Nearly 100 bottlenose dolphins from a 'superpod' have been taken from Japan's Taiji and forced into captivity, according to an activist group.

The fishing village has become infamous due to the hunts, which local fishermen defend as being part of their tradition.

Some of the dolphins are killed for the meat, while others are taken and sold to zoos and aquariums.

On Friday a 'superpod' of around 300 dolphins were driven into a cove, corralled off and trapped by nets.