The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a direct action animal rights organization led by Captain Paul Watson, will get some well-deserved attention in an upcoming seven-part Animal Planet television series titled “Whale Wars,” set to premier November 7th.
The group formed in 1977 after Watson, one of the founders of Greenpeace, became frustrated with the seminal environmental group’s hesitation to engage in direct action. Since then the group has faced down whalers year-after-year by literally chasing their ships around the open seas.
Unlike most direct action activism, Watson insists that Sea Shepherd’s anti-whaling campaigns are entirely legal. He cites international treaties under the International Whaling Commission that state that any human has the right to interfere with illegal poaching or whaling. While the laws exist, Watson says that Sea Shepherd are the only ones enforcing them. He has been arrested numerous times across the globe but has never been convicted of any wrongdoing.
Last winter, the crew prevented the Japanese from killing at least 300 whales, but not without a fight. The television show documents all the action, including a dramatic hostage situation, flash grenades, gunfire, and full-throttled chases through to antarctic seas. Quite frankly, I wish I had cable.
This teaser gives you a taste of what to expect:
Looking for more on Sea Shepherd? Check out some related posts:
- Greenpeace vs. Sea Shepherd: An Unfortunate Conflict
- Japan Plans to Arrest Sea Shepherd Crew
- Sea Shepherd Now has Former US Navy Lieutenant Onboard
- Animal Planet, Daryl Hannah Join Sea Shepherd Crew For More Whale Wars
- “Madagascar Two” Movie Inaccurate According to Sea Shepherd
- Australia, Greenpeace Opt Out of This Winter’s ‘Whale Wars’
- Japan Accuses Animal Planet of EcoTerrorism Prior to “Whale Wars” Premiere
Image Credit: Paul Watson via Wiki Commons
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Alex Felsinger
Alex is primarily concerned with animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and environmental justice. As a freelance writer in San Francisco, he leads a deliberately simplistic and thrifty lifestyle, yet still can’t help gawking at the newest green gadgets and zero-emission concept cars.
168 Responses to New ‘Whale Wars’ TV Series Documents Anti-Whaling Activists
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It fascinates me that people are fixated on the Japanese.
The Norwegians are allowed to hunt up to 850 whales. Why aren't they defiled. What eskimo and inuit tiribes. They are allowed to hunt whales and all kinds of sea mammals. Are they not EEEEVIL as well.
[...] covered Sea Shepherd and their new television [...]
Is it true that Australia is going to sew the Japanese whalers for hunting in the whale statuary ? If so what is going on with that ?
Whale Wars = Somali Pirates = Al-Qaida = Hamas. Next thing you know I'll be pushed off the road while in my toyota by a big black 18 wheeler with a Jolly Rodger painted on the side, and while me and my family lay in a ditch, IED stink bombs will we thrown at us while the whole time the truck driver is yelling out the window "Free Gaza !!!!!"
That there be funny stuff!
how do i contact or join the sea shepherd
Well lets see if you're qualified.
1. Do you absolutely no seafaring or sailing skills whatsoever?
2. Are you completely ignorant of international law?
3. Does your need to be on tv outweigh any common sense?
Answering yes to any of these makes you qualified for sea shepherd duty. The sad most people could answer yes to any these questions.
I'm sure there are thousands who want join this merry little band. And like so many people who want be on these reality shows, 99.9999% don't get on. Also like most reality shows (an irony sense they usually have nothing to do with reality) the people are cast as they would be in a film or play. The producers want people who can elicit an emotional response.
No Mike they don't want you. They want your $$$$$$. The best way you can help them is go to their website buy a t-shirt.
Money hungry morans,what more can you say.IT'S enough the oil companies are killing all living animals in the ocean,now we have this.Don't you think it's all motivated by the almighty dollar.I just don't know what
more to do about this.The captain of the Sea Sheppard is afraid to do much of anything.Following behind
a commercial ship is not enough.The young men and women on the ship are willing to give their lives for these wonderful creatures.For God sake use more drastic measures.now before it's too late.I had to walk away I could not watch anymore ….
