REVIEW: “Whale Wars” on Animal Planet
We shouldn’t be whacking one of the greatest species on the planet…
- Peter Brown, first mate on the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling vessel Steve Irwin
I had a chance to take part in an advance viewing of Animal Planet’s “Whale Wars,” a TV docu-series that blends activism, adventure, and reality TV together. The series isn’t just a raw look at the conflict between Japanese “research” whaling vessels and environmentalists, but it documents a crew of mostly inexperienced newbies struggling to work together to expose and cease Japanese whaling activity. The series also highlights the feud between Greenpeace and Captain Paul Watson’s Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Captain Watson, a co-founder of Greenpeace, was voted out of the organization some years before, so there is a tension between the two organizations.
At sea, the crew’s home is the anti-whaling vessel Steve Irwin. The vessel embarks into the Southern Ocean in order to disrupt and expose Japanese whaling activity. Commercial whaling has been banned, but a loophole in the ban allows a certain number of whales to be taken for research purposes; however, the Japanese are taking advantage of this loophole by turning the whale meat into profit.
The Southern Ocean is a dangerous place for humans, but the Southern Ocean is also one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The series takes its viewers into this dangerous but beautiful environment, and viewers will note that these high seas result in aggravating seasickness for some of the crew.
Tools used by the crew to disrupt Japanese whalers include inflatable boats and stink bombs. The stink bombs disrupt the whaling activity by clearing the whaling vessel’s deck of her workers. The stink bombs also render any whale meat it contacts worthless, and a good thrower is required to deploy them onto a whaling vessel’s deck.
Launching the Zodiac inflatable is perhaps one of the more dangerous tasks for the anti-whaling activists, and in the first episode, a Zodiac inflatable flips upside down with its crew into the cold Antarctic waters during a launch (see image below). However, the crew’s Mustang survival suits saved them.
Finding the Japanese whaling fleet is a great challenge, and the anti-whaling vessel Steve Irwin uses a special helicopter to aid their search. Although in the first episode the helicopter was accidentally damaged, it later proved absolutely necessary in find the whaling vessels.
Personally, I thought the opening song from the Smashing Pumpkins’s, “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” was very appropriate. The crew is fascinating and diverse, and there is even a vegan chef that prepares meals for them. I believe “Whale Wars” has the potential to be a really exciting series, and I recommend it. “Whale Wars” premieres Friday night, November 7th, at 9PM Eastern and Pacific on Animal Planet.
Read the press release:
Animal Planet Press Release: Whale Wars
On the Net:
- WHALING: The Japanese are illegally slaughtering minke whale calves
- Prior to Friday’s premiere of the new Animal Planet series Whale Wars, Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research has accused Animal Planet of ecoterrorism.
- Japan & USA. Animal Planet collaborated with eco-terrorists claims Institute of Cetacean Research
Images provided by Animal Planet.
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I love you guys. God bless you for your big effort of trying to protect whales lives.
Those Whale Wars people are extreme Whale Wars!
I can’t believe they are using Steve Irwin’s name to conduct illegal activities.
I watch only hoping some of the pirates will be injured. International law clearly allows the Japanese to be whaling in this manner and I find nothing positive in the radical actions and lies of Greenpeace exile Watson and his naive crew of misfits.
I was so glad to see others feeling the way I do. This guy running this operation is perhaps the worst example of an environmentalist that I have ever seen in my life. The crew appears to be under a spell comparable to Jim Jones. Don’t they realize what a bad name they are giving people who are out there making a REAL difference. Get this show off the air. These idiots deserve no exposure at all. I am so incensed by these morons that I may never buy a Red Hot Chili Pepper song again.
I was so happy when Greenpeace would stand behind them.
International law does not allow the Japanese to conduct whaling in this manner. Whales are allowed to be taken for scientific purposes, but the Japanese are clearly abusing this loophole by taking too many whales and as a result flipping a profit. While I do not necessarily agree with all the tactics conducted by the crew on the Steve Irwin, they are bringing attention to a matter where enforcement has been lacking (so who is making sure the Japanese are complying with international law—the Japanese?); although, the Australians are gathering evidence of Japan’s abuses after they took a calf and probably have taken calves (whale babies), which has been documented (taking calves is not allowed). Baleen Whale Catch Limits under Section 14 of The Schedule to the Convention states: “It is forbidden to take or kill suckling calves or female whales accompanied by calves.” The crew’s tactics may seem like piracy or ecoterrorism to some folks, but whaling is certainly deplorable, and there are many folks very impassionate about the environment and want it protected. Whaling is a stain on human history, and many species have never recovered, and some like the Atlantic and Pacific Right Whales may never recover. Certainly, we have evolved as a civilization not to harm such great and intelligent creatures.
I hate whailing, Love the show, and laugh at the pathetic crew of the Steve Irwin ( Rolling in his grave). Way to show how amateur these Hippie-crits are!
