ABOUT US

Project ANIMA is a Japan based organization with a small but mighty team.

In the coming months, once we have gathered the necessary means (fiscal support, donations…), Project ANIMA will evolve into a Foundation or a Trust so it has the leverage to collaborate with , marine parks and dolphinariums throughout Japan who are interested in retiring their animals to the sanctuary.

The future foundation will also collaborate with local scientists, veterinarians, former dolphin trainers looking for a professional reconversion, experts in animal communication, and volunteers to provide care for the animals in the sanctuary and respond to strandings.

Leina Sato

Founder – Ocean lover, Freediving Instructor, International Speaker, Author and Mother

Read my story here

And the trailer of the documentary film “The Journey” (Mère Océan) by directors Anne Paris & Jan Kounen, relating my love of the Ocean through the story of my pregnancy in the presence of dolphins and whales in the wild.

Michiko Kamesaki

Founding member –

My love for the ocean developed in my mid twenties, as I started free-diving to meet sea turtles.

After witnessing them in the open sea, my experience of marine parks and aquariums changed drastically. My desire to see marine animals thrive in their natural habitat intensified.

Project ANIMA works in collaboration with Ocean Seed Foundation (oceanseedfoundation.org) a Hawaii USA-based 501c3 non profit organization focused on promoting Arts, Sciences and Spirituality for the Sentient Ocean and its wildlife.

Ocean Seed Foundation will serve as a bridge between international supporters (scientific and policy advisors, sponsors etc…) and our Japanese organization.

Advisors

Courtney Vail

Marine Mammal Policy Expert, BSc Wildlife Biology, MSc Psychology

Courtney Vail, founding executive director of Lightkeepers Foundation, is a biologist, social scientist and strategic policy advisor who has worked within the conservation and animal welfare field for over 30 years.
Courtney has been at the foundation and forefront of the whale and dolphin sanctuary movement, serving as an advisor and collaborator to several other sanctuary projects over the last decade, including the Whale Sanctuary Project, National Aquarium, and Iceland Beluga Whale Sanctuary. Her work to advance whale and dolphin protection globally has spanned most of the world’s oceans, including global campaigns to end whale and dolphin hunting, fisheries bycatch, captivity and other threats to these incredible creatures. 　

Abigail Alling

Marine Mammal Scientist, Founder/CEO of Biosphere Foundation

For the past 3 decades, Abigail has been actively engaged in marine conservation and environmental projects. She received a Masters of Science degree from Yale University and was the former Director of Marine Ecological Systems and Assistant Director of Research and Development for the ‘Biosphere 2’ project.
In 1987, she participated in the successful rehabilitation and release of two captive dolphins led by the Oceanic Research Communication Alliance, alongside Ric O’Barry. The story of the release project can be seen here:

Rick Bennett

M.S., Ph.D. Microbiologist

Rick worked as an associate research microbiologist at the University of California, Davis from 1974 to 1978.

He went on to become their Natural Resources and Public Policy Advisor, as well Environmental Science Advisor from 1978 to 1999, during which he developed and tested methods for field water quality evaluation and conducted baseline research on the water quality in urban and agricultural watersheds.

Today, Rick is president of Applied Life Sciences, a consulting firm specializing in science applications and communications for health and environmental interests. For the last twenty years, he has been actively involved in ocean water quality studies on the Kona Coast of Hawai’i. He is also the chairman of the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust and Science Advisor to the Hawaii Community Cultural Education Foundation.

PHILIP HAMILTON

Ocean Conservation Filmmaker, Photographer, Producer, Author

Philip is the founder and director of Ocean Souls Films Ltd, a UK based production company, focused on producing conservation documentaries.

His first film Ocean Souls (2020) won 17 international film awards. It is an unprecedented collaboration of over 100 filmmakers,25 scientists and leading experts, on the sentient nature and magnificence of the Cetacean family.

With over thirty years diving and sailing experience, Philip has always had a deep felt passion for the ocean, while leading a successful international career in finance between Chile, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Spain.

In 2018, he decides to dedicate himself fully to ocean conservation, leading to the release of his first marine conservation book “Call of the Blue and several documentary films starting with the internationally acclaimed “Ocean Souls”. “Collision” is released in 2022, documenting the devastating effects of ship strikes/collisions with whales and what can be done to prevent the fatalities caused by increasing shipping traffic. The film was screened at UNESCO HQ in Paris as well as the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Philip’s work has been featured in The Times, GQ Magazine,The Economist, CNN and The Guardian and on BBC Earth.

His conservation work is motivated by the belief that information is empowerment. Through its documentary films and publications, Ocean Souls seeks to offer accurate and precise information about critical ocean conservation issues to create greater public knowledge and understanding and foster the desire to care for our blue planet’s life support system.