Whale Wars
Last night Kristin and I were flipping through channels and for some reason I am always drawn to Animal Planet. Well last night we stumbled on to this little gem, called Whale Wars. Now, I’d heard of this before but never actually watched it, but last night I was completely captivated by this show. I still don’t really get it, but I know that the idea is that this team of whale savers goes out and tries to stop people from whaling. Makes sense right? The thing I don’t get really is the legality of these independent whale savers going out in the middle of the Antarctic Sea and throwing stink bombs and acid at whaling boats.
Not only was the fact that this team was throwing acid at boats weird, but the defenses that the whaling boats had was pretty impressive too. Along with water cannons surrounding the ship, most of the whaling ships had LRAD’s on the top and were literally shooting these sound waves at a helicopter pilot trying to get him to crash. What the heck?! Is this for real?
Naturally, I am now recording every new episode of this show so I can watch it and try to figure out what the heck is really going on. What government is monitoring this stuff? Throwing stink bombs? Really? I’m curious how that stops people from killing whales. I suppose I need to watch it more to really grasp what’s going on, but for now I love it.
Have you seen it? What do we think?
I’m ready for TBN to start a program called “Worship Wars” and see this sort of thing go down.
You’re actually one up on me with this one! Not a big Animal Planet watcher (mostly because hubby controls remote most of the time). I can’t imagine trying to down a helicopter, but if it meant saving my crew from having acid dropped on them. Geez! No one is winning here. Well maybe the whale since the whalers can’t “fish” if they are spending time at “war”. I still say “18 kids & counting” is better than “Whale Wars”.
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I’ve watched episodes when they’ve happened to be on. The deal is that commercial whaling has been banned but these Japanese ships are supposedly whaling for “research purposes,” which is legal. The “weapons” that the Sea Shepard crew are set up to disable whaling without hurting anyone. The “stink bombs” are actually effective when done properly. They aim them toward the harpoons and the “stink” (caused by the particular type of acid in there) is overwhelming, effectively disabling that harpoon for days, as no one can go near it.
This season the whaling, er, research boats’ newest weapon is the LRAD. They have also been, in the past, non-violent in their response, putting up more defenses than anything (and apparently raising a stink with the authorities, which resulted in the Sea Shepard not being able to approach the Japanese ships itself…probably as a result of some minor collisions that happened…didn’t catch all of that…but last season the Sea Shepard would get within throwing distance of the ships as well). Primarily they’ve been using water cannons to drive the Sea Shepard crew away. Anyway, this season I’ve seen them throwing large metal nuts at the Sea Shepard’s crew, definite intent to injure. And I saw the teaser about them using the LRAD on the copter, which is also clearly an attempt to injure. It’s getting quite interesting.
Love this show. After the LRAD incident, I am waiting for them to turn off the cameras one day and the Japanese whaling ship suddenly has an “accident” whose details are unexplainable …
I’ve seen it before but I don’t watch it much. I am an animal/mammal lover and can’t stand to watch how they treat some of these whales, thus the reason I don’t care to watch it. I know everyone has there own opinion on animals and the treatment or research on them and I don’t agree with a lot of it.
Ryan and I watch Whale Wars! It’s interesting. The more I watch, the more confused I am about the ethics behind it. Like Dan Gross explains, the Sea Shepherd crew is always conscious about being non-violent (not actually hurting any people) in their effort to stop the activities. But it gets scary sometimes, when the “enemy” turns offensive…
Also…with butyric acid taints the whale “meat” so that they gain no profit from it after that. I am new to the show, but am captivated to it!
My husband and I have seen every episode. It has been long painful hour long episodes where we wait for the one where Paul and his crew finally make their mark? Instead we watched last night while the whalers killed and processed four whales whilst the Sea Shepard wait a half mile away and did nothing. In two full seasons, these poor defenders of the whales have had ZERO impact. We have seen every episode and the only thing they did right was get rid of Peter Brown ( the ex-second in command) but allowed him to say that he quit. Regardless, he was poison. It is getting to the point where it is too painful to watch. The only thing these guys can do is turn off the bloody cameras and do something more than throw stink bombs in the processing ships nets.
One question to Paul and anyone else who watches this show. Paul had the jump on the Processing ship last night and would have been able to get in position to block the ramp but decided to slow down so the helicopter could get off the ship. He had to refuel and take off which gave the harpoon ship plenty of time to get in position. WHY did he have to get that helicopter in the air? Can anyone explain why that was worth giving the harpoon ship access to the ramp?