Fay
Well of coarse its about the all the mighty dollar, pound, franc, shekel, yen, euro or whatever monetary unit, and that is truly the only way whaling can be stopped. Economic pressure on the Japanese. What is the whale market? I mean the harvesting cost alone is enormous. A huge processing ship, harpoon boats, chasing boats, you add in fuel costs labor costs, this stuff ain't cheap. So who buys whale products? That is how you stop whaling. Go after that market. The idiots on this TV SHOW aren't going to.
They can't get much more "drastic". That will invite the whaling fleet to GET REAL with these guys. According to maritime law they would be justified in hiring private security forces. Those people are not known for their patience and understanding.
And lets be honest here. The Sea Shepard is not ALL noble. There is an economic angle for them as well.
Oh by the way Norway is allowed under international law to hunt whales. Why doesn't the Skipper and Gilligan annoy them?
I have admit I get a real chuckle when these clowns get one uped by the Japanese.
I'm not in favor of whaling really I'm not. But these Whale Wars people are SO annoyingly self righteous it's hard to take them seriously. Remember when the captain was supposedly "shot"? Please, I've mashed pimples that were more life threatening.
Its like a bad sit-com. Doesn't Captain Paul and his first mate resemble the skipper and Gilligan?
BIG FAN.OFF THE WHALE WAR
I LOVE WGALES
this is what is wrong with people now days,if we dont live by THERE right and wrong they throw a fit and resort to terrorism type acts,just like tree hugging wacko's,animal rights idiots,etc,etc,i dont think people should be homosexual but im not out targeting them and bombing there home or cars.people need to keep there views in there own house and out of ours.
These guys are ignorant. They will continue to whale no matter how much of our Earths recources that the Steve Erwin wastes. It seems that they do not care for human life (including their own). I have watched lots of episodes only to see how unlogical the captian Paul is and how harmless that the whalers are towards them. All that the Whalers have done is to do their job. Why arent there activists at our local farms crying for the cows we kill to eat? I dont trust ecoterrorists because they are hipocrytes. Again they waste valuable recources of our planet and would go as far as to spoil meat of already killed whales. That is stupid because if you spoil the meat of a dead whale then they will have to kill another in its place and the whale already killed would die in vain. Get a grip people you make me sick
I hope Paul is a good captain and goes down with the ship. He and that crew are nothing more than terrorists and pirates.
AGREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO SEA SHEPHERD!!!!
Justin – 'The sea shepherd should stop what they are doing because they will never stop the Japan people.'
So does this mean we should not have Police – because criminals will never stop what they do either.
The sea shepherd should stop what they are doing because they will never stop the Japan people. they claim they are here for the whales and they are not against harming just preventing but they are ramming japan ships and boats? WTF idiots just give up Paul you need a real job.
retard, thanks for your responce. why don't they use those t-shirt launchers they use at sporting events. ha ha . these tree huggers have to much time on their hands the need real jobs like the rest of us. what a waste of time and $. but it is a very funny show none the less.
levi strouss:
I guess I came off too strong. Again, I agree with the cause, but their means to an end is obviously not working. There are so many better ways of doing what the crew does on a daily basis. In desperate times, one must think outside of the box.
Why don't they make the stink bombs a little smaller and use a water-balloon launcher? Why don't they set up plexiglass around the Steve Irwin so that the crew doesn't get hit directly by the water canons? Why does the crew not invest some time and effort into marine devices that may scare or thwart off the whales from swimming near the harpoon ships? Why doesn't the helicopter drop things from above like stink bombs or things into the water near the whales to scare them off (This may be too dangerous when considering the repercussions, however)?
These are just some of the things that I can think of in two minutes. Imagine what experienced captains and marine biologists may be able to think of. And yes, if I joinded the crew, the combined I.Q. would only be 1.5 points higher.
hey retard, why don't you go and help on the ship and you could increase their i.q. by 1 or 2 points.
Wow. I was just unfortunate enough to read someone's post that included biblical scriptures. What does religion have anything to do with hunting whales? As a matter of fact, I stopped reading that post after i saw that another hyper-religious freak tried to implement religion and whaling. LOL! What is wrong with everyone? I am against whales being hunted in such vast numbers, but the Steve Irwin crew's average I.Q. is 71…just above mentally retarded.
