July 22nd 2008
Animal Planet’s “Whale Wars” Looks To Kick Serious Ass
Network to get a bit edgier with new series
Filed under: animals, film-tv, television — michael @ 12:34 pm
Animal Planet is pulling back the curtain on what exactly happens when the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society heads out to antagonize the Japanese Whaling fleet. The result is a new television series premiering in November called Whale Wars. As The Daily Green revealed in their preview of the show, “ships are rammed, stink bombs tossed, anti-whaling declarations are broadcast over loud speakers, and whales are chased to safety.” Sounds pretty intense. Here’s a bit more from the release,
“Sea Shepherd’s 2007-2008 campaign - and the story that WHALE WARS tells - was named Operation Migaloo and was replete with many incidents for the international-born crew. Two of the most notable incidents included the capture of two of its crew - Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane - by one of the Japanese ships, and the gunshot inflicted upon Paul Watson, allegedly fired from one of the Japanese crew, according to Sea Shepherd. The Japanese fell nearly 500 whales short of the season’s quota, and according to Sea Shepherd and its standards, the 2007-2008 campaign was very successful.”
Doesn’t really look like your average Animal Planet show, does it? Whatever helps propel Watson and his Sea Shepherds org into the public eye is fine by us — especially when folks truly see what goes down out on the hunt. Bring on November!
Whoa I cant wait for this show! I hope they add it onto the Animal Planet Canada lineup!
I love Sea Shepherd! I know a couple of their UK crew and they’re awesome. I hope this show helps to put them more into the public eye
[...] Sea Shepherd is an international non-profit working for marine wildlife conservation, and they’re known for using kick-ass direct action to investigate, defend, and shut down evil wrong doers. This, fall the org will be featured in a new documentary series on Animal Planet called Whale Wars. [...]
Ah,yes glorifying terrorists. That’s real nice.
Hi Bruce,
Sea Shepherd campaigns are guided by the United Nations World Charter for Nature. Sections 21-24 of the Charter provides authority to individuals to act on behalf of and enforce international conservation laws.
Sea Shepherd cooperates fully with all international law enforcement agencies and its enforcement activities complying with standard practices of law and policing enforcement.
Sea Shepherd adheres to the utilization of non-violent principles in the course of all actions and has taken a standard against violence in the protection of the oceans.
The Japanese Whalers are
* Hunting intelligent social beings in a whale sanctuary.
* In violation of an Australian Federal Court Ruling stating that what they are doing in the Australian Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is illegal under Australian Federal Law.
* Illegally re-fueling in a pristine environment
* Illegally carrying armed personel on board their vessels.
These Japanese Whalers are no different to elephant or tiger poachers, and those poachers are SHOT on sight!
Sea Shepherd throws stink bombs and in retaliation the Japanese Whalers are throwing concussion grenades and firing live shots! One hitting Captain Paul Watson.
Please explain your labelling of Sea Shepherd being a “Terroist” organisation!
I would really like to hear your justification for this!
Do you consider an organisation that is doing its outmost to save the planet a terroist organisation?
In 31 years of operation, Sea Shepherd has NEVER injured anyone and has never been convicted of any crime.
Please explain your statement Bruce, I would love to hear your justification?
Thanks
Jeff
I loved how even before they found they Japanese fleet they almost drowned half the crew and ruined a helo!
Damn hippies!
I think that Whale Wars is awesome! I spent some of my summer studying whales peacefully up in Massachusetts with The Lady Maryland. Whales need to be protected from evil whale hunters, and The Sea Sheppard and its crew are doing an amazing job! KEEP KICKING ASS!!!
Stupid hippies! Sea Shepard should be taken under arrest for eco-terroism! This is ridiculous they show this sh*t on AP! No proof that they are NOT harvesting whales for research. All I know is I would kick these hippies in the face if they jumped on my ship or threw some stink bombs… dude not even fu*king cool!
I dunno about this… I’m a pretty liberal person, but I have a hard time with this show. From what I have seen so far of Paul Watson, I don’t really like the guy, nor have I seen anything so far that makes me respect him.
