Activists have slammed the herding of the baby dolphin that saw its devastated mother trying to stop the divers
A BABY dolphin has been heartlessly ripped from its mother to be sold to an aquarium with the shocking allegations filmed by activists.
In distressing footage, the panicked juvenile dolphin can be seen trying to wriggle free from the Japanese hunters with its desperate mother swimming beside them.
At least five divers can be seen in the water, trying to grab at the creature and corner it into nets.
The calf almost makes its escape but is dragged back near to the boat by the divers clad in wetsuits and snorkels.
A larger animal, which is reportedly the baby's mother, can then be seen trying to push the divers away from the panicked creature.
The baby dolphin is then pulled into nets and hauled up onto the boat.
In the footage, a woman can be heard sobbing, with one heard to say: "The mother's trying to follow him".
Liz Carter, who shared the footage, is a volunteer with Blue Cove Days, with the hunt caught on camera in the waters of Taiji, in Japan's south.
In a Facebook post, Ms Carter wrote: "100 dolphins were stolen, some died from the process juveniles ripped from their mothers,this scene, the mother and child are desparately trying to stay together (sic).
"Our entertainment has been stolen from the wild ..destined for marine parks and aquariums.
"Stop supporting swim with dolphins , marine parks that hold,captive dolphins."
She then wrote "the price of a ticket and a day trip out to a marine park isn't worth this".
The hunt was reportedly part of the annual Taiji Dolphin Drive between September and March - with it having taken place since 1969.
The shocking footage has now been viewed more than 1.6m times, with it shared 8,500 times.
Shocked viewers commented on the video, with one writing: "This makes my blood boil."
Another wrote: "This is wrong on so many levels."
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