Dolphin Expert to Talk and Sign Books in Flagler Beach

Underwater Filmmaker and Author Hardy Jones

To Present “Close Encounters of the Dolphin Kind”

Friday, March 22, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

FLAGLER BEACH, FL – In the first of a series of talks and book signings by notable authors, Ocean Books & Art will host Hardy Jones, whose underwater films and documentaries have brought the world of dolphins to thousands. His 30 years of work with dolphins, coupled with his efforts to stop dolphin slaughter around the world, have earned him recognition as the Dolphin Defender.

From his first encounters with dolphins as a teen, to his most recent international trips, Hardy Jones has worked diligently to understand these fascinating mammals and share with others the importance of protecting them. He began unique research on dolphins in the Bahamas in 1978 that led to four internationally broadcast films and numerous awards. He has met dolphins face-to-face in diverse locations, from the Bahamas to French Polynesia to the fjords of Norway.

In 1979  he broke the story of the slaughter of dolphins at Iki Island, Japan which led to international outrage and helped shut down the killing of dolphins in  several villages in Japan. Since then, Hardy has worked at Futo and Taiji to stop the last vestiges of slaughter on Japan’s main island. Hardy has covered the increasing levels of toxic chemicals in the oceans and their connection to disease in dolphins and human beings. Most recently he documented the mass mortality of hundreds of dolphins in Peru.

Hardy and Hollywood star Ted Danson created BlueVoice.org in 2000 to protect dolphins and other marine mammals, and to raise the public’s awareness of toxic chemicals in the oceans. BlueVoice is based in St. Augustine, Florida, where Jones now lives, after relocation from northern California.

In “Close Encounters of the Dolphin Kind” Jones will share highlights of his work with dolphins and what he believes needs to be done to protect them and the oceans they call home. Afterwards, he will sign copies of his popular book, The Voice of the Dolphins, which may be purchased before and after the presentation in Ocean Books & Art’s bookstore.

Ocean Books & Art is the retail operation of Ocean Publishing, which publishes books about nature, marine life, environment and conservation. Among its titles are works by ocean protector Jean-Michel Cousteau, Emmy-award winner Kevin McCarey, and author/conservationist Frank Gromling.