This year’s “Whale Wars” may be over, but Paul Watson, captain of the Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin, is claiming victory — and promising a return next year with an ever faster boat.

Before the announcement was made to end the campaign, however, the Irwin had a violent impact with the Japanese whaling vessel, Yushin Maru No.1. According to reports, Watson claims that the vessel “swept in front of him to clear the Steve Irwin away from the stern of the factory ship Nisshin Maru so it could take a whale aboard.”

Watching the below video, it appears that it’s the Steve Irwin that plows into the Japanese ship instead. The footage was shot by another whaling vessel. If so, this goes well beyond the group’s “annoyance” tactics and drifts straight into violent waters. I’m all for the protection of animals — and I’ve defended Sea Shepherd before — but endangering lives with these tactics is just stupid and counterproductive to the cause. Let us know your thoughts below.

Categories: Animals, Internet, Video.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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