Ratings Debbie, let’s not forget that this is a network TV series and profits come before all else. I can’t stand the killing of these beautiful whales, but mans greed is working both sides of the isle on this one. TV ratings VS Whale oil, blubber and meat. I would think that a campaign to change the Japanese peoples mind about consuming whale would be more effective then the huge carbon foot print left by these TV producers.
whale wars is awsome i believe whales should be protected for the future to see thier beutiful features
@ DEBBIE:
Thankfully you are wrong when you wrote:
“In two full seasons, these poor defenders of the whales have had ZERO impact.”
Actually they have prevented the Japanese from reaching their fishing quotas from 1000 per season down to:
Operation Musashi 2008/09:
305 whales
which resulted in:
“The estimated loss of profits is in the tens of millions of dollars. With costs increased due to security measures, the Japanese whaling industry needed to secure 700 whales to break even financially. They have failed to secure their required 700 whales.”
AND:
“In the 2006–2007 Operation Leviathan campaign they were over 500 whales short of their illegal quota.”
Pretty sure he explains this on at least one or two of the episodes near the end of each season. The quotes are from the seashepherd.org website.
You are absolutely right about Peter Brown though.
I have seen the show occasionally. I always hope to see the eco-terrorists get their comeuppance. What a bunch of morally bankrupt idiots. Folks won’t tolerate the Somali pirates, but cheer these fools on. Pop culture is simply corrupt.
I choked down one episode of this filth. From what I saw, the whale wars people were in violation of international laws and acted in a fashion that could be considered acts of terrorism or war. If I was the Japanese commanders, I would travel with a naval envoy and see if these assholes tried anything. If they did, I would record it (oh wait, the idiots record their own exploits) and request naval assistance. I would hope the naval assistance would end the whale wars program and that fat ass captain would be buried at sea. I hate eco-terrorists.
I agree with Brian. The Sea Sheperd crew does nothing for the plight of these whales. Rather they endager the lives of themselves and the lives of the japanese whaling crews. Butyric Acid is harmful and reacts adversely with metals.
The acts of the sea shepard are acts of eco-terrorism. There are more productive ways of stropping whaling.
I too can not wait until Paul and his crew are arrested and put on trial.
lou,
You’re an insensitive idiot! The least of the crews on whale wars has more
decency in their little finger than you ever will.
The Japanese whalers are murdering beautiful beings and lying about it by
calling it research. All the harvested whale meat is SOLD as a delicacy to make
huge profits for the whaling industry.
What should be done is a total boycot of all japanese products and the threat
of military intervention to permanantly stop ALL whaling permanantly, since the
world’s moral watchdogs have shown no more competance than callous fools
like you.
Harassment of the Whales themselves, instead of the Japanese is probably a better idea. Can’t they come up with a sound that drives whales away? Something that Whales just cannot tolerate? Sounds travel a long way underwater and maybe this approach would bear fruit.
Ramming other boats is a recipe for disaster and should be stopped.
THIS IS A GREAT SHOW. THOSE WHO SIDE WITH THE MURDEROUS JAPANESE GOVT.
AND WHALING INDUSTRY ARN’T FIT TO LIVE ON THIS PLANET. WHALES, DOLPHINS, AND PORPOSES ARE ACTUALLY THE ONLY OTHER ENSOULED SPECIES ON THIS PLANET.
AND KILLING THEM CONSTITUTES MURDER. ANY MEANS NECESSARY TO STOP WHALING
IS JUSTIFIED. WE DIDN’T STOP HITLER WITH NONVIOLENCE. JAPANESE GENOCIDE OF
WHALES IN THE FALSE NAME OF “RESEARCH” IS UNACCEPTABLE.
HOW ABOUT BOYCOTTING ALL JAPANESE PRODUCTS. THEY’VE MADE A PILE SELLING
CARS, ELECTRONICS, BOOZE, ETC. IN THIS COUNTRY SINCE THE 50′S. IF WE WANT
TO TORPEDO THEIR WHALING INDUSTRY, THEN TORPEDO THEIR ECONOMY TO GET THEIR
ATTENTION.
BOYCOT ALL JAPANESE MADE GOODS TILL WHALING STOPS!
people need to leave those lovley animals alone!
hey i’m thomas 14 years old and i come from holland and i say down with whale hunting
srry as i speak bad
If hunting whales is illegal the authorities should do something about it stop it and enforce the laws! We should be pressing the authorities do act!!!
I wonder if they are as concerend with human baby killing that goes on in our neighborhoods all of the time!?
whale wars sucks. i want them to save the whales but I have not seen the sea shepherds do anything to Japanese. Every episode something goes wrong. they do dumb things all the time. Geeze get some equipment that works! Instead of buying another slow ship why not upgrade the one you have to go faster?