1. Richard "Ric" O'Barry was born on Richard Barry O'Feldman; October 14,1939 and is an American animal rights activist and former animal trainer who was first recognized in the 1960s for capturing and training the five dolphins that were used in the TV series Flipper.
In 1970, Ric O'Barry founded the Dolphin Project, a group that aims to educate the public about captivity and, where feasible, free captive dolphins.
Ric O'Barry trained and performed with the orca Hugo at the Miami Seaquarium.
When, in early 1970, a few years after production of Flipper had ended, Kathy, the dolphin who most often played Flipper, did not resurface for air, Ric O'Barry considered the possibility that she had committed suicide.
Ric O'Barry later concluded that capturing, displaying, and training dolphins to perform tricks is wrong.
On Earth Day in 1970, Ric O'Barry founded Dolphin Project, an organization dedicated to educating the public about the plight of dolphins in captivity.
Ric O'Barry pioneered work to demonstrate rehabilitation and release as a viable alternative for captive dolphins.
Ric O'Barry has since released over twenty-five captive dolphins in Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, The Bahamas and the United States.
In 1991 in recognition of his contribution to the protection of dolphins, Ric O'Barry received an Environmental Achievement Award, presented by the US Committee for the United Nations Environmental Program.
Ric O'Barry resigned from his position at the Earth Island Institute in September 2014, due to disagreements with its management regarding the acceptance of funds from the tuna industry, and its use of Fish Aggregation Devices.
Ric O'Barry is co-author of three books, Behind the Dolphin Smile, To Free a Dolphin and most recently Die Bucht about dolphins and the making of The Cove.
Ric O'Barry co-founded the worlds' first dolphin rehabilitation center and sanctuary in West Bali in 2019.