In October 2009, a man and two women walked into a renowned Los Angeles restaurant called The Hump and ordered some sushi. This seemingly innocuous act was the start of a fascinating chain of events that would involve hidden cameras, genetic sequencing, a few arrests, and the first solid proof of an illegal international trade in whale meat.

The man in question was Charles Hambleton, a keen diver and assistant director of The Cove, an Oscar-winning documentary that exposed the annual killing of Japanese dolphins. Hambleton had heard that The Hump was serving whale meat and decided to investigate.

He and his companions ordered an “omakase meal”, a challenging assortment of different meats chosen by the chef, only offered