The town of Taiji, Japan holds a big secret. In a small cove on the outskirts of town, fishermen reportedly slaughter 23,000 dolphins each year and harvest the meat. This is the subject of an incredible (and potentially Oscar-nominated) documentary film: The Cove (2009).

The film tells the story of a team of activists who stage an elaborate clandestine operation to film the dolphin slaughter using hidden cameras. Their goal is that by exposing this activity to the world, this practice will stop.

The ongoing conflict between Japanese whalers (which capture ~850 whales a year – purportedly for “research”) and environmental groups is is well-publicized. The Sea Shepherd’s anti-whaling vessel Ady Gil was destroyed during a collision with a Japanese whaling ship a few weeks ago.

A moratorium on commercial whaling was instituted in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), though small cetaceans (such as dolphins and porpoises) were exempt from the ban. This has allowed Japan (and other nations), to continue to hunt these animals for meat.

The clandestine operation to film the dolphin slaughter in Taiji is the central focus of the film, but it also touches a number of interrelated subjects, such as the health risks from ingesting mercury-laden whale and dolphin meat, Japan’s tactics at IWC meetings, and the use of captive dolphins at dolphinariums (such as Sea World) around the world.

Put this film on your Netflix queue today.