"The Cove" star and dolphin activist Ric O'Barry held up a cloth sign during the filmmakers' acceptance speech for Best Documentary during the Oscars.

The speech was a memorable and touching moment. But when O'Barry, the subject of the doc, unfurled and held up his sign, some viewers missed what it said because the cameras cut away quickly.

His sign read, "Text Dolphin to 44144."

So what happens when you text 44144? That quickly signs you up to receive information about the fight to end the slaughter in Taiji, Japan.

The Oscar-winning documentary depicts O'Barry's quest to do just that. And  O'Barry and the flmmakers faced tremendous risks while filming.

O'Barry captured and trained the first five dolphins who played Flipper in the popular 1960s TV series. After witnessing the ramifications of his actions -- as well as the suicide of one of the Flipper dolphins in his arms -- O'Barry dedicated the rest of his life to protecting and freeing dolphins (which are actually smaller whales) from captivity.

In the doc, O'Barry walked into an international whaling commission wearing a video screen hung around his neck, playing a video of the horrifying dolphin slaughter at Taiji.

For info on the Taiji dolphin bloody massacre, visit TakePart.com/thecove.

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Photo credits: Getty Images