Pings may not have been from black boxes

• The pings have been at the center of the search for weeks


• The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8

(CNN) -- The 850 square kilometers scanned off the coast of western Australia in the hunt for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane are not the "final resting place of MH370," the agency leading the search said Thursday.

The search area is where pings originally thought to be from the black boxes of the Boeing 777 were heard in early April.

"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has advised that the search in the vicinity of the acoustic detections can now be considered complete and in its professional judgment, the area can now be discounted as the final resting place of MH370," a statement from the Joint Agency Coordination Centre said.

Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.

CNN's David Molko contributed to this report.

10 ways to do Chiang Mai

Doi Suthep mountain is the most recognizable landmark in Chiang Mai. Its glimmering mountaintop temple is a popular first stop for visitors.

Khao Soi is a dish of noodles bathed in an intense curry broth topped with crispy noodles. One bowl at Samoer Jai, a Chiang Mai institution, is never enough.

At Chiang Mai's weekend market, entrepreneurial massage ladies lure shoppers with $5-an-hour foot rubs.

Thailand's most famous holiday is Songkran, the Thai New Year, which basically becomes a nationwide water fight. Chiang Mai has earned a reputation for hosting the wildest Songkran celebrations in the country.

Named after its centerpiece and the highest peak in the country, Doi Inthanon National Park offers waterfall and cave attractions by day and stargazing by night.

The roads around Chiang Mai are some of the most scenic in the country. One of the best is the Mae Hong Son Loop, a 600-kilometer (373-mile) journey that starts from Chiang Mai, and traveling counterclockwise, passes through Pai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang.

Weather permitting, Balloon Adventure Thailand offers twice-daily hot air balloon flights over the city of Chiang Mai. Rides last about 90 minutes.

Always wanted to to see a green-tailed sunbird in the wild? Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park is a great place for birdwatching.

Thai Buddhists make offerings at Chiang Mai's Wat Chedi Luang, located in the historic center of the city.

• Chiang Mai and the province of the same name blend ancient culture and natural wonders


• Chiang Mai's most famous dish is khao soi, a savory noodles dish


• The roads around Chiang Mai are some of the most scenic in the country

(CNN) -- With spectacular mountains, vibrant hill tribes and a relaxed vibe, Thailand's unofficial "second city" of Chiang Mai is everything Bangkok isn't.

As the travel hub for northern Thailand, the city of Chiang Mai (population 1.6 million) and the province that shares its name blend ancient culture and natural wonders to create a character that's unique to a region once known as the Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields, or "Lanna" in Thai.

In a kind of repeat of history, parts of the city have been invaded by regional neighbors in recent years.

In the past, invaders came from Burma, Siam or other regional rivals.

This time, it's tour groups from China, lured by the success of a massive-hit Chinese comedy movie called "Lost in Thailand," which is partially based in Chiang Mai.

Fortunately, you can still lose yourself in Chiang Mai's majestic mountains, find a quiet picnic spot next to a cascading stream or visit with its friendly people.

1. Eating khao soi

Nothing says "I'm in Chiang Mai" more than slurping a piquant bowl of khao soi, noodles bathed in an intense curry broth topped with crispy noodles.

The dish is traditionally served with chicken or beef with a side of chili paste, pickled cabbage, raw shallots and wedge of lime.

A bowl of khao soi at Samoer Jai at Faham.

Arguably northern Thailand's most famous dish, khao soi can be found from unnamed holes-in-the-wall to five-star resorts, all peddling renditions of the "best" noodles money can buy.

For a fail-safe lunchtime introduction, Lam Duan Faham or Samoer Jai, both on Chiang Mai's Charoenrat Road, are terrific choices.

A glass of the herbal drink bai bua bok (Asian pennywort) helps you cool off after the spicy meal.

MORE: The top snacks and curries in Chiang Mai

2. Camping under the stars

With seven national parks in the province, many door-to-doi (mountain) excursions are within easy striking distance of the Chiang Mai city center.

You can pitch your own tent at designated campsites or rent one on arrival from the park headquarters.

Most parks also have cabins or huts for rent, though these must be reserved, easiest via the Department of National Parks website.

Ob Luang National Park, with its dramatic river-canyon landscape littered with boulders, and Doi Inthanon National Park, named after the highest peak in the country, offer waterfall and cave attractions by day and stargazing by night.

