In this photo shot near a Japanese fishing town, fishermen work on a boat full of just-killed dolphins, as a diver prepares to submerge into blood-filled water.
Link.
UPDATE #1: Bloggers are debating whether or not this image may have been digitally manipulated to make the water appear redder. See MeFi. AP distributed the photo, but cited Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (an organization protesting dolphin killing in Japan) as the image's source.
UPDATE #2: I contacted Scott Sheckman, Communication Director for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, about the retouching allegations. He responds to BoingBoing readers here:
The color of the pictures are authentic and were not retouched in any way.
The Sea Shepherd crew shot digital, film and video which was compared and
authenticated by the Associated Press before they accepted the pictures.
To support this statement, I refer you to this recent story by the Toronto Star
which reports that AP verified the photos before distributing.A video of the slaugher is available here.
The color of the water is the result of at least 60 dolphins being bled to
death in the shallow cove close to shore. The Japanese government allows
the slaughter of approx. 20,000 dolphins a year in near-shore drives such as
the one documented in Taiji.
One of the photographers explains that tools used to stun dolphins included sonar, and says of the images: "They really did represent very well what we'd seen with our own eyes that day…. that color is 100% accurate… It was just as horrifying as it looks. It truly is the same most unnatural colour I have ever seen. It was one of the most deep crimson reds I had ever seen… and to realize that it came from a living organic being was shocking."
UPDATE #3: Sea Shepherd president Captain Paul Watson says to BoingBoing readers:
Associated Press required an affidavit and the original pictures. You can be assured that A.P. would not have released photos without authentication. For those who persist in denying the truth about the photos, I suggest a visit to Taiji, Japan to verify the accuracy themselves. The slaughter is still going on.
