JEROME FLYNN
In our series about people with a passion for a species, we ask the actor and Game of Thrones star why he is so passionate about orcas.
Why are you championing the orca?
Orcas are one of the most intelligent and sensitive species on the planet, but we’re still capturing them and enslaving them for human entertainment. This is a sickening example of how disconnected from nature we have become.
What’s the most surprising thing you have learned about orcas?
Firstly, that they are not whales, but actually members of the dolphin family. Aside from the incredible speeds at which these apex predators can travel (nearly 50kph), I think it’s the intelligence and social bonding of orcas that is most fascinating, and the fact that sons will stay with their mothers all their lives. Why we would want to take them from these tight communities and put them in tanks for human entertainment is beyond me.
Where did you see your first whale?
In New Zealand, in a stunningly beautiful area called Ohakune Bay, where the mountains stretch down to the coast and the sperm whales and dolphins come really close to land. Last year in Iceland, I was lucky enough to go whale watching while raising funds for Whale and Dolphin Conservation ( WDC). Suddenly we found a family of four orcas, which stayed with us for a good half hour. I had my dear mum experiencing it with me. It was totally magical.
What made you get involved in cetacean conservation?
When I was in my mid-20s, I was lucky enough to see ‘Freddie’, a lone wild dolphin off the Northumberland coast. I’ve always considered him to be my first spiritual teacher, showing me how to surrender to the joyful freedom of just being in the sea. After that I became slightly obsessed with dolphins, but that led me to learn about the horrific decimation of dolphin and whale populations over the past 100 years.
How can we persuade Japan to stop whaling?
I’m not sure how we do that. What are we prepared to risk in terms of business interests to take sanctions against them? Why are we still allowing hugely powerful companies to do what they want, by treating the Earth and its life forms as a resource? How can we persuade Japan to see the light when we ourselves are just as entrenched in shadow as they are?
What would you say to the Japanese prime minister?
I would try to enter into a heart-centred space with him and appeal from there. Perhaps I could get him to consider how amazing it would be if Japan could lead the way in wildlife conservation. With the technological excellence at its disposal, the country could take the lead in turning round the present mass extinction and global warming crisis. He could be a hero worldwide. Ben Hoare
JEROME FLYNN is an actor, with a role in Game of Thrones. The final series begins airing in the UK from 15 April. Find out about WDC at uk.whales.org. For a longer version of this interview visit our website discoverwildlife.com
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