Both are within a two-hour drive from town.

MORE: 10 things in Chiang Mai most visitors don't see

3. Visiting Doi Suthep

Presiding over the mountainous horizon to the northwest of the city, Doi Suthep mountain is the most recognizable landmark in Chiang Mai. Its glimmering mountaintop temple is a popular first stop for visitors.

Most make the trek up the 300-plus steps of the Naga staircase to visit the working monastery in the daytime, from which, weather permitting, you can get panoramic views of the city.

A better time to go is in the early hours of the morning, when you can avoid the heat and crowds, and watch the flickering lights of the city fade as the sun rises.

The climb to the top is a thigh-buster, but it's worth it for the great views. There's also a scenic road up Doi Suthep for those who prefer to drive.

4. Trekking to hill tribe villages

Nearby hills or dois mean there are plenty of nature-based day trips in the area, often with a waterfall to cool off in.

Tour operators will often combine a handful of excursions in a single day.

The best and priciest outfits in town provide private customized tours that allow you to choose your activities and not be herded along with the crowd.

A great leisurely activity, bamboo rafting in Mae Wang provides a closeup introduction to the region's lush forests.

To admire the greenery from top down, Flight of the Gibbon in Mae Kampong offers 5 kilometers of zip line through a forest canopy.

The village of Mae Klang Luang is big on community-based tourism. It's a place to stop for a freshly brewed cup of coffee while overlooking terraced rice paddies before following a local guide on a 3-kilometer trek to a "hidden" waterfall.

MORE: The man who founded a religion based on 'The Big Lebowski'

5. Getting a foot massage at the market

In recent years, a slew of modern malls has sprung up in the city.

But Chiang Mai's vibrant street markets are still the place to get the classic retail experience.

The best choices are the nightly bazaar on Chang Klan Road; Saturday Walking Street on Wualai Road; and Sunday Walking Street down Ratchadamnoen Road inside the old city walls.

Sunday Walking Street is the most popular of the bunch, with back-to-back vendors selling trinkets, boutique fashion and handicrafts.

With shopping comes sore feet.

Fortunately, entrepreneurial massage ladies have that covered -- in the market, rows of plastic chairs set up on the pavement lure shoppers with $5-an-hour foot rubs.

You can get your feet rubbed while sipping on a drink from the market and watching crowds amble past.

Chiang Mai hosts the wildest Songkran festival celebrations in the country.

6. Celebrating local festivals

Festivals in Chiang Mai are celebrated with boisterous party fervor and observance of ancient traditions.

One of the best holidays is Songkran, the Thai New Year, observed over three official days but often lasting five days each April (dates change every year).

Cultural activities are centered around Wat Phra Singh, the city's most visited temple, and the old town.

To take part in Chiang Mai's famed full-fledged water fight, you need to pick a strategic station and get ready to get wet -- Tha Pae Gate, anywhere along the moat, next to the Ping River, around Central Kad Suan Kaew and Maya shopping centers, are areas of intense activity and big crowds.

Another festival worth planning a trip to Chiang Mai around is Loy Krathong, which coincides with the Lanna festival of Yi Peng.

On that November night (again, the dates change annually), tens of thousands of paper lanterns (khom loy) are set off into the sky and thousands more candle-lit floats are released along waterways.

The best photo op is at the mass release behind Maejo University.

MORE: Pictures of the world's biggest water fight

7. Bundling up for "winter"

When the year-end holidays roll around and the mercury dips below 20 C (68 F), the cardigans and beanies come out as city folk head for Chiang Mai to enjoy the "winter."

Visitors tend to follow suit, putting away the tank tops and cutoffs and bundling up for the weather as they head for higher ground up in the dois.

It really does get chilly.

Hot springs suddenly make sense, especially if you stay the night to experience the misty mornings and maximum nighttime chills in the hills.

Best day-trip spots for a steamy soak are the Fang Hot Springs at Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park and, closer to Chiang Mai, Pong Duead at Huay Nam Dang National Park.

Both have hiking trails and impressive viewpoints.

8. Taking a road trip

The roads around Chiang Mai are some of the most scenic in the country.

