The Green Quote: Sea Shepherd’s Paul Watson On The Moment That Changed His Life

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by Michael dEstries April 20, 2009
Categories: Animals
Tags: .

paulwatson

‘They harpooned a female in the head. She screamed, and it’s a sound like a woman screaming, and then this huge male slapped his tail on the water and hurled himself at the Soviet ship. They harpooned him and he fell back and swam right at us and reared up out of the water. We thought, “This is it, he’s going to slam down on us, it’s all over.” But he didn’t. He pulled back at the last moment and spared our lives, and as he slid back into the water we saw his eye, which was the size of a dinner plate, and in that whale’s eye I saw recognition, compassion, empathy, an understanding. Something passed between us and it changed my life for ever.’

– Paul Watson speaking to the UK Telegraph on the moment (while with Greenpeace in 1975) that made him decide to take action against illegal whale hunting.


Categories: Animals
Tags: .

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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  • Jason

    I can’t wait for the day when there will be legislation that let’s you disable their operations completely and arrests and penalties be enforced. Never would I wish death upon someone, but hopefully, those who harpoon will be met with a minimum equivalent in their karma.

  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com erin

    If someone could see a cow’s eye or a pig’s eye spare them (pigs are damn smart) then maybe they wouldn’t kill and eat them either. Beautiful story though…

    E

  • Kristin

    Haunting. . . .

  • Sheyla

    wonderfull work in the fight for the captain not killing whales. I admire you,
    I would like to work with you:=)

  • Truth follower

    I do not like the killing of whales but most of all I do not like the untruth. The tv series Whale Wars where Paul was shot was so fake that it was funny. Then all the crew believing it to be true was so lame. The size of the slug removed from the bullet proof vest would have knocked Paul down and left a large blunt force trauma wound to his upper chest. Yes I think Paul is a brave man for what he does but come on why attack our intelligence. If the crew really believed he was shot then they must be brain washed into believing what ever Paul says. Almost sounds a little like David Koresh. Or maybe it was just for the viewers. It removes allot of the creditability that he and the show needs. This stunt shows how he would us the untruth to get the results he wants. Saint uses the untruth to do his dirty work while letting mans emotions take over and do something dumb or against good judgment.

  • http://calsbooks.com Cal Smith

    Truth Forever. Paul freely admits that truth is not important in the battle to protect animals. Perhaps he was dramatizing the incident. So what? Why do you want to criticize, when the drama helped focus attention on the evil of the event he was apposing? Your commments are negative and stupid. We need fewer self-righteous critics like you and more brave fighters like Paul Watson.

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