Oh my gosh. It's like the special olympics on water! It is so hilarious how futile their efforts are. I don't need to give examples, because several times every episode several of the retards really do shine. I thought that it was a satire at first. The crew accomplish absolutely nothing. They don't have any experience, knowledge about marine life, nor do they deter the Japanese whatsoever. Please, please don't watch this show. Don't fuel Animal Planet's fire to keep broadcasting this crap.
Hi ,
It is sicken me that this whaling stuff is still happening. If I didn't get sea sick I would do a month on the Sea shepherd myself as a cook . If there was a for sure pill to take I would take it and join them all.
Why cant they come up with there own L-Rad device that will go into the water and scare the whales away from the harpoon ships. just far enough so that the whales are not in that GOD awful Harpoon guns way . or distance. There must be some kinda of wave frequency that is silent to the human ear and not the whales.Yet still wont hurt the whale ?
Thank you and please ask them this .
BEST FISHING SHOW I'VE EVER SEEN, MOVE OVER ROLAND MARTIN AND MOVE UP WHALE WARS. AS LONG AS THEY KEEP ON KILLING WHALES, IM GONNA KEEP ON WATCHING
Why can Sea Shepred come up with there own L-RAD device that they can put into the water and it will scare the whales away from those harpoon ships and mother ship ! One that humans can't hear ,but the whales can . keep the whales away from those NASTY harpoon ships !!!
you guys should get a torpeedo and breech the hull with it!
FOR THE WHALES!!!!!!!
Whale Wars – The Steve Irwin Crew – I love the show and the crew.
Keep of the great work and THANK YOU for making a differance!
what i think of the show i think someone might get to extreme and kill someone it might not be the crew of the of the Steve Irwin but another group will attack the whalers and then the whalers will attack back and all deaths will be on the heads of the crew of the of the Steve Irwin thats what i think i don't care if you replay
and using the name of Steve Irwin should be a crime Steve Irwin was a Great man
thank you have a nice day
pablo, take care hope to see ya on next season of whale wars. maybe you can make a difference. or go down with the ship. there i go again saying something i will have to say i'm sorry for later. pablo , stay on dry land i would hate to hear that anything happened to you. one last ? are you native american?
Whale wars is the worst piece of television junk that I have seen. I am dissapointed that this garbage continues to be aired on Animal Planet. Paul Watson, the so-called captain ,is an embaresment to sea captains around the world who have the responsibility to protect their crew.
I believe the episode where he found a bullet in his vest was a sham and why didn't he provide the rest of the crew with vests.Over zealous nieve crew members are sent on small boats on dangerous missions without proper seamanship training. I believe that this lack of training resulted in a crew member getting hurt. They are sent on missions without proper briefing. In one episode the crew was sent on a small boat to attack a whale shipand the crew ship misunderstood the code word and performed the wrong operation. A ships crew needs to be disciplined and aboard this ship is everything but. The crew does just about anything it wants. The few brief moments that I have seen of the show lead me to believe that this is the reality version of the Keyston Cops. What they are doing is illegal and should be tried tried by an international court. Maybe then we would have a real reality show – Jail Wars.
Levi,
I don't wanna be hard on you buddy, but come on man! Are you serious? How old are you?
How more irrational can you get?
You raise cows and chickens under federal regulations, in addition they are not endangered animals you dummy! Are you in elementary? This is called management of our naturall resources. We need to eat, not wipe the animals off the face of the Earth. We are going to need more people like the Shepherds. It is their good intention towards the protection of our natural resources that count if we want to make the change before it is too late.
You are a soul in conflict. Man, you are confussed!
I guess people like you should re-encarnate (something I don't beieve in by the way) in a whale and be slaughter by the Japanese and become extinct to get the point.
By the way, this is the last message that I will address to you. No hard feelings Levi.
What do you think Paul? I don't know, their whalers, they don't think like you and I.
That is right the whalers are efficient and well organized in what they do.
pablo, what if some special interst group thinks that you raising cows or chickens for food is not environmentally friendly and come's to your house or farm and let's your aminals "free"or throws stink bombs and make's it imposible for you to havest your food. would that be lawful? the whalers are acting within the law. anyone stupid enough to put his life in danger for a whale or any animal for that matter is an idiot.
