Animal Planet’s “Whale Wars”

Wow. I am shocked and apalled. How could anyone promote a show that does not consider the well being of those involved?? These volunteers have no idea whose hands they have put their lives in! A crew muster drill in which no survival suits (absolutely necessary for survival in event of an emergency in a cold water climate) are provided? The “medic” recommends hot chocolate for those suffering from hypothermia? A skiff launch that is beyond incompetant – Where is the painter line? Why is the skiff launched without the motors warmed up? Who is driving the crane? Pull up when you see it turning! These are obvious concerns to those of us who work on boats. Something for those who would like to volunteer for something they believe in to think about…. Your safety is essential. Your voice will not be heard if you are dead. Educate yourself about the environment you will be in! This guy obviously does not care about the lives of those he recruits.
Granted, I have been at sea for 18 years. But just the same I would never risk lives of people just for my own publicity. Paul’s intentions are questionable and the recruits impressionable. The show is laughable for anyone who has been out to sea and a warning to those who do so for their own just (or un) just causes. I’d like to see the whales live, but the people as well!!

I guess the answer is that obviously it wouldn’t be in Sea Shepherd’s best interests to intentionally drown or freeze their entire crew. I wondered some of the same things as you though. They DID have the special suits by the way. They’d have been dead otherwise. And hot chocolate is a pretty good remedy when you are not actually hypothermic. When you are cold, warm up.

It may appear that the whole thing was taken a lot less seriously by the crew just because of editing. Producers want action in these things and will think of that first rather than how to make the Captain and crew look good.

Did you hear that that was the first time in 18 years anything like that had happened? It took them by surprise and I am sure lessons were learned and those mistakes will not be repeated.

Seriously I just watched an episode and even though I’m usually with activists this just blows my mind.

The only thing the activists starring in Whale Wars are doing is making the japanese whalers look bad.. opposed to SHOWING that they are bad. In other words.. they are luring the whalers to do things that make them look bad.. they are not showing that they are bad.

In the episode I watched.. 2 crewmembers of the activists climbed aboard the whalingboat without the whalingboats’ permission. Ofcourse then the crew of the whalingboat held the activists (probably to prevent them from wandering around the ship.. possibly causing damage (since they also were ‘cheeky’ enough to try and damage the rudder and propeller by throwing ropes in the water in front of the speeding whaler)) and the FIRST reaction of the captain, even though the activists were only being held for about 15 seconds was “Get the media on the line and tell them they are taking them hostage.”. Am I the only one who thinks that’s a little soon to call it hostage taking?! And I mean… what the fuck was the japanese crew supposed to do?! Hug them?! The ONLY reason those activists climbed aboard the whalingvessel was that they were hoping to trigger a (violent) reaction which they could use to their advantage and to propagandise that the japanese whalers are evil assholes. Oh yeah.. and to have an excuse they were carrying a letter which stated that the japanese had to stop whaling. Seriously.. you don’t have to (illegally(!)) climb aboard another ship to transfer a message. There’s radio / email and all sorts of methods of communication.

The captain is a jerk.. he doesn’t care about his crew or what happens to them.. he just wants to ‘save whales’ and is willing to sacrifice anything.

Proof of this is that the captain said (roughly quoting:) “I don’t know why you got through the screening to be onboard if you don’t want to accept the risks like everyone else. What are you doing here then?!” when the the medical officer expressed his opposition about the plan to climb aboard (because of the huge risks of falling into the water that kills you if you’re in there for two minutes since it’s below freezing point). Yes .. the captain actually ridiculed the MEDICAL officer infront of the crew when he expressed his worries about THEIR safety.. which is HIS JOB.

Seriously. I’m all for protecting animals and preserving nature to some extend but these guys are just blind fanatics. They’re no better than the japanese whalingcrew.. they might even be worse since the japanese men are on that ship to feed their families and not to do anything to trigger a reaction that makes to other party look bad.

The part that really baffles me though is that they are filming themselves whilst saying these idiotic things.. AND THAT IT’S BROADCASTED aswel. Seriously 😐

The captain (yes it’s mainly the captain that I’m mad at) even said (again roughly quoting) : “Yes the japanese did exactly as I expected them to do.. they held them on the ship. I knew that was going to happen.”

My jaw seriously dropped.

So he doesn’t only continuously anger and aggrevate the japanese whaling crew with the hope that they will ‘bite’ and do something that could be used against them (make them look bad). He’s actually clearly admitting it.. in front of a camera of which the recordings will be broadcasted worldwide. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ACTIVISTS THESE DAYS?!

Trying to stop, questionably illegal, whaling by doing illegal things yourself is stupid, juvenile and pointless.

And I said questionably illegal because, and again I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard it on the show, the show itself said that (…AGAIN roughly quoting) “Even though most officials and experts agree that the japanese weren’t doing anything illegal by whaling (for research (or at least so the japanese claim)).. they (as in the activists) didn’t agree and that they would do anything to keep them from whaling.”

Seriously.. these aren’t activists. These are fanatics .. and they are just as bad as their, usually labeled right-winged, counterparts. ANTIFA is just a criminal, immoral and stupid as Neonazi’s are. And the people from “Whale Wars” are just a stupid and immoral as the japanese whalers.

The crew is composed of highly impressionable, socially outcast, young people who rally behind some nut who made it to be captain on a greenpeace boat. This whole thing is a big smudge in the history of GreenPeace.

My own opinion is that these people are eco-terrorists. True change will come from legistature to shut the hole that allows the Japanese to whale. Right now, according to international law, the Japanese are within their rigts. I think the crew of the Irwin and Barker and their sponsers should direct thier efforts to closing that hole.

As of this time, I side against these Whale Warriors. Do what’s right. Don’t be pompous martyrs. Direct that enery in a constructive way.