He is abrasive, stubbornly opinionated, extremely judgmental and manipulative. His comments about his all-volunteer, inexperienced crew being sissies (paraphrasing) for getting sea-sick for what he considers not having the right “mind-set” and completely disregarding a medical and physiological basis for sea-sickness is a case in point. Jesus Christ, dude, you *need* a volunteer crew, and they haven’t been on the seas for 30 friggin’ years, let them get their sea legs, for f@&k sakes! Quit-yer-bitchin abd be greatful that you have people who are willing to put up with you for even five minutes! Shit knows I have a hard enough time listening to you from my living room!
He guilt-tripped that guy into boarding that ship because he damaged the rotor on the helicopter, and got pissy when his volunteers didn’t “jump at the chance” to risk their lives do a degree that meets his own expectations based on his own beliefs. And they even admitted that boarding ships is something that they had *never* attempted in the 30 years they’ve been doing this. On what basis is Mr. Watson entitled to get bent out of shape when people don’t masturbate his superiority complex?
I don’t care *how* you spin this or what your argument or justification is, but you *can’t* say that someone is being held against their will when they volunteered to be held captive in the first place. I’m sorry. But you are not a *hostage* when you voluntarily climb aboard somebody else’s ship for the purpose of being detained. Captain Watson got on the radio and lied about what was happening. Again, whatever your motives, it is really hard to be empathetic with a liar and distorter of the truth. Not only that, but it makes me question his *entire* argument that he is justified in his actions in the first place! His actions make his pill a little too large to swallow!
Lastly, I find it disgusting that Paul Watson gets on the radio and tries to goad the Japanese into a fight, suggests that the translator send the message for the Japanese crew to “kill themselves” and watch everyone on the bridge of the Sea Shepard laugh and jeer and say extraordinarily grotesque things about other human beings. I don’t care how much you disagree with someone, it doesn’t justify that prideful, hateful attitude. Honestly, it is incredibly embarrassing and I think a disservice towards their goal. This is on national television. I feel accosted by just watching this show!
I wish the show was a bit more transparent in what they’re doing. It’s kind of like, “They’re breaking the law, according to us. Just take our word for it. NOW LETS GO (peacefully) BE CONFRONTATIONAL, INSULTING AND RACIST TOWARDS THOSE DAMN JAPS! YYYAAAYYY”
Honestly, from what I have seen from two episodes of this show, I am just as embarrassed and disgusted by Paul Watson as I am by fundamentalist conservative Jesus freaks who scream about dinosaurs, monkeys and “family values.”
Really, Green Peace did the right thing by kicking Mr. Watson out.
Some what I agree, however, the thought is there and the men and women who risk their lives are the real show. Paul Watson doesn’t give a crap about his fine crew, only about himself. I love the show, but clearly, it would be 100% better without his lack of concern for his own crew. Notice he didn’t offer to jump on the Japanese ship himself, probably too fat, but he offered up his crew like lambs going to the slaughter. It is clear that their deaths wouldn’t mean anything to this man.
not only is he an ass he’s also a racist
“It has as much cultural significance to “native americans”?, as your consuption of alcohol or gambling revenue does” -Paul Watson
first of all, why do these egotistical green peace idiots try and save the whales? 99.9% of organisms that ever lived are extinct now. so whatever these damn hippies do, it’s ultimately futile. people should stop playing god. if these whales deserve to live, evolution will allow them to grow AK-47s on their heads and defend themselves.
green peace is an organization full of idiots who can’t get a decent job. i hope you have fun going home after this show ends, only to find your credit card bill is way over due. and o what else, your husband/wife is actually sleeping with your neighbor. here’s a little bit of practical advice. get a decent job, make an honest living, and TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN LIFE FIRST BEFORE YOU TRY AND TAKE CARE OF THE WHALES!!!
for the record this show has inspired me to eat more whale meat and just kill animals for fun b/c i can. so good job green peace.
I believe this show is full of nonsense. This show has people that have no life doing nothing but blaming the japanese for killing the whale. Long time ago, people, NOT THE JAPANESE killed so many whales that the whales almost got extinct! At least the japanese people are not killing mother & baby whales but old whales that are not going to mate anymore!. ALSO, when the retards who throw in those bomb thingys, many japanese people get hurt and they didn’t do anything wrong! [wtf] and when the so called, “whale saver’s” boat crashes, the JAPANESE people help them! I dont know who thought about this show but I believe this show is full of crap and it doesn’t have what it takes to be on animal planet.