Discovery Announces 'Whale Wars: Viking Shores' Premiere Date

Discovery Announces ‘Whale Wars’ Spinoff Premiere Date

by Jennifer Mishler March 19, 2012
Categories: Animals, Causes, Environment, Film/TV.
Photo: Sea Shepherd/Bill Rankin

Whale Wars, Animal Planet’s series following the Antarctic anti-whaling campaigns of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, seems to keep growing in popularity. More viewers are sure to tune in for this year’s season after Operation Divine Wind ended with the whaling fleet heading home early.

Last year, Animal Planet announced that a spinoff of the popular series would be coming. The spinoff would feature Sea Shepherd’s campaign in the Faroe Islands against an annual season of pilot whale slaughters, known as “the Grind.” Now, after reports that some viewers have already seen a preview, Discovery has shared an official premiere date.

According to a press release, Whale Wars: Viking Shores will premiere Friday, April 27 at 8pm ET/PT. The five-part series follows the Sea Shepherds during Operation Ferocious Isles which took place last summer. “The Faroe Islands are a self-governing Danish Territory of 50,000 people – descendants of Vikings, bound by proud tradition who have fished these waters for thousands of years. But there is a dark shadow over this beautiful land. Every year, Faroese people gather to herd pilot whales to their shallow shores to be killed for their meat, which is a food source,” said Discovery’s press release.

However, Sea Shepherd contests the hunters’ claims that the pilot whale meat is a needed food source, citing the high standard of living in the Faroe Islands and the availability of other food. They have also taken photos of many of the pilot whales’ bodies left underwater, and say that the hunters are not killing the whales for meat but mostly for sport and tradition. Sea Shepherd has also documented the slaughter and taken photos of the end results, capturing images of hundreds of dead pilot whales including pregnant females, and babies.

Although Sea Shepherd says they were able to prevent Grinds during their time in the Faroes last year, Discovery says the series will be packed with drama like its Whale Wars predecessor. “With over 20 killing beaches spread across 18 islands, stopping this hunt won’t be easy. For the first time in the history of the Whale Wars saga, the Sea Shepherds are not only at sea but also deploying a covert team to patrol the streets, interact with locals and carry out undercover missions. Each one-hour episode follows the Sea Shepherd’s land-air-sea campaign led by Paul Watson as they try to find the whales before the locals do. A hunt can happen at any moment, and the Sea Shepherds are vastly outnumbered in a new kind of face-to-face battle.”

Do you plan on tuning in to watch another Sea Shepherd campaign?

About Jennifer Mishler

Jennifer is an animal advocate and activist. She is a volunteer coordinator with The Girls Gone Green, a nonprofit organization advocating for animals rights, veganism, and environmentalism. She is also an Onshore Volunteer with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and a volunteer with CJ Acres Animal Rescue Farm, a nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates farm animals. Along with writing for Ecorazzi, she writes about veganism and animal rights on her blog, A Dog's Eye View. She lives in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and their three animal friends. Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jennygonevegan

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http://www.facebook.com/villageidiot3o Patrick Hawley

If I had cable, sure as shit I would!
http://profiles.google.com/evoldeth On Dre

Hella!
romika3

“Operation Ferocious Isles “, what a mockery of a people. Here we go again. Paul Watson and his group of upper middle class want to be heros attacking and demonizing an island of 50 000 people who hang on in the middle of the North Atlantic. Again, the pilot whales are not endangered or threaten, the harvest is managed but again blood and water, slick editing makes for good money.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1588484627 Mike Kennedy
  
  Oh hey it’s the troll Romika.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001412431157 Joseph DeMartino Jr.

It has more to do with the fact you show up on EVERY SINGLE story about them and complain. Try using a different username once in a while
- romika3
  
  “you show up on EVERY SINGLE story about them and complain”. Perhaps you should read my posts, they are not complaints!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001412431157 Joseph DeMartino Jr.

Infant means a child older than a new born but still very young. It dosnt “not apply” to a species because you want to kill them.
- romika3
  
  Sorry to disappoint you but the term “child” or “infant” does not apply to whales. This is a common technique employed by SSCS. The personification of non-human species for the purpose of tugging at heart strings and therefore wallets!!
DeeCee

Of course I’ll be watching !! Many of us love and admire Paul & all the Volunteers within SS
romika3

“Maui’s dolphins of New Zealand, the planet’s smallest species of dolphin, are in danger of extinction, there are only 55 left”. Why isn’t Paul Watson there rather than up in the middle of the north Atlantic demonizing the people of the Faroe islands who are harvesting from a sustainable and healthy population of pilot whales that are far from being endangered???? The answer is simple, there is no blood, there is no opportunity to demonize a culture and people and the there is no opportunity to make money….Watson says it all in this clip…… there is no money in dolphins..
- http://www.eyestir.com/ Bill Owen
  
  Why are you such a fucking asshole, asshole?
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Malloy/100002020385349 Karl Malloy
    
    How to internet:
    1) be civil
    2) do not reply to one year old messages
  - http://www.eyestir.com/ Bill Owen
    
    Who the fuck are you to lecture me? Fuck off.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Malloy/100002020385349 Karl Malloy
    
    OK, I’ll stop making suggestions that will help you not look like a fool and simply let everyone see that you are one.
romika3

Reality TV, pseudo pirates, promoting terrorism as a tool for change, jewelry and tee shirts can rob a lot of piggy banks. Sorry to burst you bubble but most of the SSCS subscribers are youth and individuals who are looking for an easy way to tell their friends, at cocktail parties, that they are saving the world.. Buy a tee shirt and your a member! So buddy, your heading for the Fareo Islands, to make money off the backs of a people who have been holding on in the North Atlantic, just the Newfoundlanders.!!!! Do you know that pilot whales are far from endangered. What about that dolphin in New Zealand, only 55 left, on the brink of extinction. The commercial fishery is to blame, why don’t you go and attach them at least to can justify it from a conservation perspective…!!
- 123
  
  Humans aren’t an endangered species so its okay is we kill them too, right??? Your argument sucks, Romika 3
http://www.facebook.com/people/Eiji-Nakano/100001559850405 Eiji Nakano

One of stereo-type comment of Pro-SSCS. But actually SSCS is the one who working only money and never made real contribution for conservation.
http://www.eyestir.com/ Bill Owen

Fuck you punk. What a tiny little person you are. You are not fit to lick his ass.