One of the best known is the Mae Hong Son Loop, a 600-kilometer journey that starts from Chiang Mai, and, traveling counterclockwise, passes through Pai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang before returning to the starting point.

Driving yourself is the best way to do this multiday excursion -- car and motorbike rental shops are found all over the city -- allowing you to stop to admire the mountainous landscape, visit small villages and swim beneath waterfalls.

The shorter, 100-kilometer Samoeng Loop makes for an easy day trip. It passes through Hang Dong and Mae Rim just outside of town.

Both of these loops have food stops along the way, but it never hurts to have bags of sai-ua (northern Thai herb sausages) and sticky rice for a spontaneous hillside picnic en route.

9. Relaxing

The pace of life in Chiang Mai is refreshingly slower than in Bangkok, giving it a sleepy ambiance that adds to its charm.

To indulge in the chilled-out lifestyle, you'll want to kick back in a waterside setting with views of the mountainous surroundings and, of course, good food.

About an hour's drive from town, and a longtail boat ride away, you can dine in one of the floating restaurants in Mae Ngat Reservoir in Sri Lanna National Park -- there's nothing to do here but eat, drink, swim and be merry.

Houseboats can be rented by the day, and if you can't tear yourself away from the scenic surroundings, it's worth staying overnight.

Closer to town, Huay Tung Tao lake has a similar food-nature-and-not-much-else appeal.

Located close to the base of Doi Suthep, the lake is dotted with private open air huts on the water's edge where you can order food from nearby restaurants, swim and just whittle away the day enjoying the moment.

Very relaxed, very Chiang Mai.

GALLERY: Chiang Mai's laid-back street style

10. Seeing the city from the sky

For the best view of the city, you can reach for the skies in a basket.

Weather permitting, Balloon Adventure Thailand (+66 84 611 4128) offers twice-daily hot air balloon flights year-round.

Rides last about 90 minutes.

Morning flights tend to be smoother, and you can enjoy views of rice paddies, sprawling valley floors and 360-degree doi-scapes.

It's quiet up here, so you can be alone with your thoughts, which will most likely turn to the champagne breakfast awaiting at the end of the ride.

MORE: The vegetarian's guide to Thailand travel

Hungary's best wine cellars

Eger, in northeastern Hungary, once changed hands as a trophy during Ottoman invasions. Today it's the center of one of Hungary's best wine regions.

The city still bears traces of its invaders. Its 17th-century Turkish minaret is the most northern in Europe and measures 40 meters high.

The Golen wine cellar in Szepasszonyvolgy produces Menoire, a half-sweet and fruity red wine, low in tannins.

At one time the local red "bulls blood" was supposed to give residents of the main town of Eger supernatural strength to ward off vampirism.

Gacsal is one of 200 individual cellars selling wines in Eger's Szepasszonyvolgy region -- also known as the Valley of the Beautiful Women.

Eger's grape-growing country spreads out into 5,000 hectares of vineyards, and includes wine areas that carry a protected status.

The Hagymasi Cellar is by far the most spectacular, a cathedral to wine carved into a hillside in Szepasszonyvolgy .

Eger Basilica, built by Jozsef Hild in the 1830s, is the second largest church in Hungary.

Eger's original castle was destroyed by the Mongols and rebuilt in 1248 for the city's protection.

• Hungary's northeastern town of Eger lies in the heart of one of the country's best wine regions


• Szepasszonyvolgy, or the Valley of the Beautiful Women, contains more than 200 wine cellars


• Visitors can easily tour the cellars to try and buy wines, in bottles or straight from the barrel

(CNN) -- It may lie in Szepasszonyvolgy -- or what locals call the Valley of the Beautiful Women -- but the Golen Cellar isn't much to look at.

Nevertheless, behind this simple cavern's red doors, stenciled with the image of Bacchus, lie barrels of the best wine to be found in one of Hungary's most beautiful vineyard destinations.

Menoire is a half-sweet and fruity red wine, low in tannins.

My Hungarian mother, whose family once owned vineyards in the area, would bring me here amid the musty aroma of oak barrels and the waft of red onions on zsiros kenyer -- bread topped with lard, onion and paprika.

The wine would be decanted unceremoniously into a huge two-liter recycled Coke bottle.

'Not the rubbish you get in supermarkets'

For her, the wine in the Szepasszonyvolgy recalled her student days in the city's college and her family's connection with the area.