My boys and I watch every week.
Just to see what these SCREW-UPS are going to do next!
The crew is pathetic. They have no business being at sea. The captain was SLEEPING while their crew was lost at sea! They are going to get themselves killed over nothing. They arent even doing any good.
I can appreciate the compassion for the whales, and I whole heartedly agree with the consept. I really have a problem with the captain of the ” Steve Irwin” When I was living in Fort Saint John BC, he and some other protesters came out to have their say about the wolves and they wanted to stop people from killing them.He got lost in the bush and people had to be sent out to find him. He was an idiot then and he is still an idiot today. Sending people out in a little dingy in the middle of the ocean in the middle of the night!!! How come he wasn’t in the dingy? He is just a big looser and I can’t understand people that can be stupid enough to follow such an idiot. There I gave my point of view. I do totally agree with the concept just not the leadership. Thankyou for the opportunity to voice my feelings on the matter.
I agree Dale.
Does anyone have any info on Shannon Mann or her new charity F.L.E.A.?
The Captain and the crew are such idiots, I end up rooting for the Whalers.
But makes for a great TV show!
Actually, there is absolutely no international law that prohibits the Japanese from doing what they are doing. Restrictions on whaling in international waters are by treaty only. Those in this show have made it quite clear through their numerous inaccurate statements that they have no knowledge of international law; they are manufacturing their own blatantly inaccurate “interpretation” of what is stated in various U.N. or treaty documents to fit their personal beliefs. On the other hand, there absolutely IS international law against piracy. Boarding a ship at sea without permission, throwing items on a ship which are intended to make conditions on the deck hazardous, and attempting to disable a ship at sea are ALL clear acts of piracy. These people are not just inept lunatics, they are criminals. By refusing to prosecute them and by providing a safe harbor for their ship the Australian government is supporting piracy. Their behavior can be considered by Japan as an act of aggression toward a sovereign nation. The actions of these self-righteous individuals actually are disruptive to diplomatic efforts by legitimate organizations to negotiate and produce a real and lasting end to whaling.
If you have a genuine interest in FLEA, you can email me at shann.mann@gmail.com and I’ll provide you with some info
-shannon
Hi Jonathan,
I happened to browsing through this page… I started the FLEA Foundation a few years ago but obviously had to put it on the back burner since I’ve been crewing with Sea Shepherd abroad. Anyway, If you would like some more info… email me at shann.mann@gmail.com and I’ll provide you with some info
-Shannon Mann
Norway and Iceland opening defy the ban on commercial whaling. Japan is the only country that gets criticized though.
The subject of whaling is quite emotional for many people. I’m not quite sure who’s correct. But I think the “Sea Shepherd”’s tactics are dangerous.
http://tokyo5.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/sea-shepherd/
all of you idiots out there dissing the sea shepard should burn in hell. at least someone is out there doing something about it. there is no need to kill whales or in the volumes that they do. the fact that anyone could see nothing wrong with what people are doing to animals disgusts me. most of the comments that i have read are only that of hate towards the sea shepard and its crew. there tactics may be ”out there” but the japenese and any other people doing what there doing to the whales or any other animals need a rude awakening. they say they do it for ”research” is a load of shit. where are the records of the ”research” that they are doing? and im pretty sure we have had enough knowlege about them that we dont need to do anymore. and if its for research why do they kill a mother and her calf? steve erwin would be rolling in his grave over the abuse of the whales.
This is obviously an emotional issue for you.
But the fact is, Japanese whalers are operating legally. The IWC gave Japan permission to hunt whales…and they agreed that there are plenty of whales in the ocean.
But the “Sea Shepherd” group are dangerous and act illegally.
the only question i have for this crew is how are they actually going to stop this japanese people from whaling? this is so rediculous, all they do is chase them around and end up wasting alot of money for gas, food and others. I think this crew is just want to have a tour in alaska and they not there to stop the japanese. They are useless and rediculours. If they want to stop Japanese find a better way and stop wasting american dollars for nothing.
i love whale wars!!
thy do some crazy stuff but it bis for the whales
ship of fools.
I am disgusted. We shouldn’t even be discussing the hunting of whales in this century let alone hunting them. Whaling is morally wrong and should be condemned period. We take for granted that we are superior when we decide what other species should live or die, a concept which shouldn’t have lived through the 19th century. Sure, Paul and his crew are stumbling about, but at least they’re doing something about it. Whaling is NO, regardless of laws and treaties!
I watched whale wars for the first time last night.I saw a killing of a whale.
It was really horrible!!!!!!!!Japan makes alot of money doing this.They could
give a shit about science!Look at the way they kill dolphins!They give a shit
about nothing but money!The sea shepard is really wasting their time but they
really care about this and really this has to stop!I will not whatch the show
again, it really was horrible!