Whale Wars

Recently, Animal Planet sent me a screener copy of the first episode of Whale Wars, a new show premiering on Friday, November 7, at 9 pm. This show is all about Paul Watson, a co-founder of Greenpeace who was kicked out of that organization because he was too radical (!) so he forms his own organization, the Sea Shepherds. They have one goal: to harass the Japanese whaling fleet and keep them from whaling for as long as possible. We learn fairly early in the show that there is a law allowing around 1000 whales to be harvested for scientific research, but none of the meat can go to waste. So, the Japanese harvest these for "research" and are then able to turn around and sell the meat for up to $1,000,000 per whale. Big business, as you can see.

The show starts out quite dramatically, with the Steve Irwin (Watson's boat), pulling up along a Japanese boat. The Sea Shepherds begin throwing things at the boat and the whalers begin to throw something back. These things explode in a flash of light, flashbangs. There are soon load bangs, gunshots, and a shout, "The captain's been shot!" Then we get a little fade to back and a title card: "3 Weeks Earlier." Whoa. I was hooked...or at least quite intrigued.

The Sea Shepherds technically have the law on their side (in terms of not breaking it flat out). They use non-violent techniques and in this first episode we get a nice little overview of their tactics. They use stink bombs to get the Japanese off their decks and if there is meat on deck it will be tainted and ruined. They use a helicopter for reconnaissance and filming, and a Zodiac to get in the way of harpoons and run distraction maneuvers.

The Sea Shepherds, and there are at least 30 of them on board, consider themselves the only enforcement of the whaling laws. The are technically non-violent, but they are willing to die for their cause, and they use some pretty extreme tactics. In fact, they consider themselves a kind of modern pirates, which you can see from their logo:

This show really has a little bit of everything. There is some beautiful footage of Antarctic scenery and wildlife. It is much more dramatic than I expect these kinds of shows to be, with a major accident that puts crew life in jeopardy (seriously, not like most "reality" shows). There is even crew dissension, which could hurt their mission. This show is truly different from anything I have ever seen. The people have a clear mission that they are zealous for. They will do anything to accoplish their goals and how far they are willing to go is a little scary.

I do agree that whaling at this point in the evolution of our civilization is a little silly. I don't particularly agree with the Sea Shepherd's tactics, and I think they could even be considered eco-terrorists. However, the show is pretty great. I can't wait to see what happens next, and the drama and excitement is genuine, and not manufactured like in most reality or documentary shows. Check out this quick preview:


Seriously, it is as exciting as it looks, I promise. Also, if you get a chance and want to learn more, check out the website by clicking here. And make sure you watch it on Friday!

I have to say I have been impressed with Animal Planet lately (and not just cause I got to see Whale Wars early, although that helps). They have began to make shows that are about people and their relationships to animals, instead of just being animal documentaries. With Grizzly Man Diaries, Living with the Wolfman, and now Whale Wars, we get to see unique people with unique relationships to animals and the world around them. Keep it up Animal Planet!