Llevi,
Apology accepted. Yes, the book of Genesis tells us that God has given us full authority over the resources that this Earth offers. We are the managers of the Earth, but we haven't done a very nice job, don't you think?. We exploit the Earth to serve our interests without thinking of the future. We are strange beings; eventhough we know that we are headed to our own destruction, we don't do anything about it. It's like if there is a force keeping us from making the change. Look for example at our dependance on fossil fuel for example. We know that it pollutes the air and that it contributes to global warming, yet, we continue driving our cars everyday. This is why any help towards the protection of our resoucers (such as the Spehers) should be admired and enforced by our governments. I know that the Shephers are not the Navy Seals, but at lest they are doing something about it. I am not a vegan. I eat meat from animals that we manage such as beef and chicken and fish that have been farmed. We can do without killing whales and other endangered species.
Pablo, Read genesis chapter 1:26-31. God has given it all to us. For either food or clothing. Are you a vegan? Sorry about the tree comment. That was out of line.
Levi,
"Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. "This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. "One thing we know: our god is also your god. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. Chief Seattle
This is a thought for the whalers… why not put some hooks on the bottom keel of your boat… this will catch and stop the prop fowlers from reaching your props… when you are clear you can free the lines by simply reversing. Please pass this on if you are in touch with the whalers! I would love to see my idea in action.
mary, nice job on the math.
pablo, go hug a tree
These liberals really are something else! They are attacking the japanese boats with slime and stink bombs and trying to disable their prop in the middle of an arctic ocean and they are "surprised at the violence the whalers have shown" when the whalers were throwing metal bolts at the sea shepherds to deter them????? That was the most dim witted comment I have ever heard, and I have heard a lot of them. The solution is to round up all of the vegans, liberals, and tree huggers and give them their own country and make them stay there. Hunting whales should not be done in this day and age, but you goobers saying that a dogs life is more important than a humans is just bad thinking.
THE DUM DUNG EATERS ON PAGE FIVE SHOULD DIE FOR THIER COMMENTS WHALES LIVE AND BREATH JUST LIKE U IDIOTS
THEY CANT PROTECT THEM SELVES THEY NEED HELP ALL THEY CAN GET FROM US
I am amazed to read the comments of people who oppose or think that these "whale shephers" are stupid or out of place. No wonder why this planet is in peril! These guys at least have the balls to do something about the destruction of our environment. They should be admired for risking their lives for the protection of these poor whales that are being attacked and killed. I don't care if these whales are being hunted legally. They should be left alone and in peace. A decade ago these animals were about to go extict and now that they are just recovering they are being hunted again especially by the Japanese and the Chinese. These whales should't pay the price for the out of control and hubger demanding Asian population boost. I don't care if these are international waters…..it is our planet and we only have one. WAKE UP YOU BUNCH OF IGNORANTS!!!!!!!!!
Kuddos to the whole crew and Paul Watson! They might be a bunch of fools according to some people on this thread, but anyone who would even dare to go out on an old ship in the rough seas for any cause whatsoever, is a hero to me! There are 6 billion people on this earth and out of that 6 billion are a few 30 or so people that are willing to make a difference to the whales, not even for human beings. That goes to show that 5 billion 970 million of us are more concerned about ourselves than getting out of ourselves to help maintain this fragile eco-system we have now.
After watching the show for 2 seasons now I am glad I am not the only one who thinks Paul Watson is a wantabe despot. He fits the bill: taking risks with no thought of the young ideal driven spoiled college kids that feel they need to put their lives on the line for a cause to feel alive, guilting them into taking risks he will not take himself, he takes no resposibility for mistakes made on the ship, a true captin knows the buck stops with him or her. Tell me he is not F@*king Shannon Mann, the young communications officer you are blind.
What incompetence on the bridge of the Steve Irwin! The First Mate better start to understand ice maps! While the Sea Sheperds are to be commended, the way those people operate that ship scares the living daylights out of me. What a bunch of "Keystone Cops" running around. Just unbelievable. Quite frankly, they are their own worst enemy, not the Japanese whalers. That ship almost went down in that ice field where it had NO business being. The only person with any sense I could see was the ex-naval officer Jane Taylor and what she is doing with inept bridge crew, is beyond me.