"Your grandfather made white wine like this," she said when tasting a glass of Csersegi Fuszeres, another local favorite.

"This is proper cellar wine, not the rubbish you get in the supermarkets."

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They take wine very seriously in this part of northeastern Hungary, close to the edge of the Bukk Mountains.

At one time the local red "bulls blood" was supposed to give residents of the main town of Eger supernatural strength to ward off vampirism -- a legend born from its violent past as a trophy in battles with Ottoman invaders.

Even when my mother's family lost its vineyards after World War II, my grandfather never gave up making his own wine.

Today, wine is still the blood that flows through the town's culture.

Eger's wine cellars: Thirsty work

Eger is the ideal destination for wine fans looking for an informal tasting trip.

The lack of pretension in the cellars is a big plus for those wanting an introduction to the local produce.

'Bull's blood'

It's the topographical ingredients of the Eger region that make it ideal for winemaking. It has limestone and clay-based slopes along with a cool climate, not dissimilar to Burgundy in France.

Eger's grape-growing country spreads out into 5,000 hectares of vineyards, and includes wines areas that carry a protected status.

Among them is Debroi Harslevelu, a golden wine produced in Eger's Debro district that carries the aroma of linden flowers and a rich sweetness.

Others include Egri Bikaver (better known as the anti-vampiric "bull's blood").

Synonymous with Eger, Egri Bikaver is one of Hungary's most famous red wines, known for its ruby color and spicy notes.

The wine comprises a blend of at least three of 17 red grape types from the Eger district.

It varies between wineries, but the Kadarka grape, supposedly brought over during the Ottoman occupation, often anchors it.

Szepasszonyvolgy and its more than 200 wine cellars are easily reached from the center of Eger via the miniature train that departs from Egeszseghaz Street.

Each cellar has its own distinct flavor.

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The ones located at the base of the valley pulse at night from local activity and live gypsy music, while others are more spartan, pulling in the crowds with quality wine.

The Hagymasi Cellar, at number 19, is by far the most spectacular, a cathedral to wine carved under the hill.

Bull's blood: Eger's wine's have a reputation for strength

It's worth visiting for the architecture alone, or for its pince lepeny, a buckwheat pancake filled with ham and cheese -- perfect to soak up the alcohol.

And, of course, at the top of the hill, at number 28-29, there's the Golen Cellar. These days there's no need to bring your own recycled Coke bottle.

Here are others to try:

St. Andrea

This is a fairly young cellar following traditional and classic methods, aiming to redefine Eger's wines for the 21st century.

Recommended wines: Hangacs Egri Bikaver 2007; Csakegyszoval Pinot Noir 2006 or 2004.

St. Andrea , 88 Ady Endre Street, Egerszalok +36 36 474 018

Kovacs Nimrod

Located in the historic backstreets of Eger, this restored historic winery offers tasting and excellent vintages sought by collectors.

Recommended wines: Nagyeged Furmint 2010; Monopole Rhapsody Bull's Blood 2009.

Kovacs Nimrod, 66 Veroszala Street, Eger +36 36 537 232

Thummerer

Located in the village of Noszvaj, just outside of Eger, this family-run cellar offers high-class, award winning wines you'll find in exclusive restaurants all over Europe.

Recommended wines: Egri Csillag 2012; Vili Papa Cuvee 2006.

Cathedral to wine: Hagymasi Cellar

Thummerer, Szomolyai Street, Noszvaj +36 36 463 269

Juhasz Peter

This wine cellar is located right in the Szepasszonyvolgy, so it's easy to visit for tastings. There's also a wine museum in the cellar.

Recommended wines: Egri Bikaver 2008; Egri Csillag 2011.

Juhasz Peter, Cellar 40, Pinceborozo, Szepasszonyvolgy, Eger, +36-36 436 432

Galtibor

One of the leading wineries in the Eger region, combining traditional techniques with modern technology.

Recommended wine: Egri Bikaver Superior 2009.

Galtibor, 22-32 Veroszala Street, Eger, +36 20 85 25 005

Vincze

Winery with a solid reputation for being one of the top wine makers in the region. It also produces certified organic wines.

Recommended wines: Vincze Cuvee 2002; Egri Pinot Noir 2007.

