My latest podcast episode exposes a world few are brave—or foolish—enough to walk into. From the Mirage Hotel’s so-called “Secret Garden” where dolphins boil under desert sun, to the lavish halls of the Safari Club International conference, where endangered lives are auctioned to the highest bidder—I’ve seen what happens when money and power are weaponized against the natural world.

This episode is raw. It’s real. It includes stories I’ve never publicly shared before—like the death threats I received, being dragged into a hotel basement by MGM security, and the sickening moment a corporate hunter confessed to masturbating before shooting a big cat.

I went undercover in a place I should’ve been banned from for life. I risked my safety to bring back something far more important: the truth.

🎧 Listen now on Patreon before it goes public.
🔊 Includes actual audio used in efforts to ban trophy hunting in the UK.

This is why I do what I do.
This is why your support matters.
Because without you, these voices—animal and human—would remain buried.

Thank you for standing beside me.

With gratitude and defiance,
Martyn

I’m taking you deep into the wild corners of New Zealand, to a place where one of the rarest birds on Earth still sings in the shadows. The kākāpō—an ancient, flightless, moss-colored parrot—is the star of my latest podcast episode, and it’s a story I’ll never forget.

From battling seasickness (and some ill-advised oranges) to finally capturing the deep, resonant boom of a male calling out into the night, this was a journey as absurd as it was awe-inspiring. It took permits, patience, and a stomach of steel—but it was worth every second.

Dear friends,

I’ve just released a new solo podcast episode that I hope will stir a few thoughts — and maybe a few hearts.

It’s called “The Beauty We Overlook”, and it’s a deeply personal reflection on something that’s been bothering me for a long time: the way some birders — especially those new to it — dismiss or even despise the very species that have managed to survive alongside us.

In this episode, I talk candidly about the growing trend of using birding apps to collect names rather than build relationships, the misplaced hatred for starlings, sparrows, pigeons, cowbirds, and geese, and the irony of calling animals “non-native” while ignoring the damage we humans have done to every habitat on the planet.

There’s no music bed, no fancy production — just me, talking plainly and truthfully.

You’ll hear why I believe these so-called “invasive” birds deserve not only respect but admiration. Why adaptability is a form of beauty. Why presence matters more than prestige. And why we should be listening — not just identifying.

This isn’t just about birds. It’s about how we look at the natural world — and ourselves.

🎧 Listen to “The Beauty We Overlook”

As always, thank you for supporting this work. Your belief in honest storytelling and wild sound keeps me going. I’ll continue to speak up for what we so often take for granted — and try to remind us all what it means to really listen.

An unflinching story from Taiji, Japan

This week on The Listening Planet, I share one of the hardest stories I’ve ever had to tell—something I’ve carried with me for years.

It’s not just about sound.
It’s not just about dolphins.
It’s about witnessing cruelty with a microphone in my hand and a camera around my neck—while knowing there was almost nothing I could do to stop it.

I take you into the cove in Taiji, where dolphins are hunted under the veil of tradition. I also speak openly about the close call I had with two men in a black sedan, how I was followed, and why this story still haunts me.

🎧 Listen now

Thank you for standing with me.
Thank you for listening.

—Martyn