RICK TROUT, EX-NAVY DOLPHIN TRAINER, JOINS THE PERFECT PAIR DOLPHIN TRILOGY IN CONDEMNING ACTIVIST, RIC O'BARRY

​Attention all anti-captivity ceta activists. As many of you know, on 15th August 2019, we posted on Facebook and Twitter a damning comment alleging that Ric O’Barry of The Dolphin Project, Margaux Dodds of the UK charity Marine Connection and her then-cohort Gaye Hunter, purposely set out to discredit and organise a charity block of The Perfect Pair Dolphin Trilogy exposé.
 
This was a decision we did not make lightly as we knew our allegation would send shockwaves through the anti-cap ceta industry. So, we prepared ourselves for the backlash to follow. What happened next, however, was the exact opposite - a revolt against the Ric O’Barry camp by prominent ceta activists and the much-respected former US Navy dolphin trainer Rick Trout of Save the Navy Dolphins. Rick Trout’s experience as a US marine mammal trainer, rescuer and advocate is second to none.
 
This is what he had to say:
 
Thanks Belinda Morris for alert on this all too familiar practice perfected by Ric the Cut Throat and Con Man O'Barry whose slime seems to be dripping through his ill-named son, Lincoln, into a NexGen class of crooks still riding the backs of captive dolphins like Ric rode Lolita's back in his 60s hippy days at Miami Seaquarium.
 
Reading O'Barry's Behind the Dolphin Smile is required reading for anyone wanting to understand he's not only cut throat but cut belly, a practice he perfected to sink and hide dolphins drowned in net capture operations in South Carolina waters to finally capture a lone white albino dolphin, "Snowball." She was imprisoned for display at MSQ only to die in 6 months, after which they taxidermy STUFFED her to still hang on public display, a tribute to the lengths this ghoul and his employer would go to exploit Marine Mammals. No surprise O'Barry's addiction to attention, pain killers, 5-star travel and accommodations have left him often bankrupt and in need of more and more blood money.

Let this stand as my intro to my many years as eye witness to a man who gloated at being the "Pastor of The Church of the Happy Dolphin" after his Behind the Dolphin Smile boosted his pocket book and profile into a new role as paid dolphin advocate instead of paid dolphin disemboweller.
 
Please read or re-read Behind the Dolphin Smile to learn, as I had to, how incredibly and dangerously narcissistic this self-proclaimed hero was when he destroyed the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary in the 90s sending Navy dolphin Buck to his death due to malnutrition, and Navy dolphins Luther and Jake back to the Navy killing pens in San Diego as a result of Ric's illegal, ill-prepared and self-promoting dump and run release.
 
We all share Dolphin Project's philosophical disgust for the killing, exploitation and domination of our Marine Mammal neighbors. I dare say none of us share the guilt and mercenary motivations that DP's founder has used to taint and monkey wrench the advocacy/activism efforts necessary to fight both exploiters and ".orgs" Best nutshell advice that I was given by Joe and Rosie, dolphin release coordinator, who counselled me AFTER the Sugarloaf debacle, "Ric is a lone male hero who does not share the stage well with anyone." If Russ Rector was still here, he could fill in many more blanks that, if needed or desired, I will do as soon as I am able.
 
In reply to Tracy J Holroyd (co-author of The Perfect Pair Dolphin Trilogy):
 
Thanks for reading my words with such sensitivity. I still hear Ric OBarry's haunting words in 1994, "We have to do this squeaky clean" in organizational meetings planning and dealing with Federal requirements to take Navy dolphins Luther, Buck and Jake, and Bogie and Bacall back to their home waters. What O'Barry kept very secret were the 3 self-promoting independent deals he made with French, German and British film teams to do a "dolphin release on Independence Day in 1995", a totally unrealistic date given the political hoops and bureaucratic realities confronting the challenges for any "squeaky clean" success that could have been a roadmap for Emptying the Tanks! Sadly, and just as secretly, Ric had received money up front from all 3 film makers to deliver Independence Day release footage in exchange for the balance. Sadly, Ric's Flipper days familiarity with navigating rich waters of filmmaking resulted in bankrupting the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary and all future hope for releasing captive dolphins in America.
 
In reply to Shelley Mattocks (activist – Dolph N Whale Pub, Dolph ‘N’ Whale +, Mimi’s Wishes, “NATURE WARRIORS” bleed the green hearts):
 
You are so right. In addition to being prosecuted, found guilty and fined $60,000 for 6 violations of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act for the neglect of 6 Sugarloaf Sanctuary rescue dolphins Molly, Bogie, Bacall and Navy dolphins Jake, Luther and Buck who died from complications of injury and inability to adapt after the illegal and ill-conceived dump and run release; the Federal Judge told Ric O'Barry in 1996 that Ric had destroyed for decades the concept of returning American captive dolphins to their home waters. Sadly, the judge was right, and the captivity industry has been laughing at the advocacy/activist community and all the way to their blood money bank ever since.
 
One big difference between Russ Rector and Ric O’Barry was that Russ's pit bull biker activism came from his heart - not his wallet.
 
Rick Trout
Lead rescuer/founder Marine Mammal Conservancy 1995-2005
Dolphin rescue and advocate/diver 2005-present
Former dolphin trainer at Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo
Former Dolphin Sea Lion Trainer whistle blower at Naval Ocean Systems Center
Former Swimmer Nullification Trainer at Navy dolphins
Former dolphin trainer at SAIC
Former Commercial Diver at The Ocean Corporation