shouldn't be kept in captivity and how he tried to start a movement to free all captive dolphins.

I am sympathetic to this notion, having never to been to Marine World for a reason. However this book was not effective in conveying that message. I found the whole point of the book seemed to get lost during the middle two thirds of the book which was devoted to describing O'Barrys experience as the head dolphin trainer for the tv show Flipper. In contrast he added one chapter in the end about war dolphins being used as torpedos which I thought was much more interesting.

Not to mention that once O'Barry started his organization to free the captive dolphins, when they ran out of money, he took a job on a movie set to train a captive sea-lion to raise funds. How hypocritical is that? Clearly the sea-lion is the red-headed step child to the dolphin's glorious first born. I needed to get on my soap box and rant after this one. Thanks for reading=)

[Ruenn Shy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dolphin lover will know who is Richard O' Barry (a.k.a. Ric O' Barry or Ric), and maybe some Flipper series/movie lovers too.
Ric - a man who is transformed from a Navy to Dolphin Hunter, from a Hunter became Dolphin Trainer, and now a world-renowned advocate for Dolphin freedom. Yes, he is the main guy behind the scenes of Flipper series and movie back in the 60s', and he was the world greatest Dolphin Hunter prior becoming the world greatest Dolphin Trainer. Ric has worked both sides of the Dolphin street -- the first ten years with the Dolphin-captivity industry, the past forty against it. Why? You probably can Google him and find tons of information, but if you're interested to know his life and transformation, how and why did he do the things he did, then read this book written by himself.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a great admirer of Ric O'Barry's work and of his genuine humility and dedication to his cause. So I very much enjoyed this biog and the insight it gave me into Ric's life and beliefs. There can be few who pick up this book who don't believe in the fight to ensure all cetaceans are free (or at least who question keeping them captive), but the book gives a unique insight to the story - the viewpoint of someone who has been on both sides. What interested me most was reading about what helped Ric to shift his perspective.
An enjoyable, engaging read.

[Jaimie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. I'm a huge fan of Ric O'Barry's but this wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be.

It was mainly about his time training dolphins for Flipper. I was hoping more of it would have been like the last 50 pages or so; his epiphany about captive dolphins and his adventures trying to release them.

I will say, I've heard a lot about Hugo, and didn't realize that Ric worked with him for a bit. So I found that part really interesting.

It was a good book overall and the stories were decently interesting enough but like I said, not what I expected.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so it took me almost 5 months to get through this book. YIKES. However, I still loved it and found the content extremely interesting. I have a soft spot in my heart for marine life and if I ever go back to school, this is what my focus will be. Richard O'Barry is an inspiration. Although his book was certainly not a page-turner, it left me feeling like I should be doing something, and I'm sure this is exactly what he intended.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me a much greater understanding and admiration for these lovable and highly intelligent animals. It's an important book. Hopefully, there will soon be no more captures or killing of dolphins, who really deserve to be free. The only ones that should be in captivity are those that cannot survive in the wild, or that have been born in captivity. And these deserve to be treated humanely.