Vincze , 2 Mester Street, Eger +36 36 427 515

Sike

One of the few local wineries harvesting mature grapes, Sike produces very sweet "ice wines," or wines closely resembling the Hungary's famous sweet Tokaj wines.

Recommended wine: Debroi Harszlevelu Bothrytises 2006.

Sike , 43 Disznofosor Street, Eger +36 30 742 9024

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CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy. Jennifer Walker is an Anglo-Hungarian writer and former physicist living in Budapest. She tweets at @JDWalkerWriter.

9 controversial foods

This critically endangered largest species of amphibian sells for $1,000 apiece in China, due to over-harvesting for the food trade.

This European songbird is a delicacy in France, traditionally consumed whole and beneath a napkin. Poachers illegally kill thousands every year despite conservation efforts by groups such as the French Bird Protection League (pictured).

This critically endangered amphibian may not look appetizing, but it's considered a delicacy in Dominica and Montserrat. Only 8,000 of them are estimated to be left in the world.

Sale of dolphin meat is legal in Japan. Although the methods used in Japanese dolphin killing are controversial, none of the species hunted in Japan is listed as endangered.

The practice of hunting gorillas for meat has pushed the species to the brink of extinction. While the sale of gorilla meat is illegal, markets still sell them in the Republic of the Congo in western Africa.

The echidna is the one of only two species of mammal to lay eggs. Incredibly rare, its main threat is being hunted for human consumption.

The insatiable demand in China for the meat of these shy, armor-plated mammals has led to a sharp decrease in numbers.

Favorites of snorkelers and divers, green sea turtles are also the national dish in the Cayman Islands, served as soups, stews or steaks. It's the only country where it's legal to eat this endangered species.

This expensive dish is traditionally served at weddings in China and other Asian countries. While there has been a campaign to stop the practice, Taiwan is the only Asian country to ban the controversial practice of finning -- removing the shark's fin and throwing the carcass back into the sea.

• Shark fin still consumed regularly in China, though hotels and airlines have recently removed the dish from menus


• Green sea turtle is a delicacy in Cayman Islands, though travelers are advised to avoid it


• Gorillas nearly extinct due to hunting, but still sold as bushmeat in central and Western Africa

(CNN) -- Exotic food is part of the global travel experience.

But recent efforts by conservation groups to ban the much-loved deep fried shark sandwich in Trinidad and Tobago have proved these experiences are often fraught with cultural difficulties, especially for travelers who like to experiment with new experiences.

Sea turtles fight for their lives

China cracks down on shark fin soup

Here are some of the more exotic food items travelers might encounter, along with reasons some say you should avoid them.

Ortolan (France)

The ortolan is a songbird found throughout Europe.

In France, home to one of the largest populations, it's a delicacy traditionally consumed beneath a napkin, because it's eaten whole, the entire creature devoured in one mouthful. The dish featured in the latest "Hannibal" TV series.

Poachers illegally kill thousands every year and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that the species has declined by 30% over the past decade.

"The population has declined steadily due to illegal hunting purely to satisfy epicurean appetites," says Professor Stanley Temple, a conservation expert at the University of Wisconsin.

"We have a terrible history of decimating birds like the ortolan, which are hunted solely for illicit profit."

MORE: 10 best French restaurants in Paris

Often served at banquets, recently some restaurants have removed shark fin soup from their menus.

Shark fin (China)

"One quarter of species of shark are at risk of extinction and demand for fins is a substantial component of this threat," says Professor Michael McCarthy, a conservationist at the University of Melbourne.

You're mostly likely to come across shark fin soup in China, where the expensive dish is traditionally served at weddings, or to welcome guests and to show respect at other formal occasions.

In Asia, consumption of shark fins and meat is legal, and Taiwan is the only Asian country to ban the controversial practice of finning, which involves removing the shark's fin and discarding the rest of the carcass at sea.

Recently some airlines and hotels in Hong Kong removed shark fin from their menus in response to the controversy and China banned the serving of shark fin at official government banquets.

MORE: More airlines ban shark fin cargo

MORE: China bans shark fin dishes at official banquets

Green sea turtle (Cayman Islands)

Travelers are most likely to find green sea turtle meat in the Cayman Islands (where it's regarded as a national dish and legal to consume and breed the species), throughout the Caribbean, Asia and some of the U.S. southern states, although it's illegal to import, sell, or transport the species in the United States.