I have to agree with the other assessments of Peter Brown… He pisses me off more each week…. Also they are working with 30 year old equipment… What kind of environmental damage are they doing with the old engine technology…. Does anyone know if there are individual e-mails available for the crew,,, I would like to contact them directly!
I've been looking for a place to post a comment on this show and this seems like as good a place as any.
I have been watching this show with my 12 year old son and both of us repeatedly come up with the same comments.
We think that what the Steve Irwin is doing is admirable and at it's core is the right thing. BUT, they are a floating Cluster-F8&K in how they do it.
It actually makes me angry to see how much they bumble and stumble their way into each encounter with the whalers. One mistake after another in poorly thought out methodology, poorly executed procedures, and in a few cases flat out incompetence in leadership. The 1st mate is an a$$hole who shouldn't be anywhere near the bridge of a ship much less leading people on a turn at the helm.
Maybe a half dozen of this years current crew (at least the ones so far that are shown on the program because of creative editing by the producers) seem to have a clue what they are doing. The rest look like fools that have their own personal issues to work out. I am sure that the supporting volunteers that are crewing the ship are all there out of true beliefs in the core of the mission, but they are being led by a group of incompetent morons. But if I was stuck in the belly of a ship trying to keep from becoming the next titanic, I'd be pissed as hell at the idiot who got my zero rated ship into an iceflow.
If only these guys actually got themselves organized and "trained", they might actually be effective. Istead of getting lost for a day or two in an iceflow and wasting fuel and other resources trying to make up for dumb a$$ mistakes, they might actually have the time to do something to help the whales. Instead they barely make it to harass one of the fleet ships and then have to turn to go back to refuel.
I'd consider donating if it didn't seem like I would be pissing my money away on a bunch of fools.
Anyway, I hope this does keep going and improves. Maybe they will learn from their mistakes and get better. Either way, I am still watching.
I think that all of the crew members have a true passion about saving whales. But having this passion doesn't mean that they would make a good crew. It seems like a bunch of inexperienced deckhands as well as a captain. Good thought, bad execution.
Whats the fastest whale in the Southern Seas?
A.) Minke Whale
B.) Fin Whale
C.) Blue Whale
Ans.
The one with the harpoon in its back.
i think if they what to have any chance of saving whales they should drop peter brown off on the nearest iceburg.
what a waste of time and money. i watched last year and there was no clear evidence that these stupid hippies saved even one whale. someone is making money off of this and it surely is not the whales.
If anything, this show works against itself. Instead of possibly promoting an anti-whaling surge within the hearts of people, it will probably just cause people to lose all respect for these self proclaimed "warriors" and their mission. First of all, the ship "Steve Irwin" is 30 plus years old, using outdated equipment and constantly faulty mechanics, the Steve Irwin is a disaster that has happened and is waiting to happen again. It is not designed for ice fields even though a good portion of her sailing is done in antarctic ice infested waters. Second of all, her crew, is anything but cut out for the job. Most of them are classic super liberal hippies, most with no sea fairing experience. They constantly preach their anti-whaling stance yet only briefly do we see choice members engaged in direct confrontation with the whaling boats. Third of all, Captain Watson. Still active in his cause, he is truly the president bush of the anti-whaling hippie sect. Using his incompetence, he guides his crew into "battle" with whaling ships, often using devastating techniques such as stink bombs and putting a crew member on a ship. Captain Watson is far from a captain and far from sea worthy, often guiding the Steve Irwin into suicide missions from the comfort of his bed. Even in the worst of situations we see messengers running back and forth between the deck and Watson's cabin. All in all, the Steve Irwin and its crew are equivalent to a small boy trying to stop a parade.
I've been going to sea for 25 years. At 44 years of age all I can say is that it is truly comendable to be willing to die for what it is you beleive in, think
world military, but to be a total jack ass about the
way you do it, deserves you every bit of grief you experience before you die doing it. These people are fools
I’m all for the mission of saving whales. But I would NEVER get on a boat with Peter Brown! For having been on a ship for decades, he’s the most incompetent man I’ve ever seen. Last season he slacked off holding the bow line causing the tender to capsize, and this year he can’t understand basic navigational instructions allowing the ship to slam into icebergs. Somebody throw him off the boat!