Diminishing numbers and the widely condemned breeding conditions found at the world's only legal breeding facility in the Cayman Islands mean travelers should avoid this dish, according to some.

Oman's princess of the seas

"Whilst some local communities may depend on turtle meat for subsistence and cultural reasons, there's no need for travelers or tourists to eat this endangered animal," points out Elise Neve at the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

MORE: 10 top Caribbean secrets

Inside the illegal wildlife trade

Pangolin (China)

If you're keen to impress friends with tales of exotic foods the pangolin might tick the box, but increased demand has wreaked havoc for the creature, despite its unappetizing appearance.

You're most likely to find a plateful of pangolin in China, where it's now illegal to hunt the animal.

The pangolins' secretive, solitary and nocturnal habits have made it hard to estimate numbers, although records point to a sharp decrease.

7 ways to save the pangolin

"Pangolins look like armor-plated lizards, but are shy, nocturnal mammals," explains Simon Pope, director of campaigns and communications at World Society for the Protection of Animals.

"The wildlife trade network TRAFFIC has reported that the insatiable demand for pangolin meat has decimated populations and demand from China is now seeing pangolins in Africa being hunted for the Asian restaurant market."

MORE: Off the menu: China moves to protect endangered species

One of only two mammal species to lay eggs, the echidna is being helped by breeding programs in zoos.

Western long-beaked echidna (Papua New Guinea)

The Western long-beaked echidna's native home is New Guinea, but the threat of extinction looms large due to hunting for human consumption.

It's one of only two species of mammal to lay eggs (the other is the platypus), and is key to understanding mammalian evolution.

The Papua New Guinean government has banned commercial hunting but traditional hunting with dogs is permitted.

They're now incredibly rare in New Guinea, but breeding programs carried out by zoos in other countries are going some way to safeguard the species' future.

Mountain chicken/giant ditch frog (Dominica, Montserrat)

This super-sized amphibian may not look too appealing as a delicacy, but its popularity in the Caribbean has seen the population decline by 80% over the past decade.

The meat regularly appears on restaurant menus, although it's now only found on Dominica and Montserrat.

The IUCN, which lists the species as critically endangered, says up to 36,000 were being killed every year as recently as 2002, and estimates there are now just 8,000 remaining.

Trailblazing vet protects gorillas

Healthy gorillas, healthy communities

Ecotourism protects mountain gorillas

Gorilla (Republic of the Congo)

Gorillas have been pushed to the brink of extinction due to their popularity as bushmeat.

In cities such as Pointe Noire in the Republic of the Congo, smoked gorilla meat is sold openly (but illegally) at markets.

It's believed that more than 400 gorillas are killed for bushmeat every year, despite the fact that the species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

The species' low productive rates mean that even low levels of hunting have a devastating effect on populations.

MORE: 10 things to know before visiting Democratic Republic of Congo

Chinese giant salamander (China)

Chinese giant salamanders are the largest species of amphibian and live in lakes and rivers in southern China.

Over the past 30 years, over-harvesting for the food trade -- they sell for $1,000 a piece -- has seen an 80% decline in numbers, and it's now classed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Over-harvesting hasn't just threatened its survival but stunted its growth -- scientists believe that hunters' preference for larger salamanders is the reason they no longer grow beyond six feet in length.

"Chinese giant salamander should always be avoided," says Claire Christian at the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. "This species has declined to extremely low levels."

Cameras roll at Japanese dolphin slaughter

Debating Japan's dolphin slaughter

Dolphin (Japan, Taiwan)

Sale of dolphin meat for consumption is common and legal in Japan, although it's often mislabeled and sold as whale meat, which sells for much more.

Although the way in which the dolphins are killed is controversial, most notably as highlighted by the movie "The Cove," none of the species being hunted in Japan are listed as endangered.

In Taiwan, the catching, selling and consumption of dolphin meat was banned in 1989.

Despite this, 1,000 dolphins are caught illegally there every year and dolphin fishcakes are often sold openly at street food stalls, especially in Western Taiwan.

MORE: Japan officials defend dolphin hunting at Taiji Cove