Whale Wars

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't know if anyone is watching this show, but I'd highly recommend it. It's a documentary by Animal Planet that follows an organization called the Sea Shepherds who try and stop the Japanese from whaling inside the Australian whale sanctuary in the Antarctic.

It's honestly compelling drama, even though much doesn't happen in each episode (there's an early episode where they just spend most of the time not trying to get crushed by ice in the Antarctic. Things have picked up the last couple of episodes, though.

If you aren't dead set against whaling or even if you didn't know that whaling still went on and is such a major concern, I'd definitely recommend watching the latest episode (it just aired, but they'll reair it a lot and it's available on demand if you have comcast). I should warn you ahead of time that it's flat out disturbing. The whalers chase, harpoon, kill, and cut up whales in front of the camera and there's not much that could be done to stop it. The season finale is next week. I guess I could find out what they did, but I think it's more compelling to watch the footage of their actions. If you haven't seen this show before, I'd definitely recommend you watch next week.

 

[Sephiroth]

I checked it out tonight because of another thread elsewhere, and I mist say that the sea shepards are pretty much just Eco-terrorists

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I guess that brings up the question what exactly is an eco-terrorist and what is wrong with that? I think saboteur is probably a bit more accurate than terrorist, though, but I guess when the word terrorist has such a vague meaning, it becomes difficult to say, though. But, when one side throws stink bombs in areas away from people, while the other side throws metal objects, shoots industrial strength hoses, and uses sonic weapons to try and crash a helicopter into the Antarctic ocean, the whole idea of eco-terrorism becomes a bit more muddled.

 

[firehawk12]

Just watch this movie instead:
http://www.thecovemovie.com/

Less self-aggrandizing (well, at least from the impression I get... going to watch it this weekend).

 

[Ganja Tea]

Alidar, I love Whale Wars. But I love the fact that you gave a disclaimer that it was disturbing and graphic and then went on to describe the practices of the Japanese whaling fleet, instead of the crew of the Sea Shepherd, who continually put human life in danger. That's glorious. It just illustrates completely how far out there some folks really are.


They walk among us people. Wow. Disturbing indeed.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

The warning that it was disturbing and graphic is a warning for those who specifically are going to watch the show. There's nothing graphic about what you see the Sea Shepherds doing. They throw bottles on ships away from people. It could be criminal, it could be dangerous, but it isn't graphic.

Spoiler: Last episode

However, seeing a whale get harpooned and then fight against the harpoon for 10 minutes while it slowly bleeds to death before getting shot 6 times is a quite bit more graphic to watch

 

[Warp Coil]

I've never watched the series (I can't be motivated to watch Discovery programming anymore... spend enough time around it at work and you don't want to see it at home). Some of my co-workers watch it (either for personal or professional reasons) and their reactions seem mixed. Some like it while others think they're crazy and stupid. It definitely stirs up controversy, which I guess is the point (?).

 

[Sephiroth]

^it's actualy on Animal Planet, not the discovery channel

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Yeah, learn your programming better

Although it does seem like a Discover Channel-type program.

Honestly, they do intentionally stir up controversy, but there's no real other way to stop whaling without controversy. I don't always support their tactics, but, then again, I don't condemn them. I do sometimes wonder if they do things for publicity (I have slight suspicions that the anthrax thing could have been faked), but they don't really have to try hard to create negative publicity for the whalers. All they have to do is have some cameras on board, since things don't look good for the Japanese.

Considering the forum we're in, I wonder if it's possible to discuss this just as a drama. It might not be possible considering it isn't fiction and there is significant controversy connected to it, but, it's really interesting how this season has managed to be entertaining even when they aren't in contact with the Japanese. It seems hard to even script fiction as well-paced as this season has been.

 

[Ganja Tea]

The hopeless and useless efforts from the crew of the Sea Shepherd are immensely entertaining. I don't follow the show, I only watch it when I happen to find it on, but do they ever stop the Japs from doing anything? The last ep. I saw had the crew looking on as the whalers harpooned and processed a whale right in front of their eyes and they were able to do absolutely dick. I'd pay to watch that kind of embarrassing display of impotence and disappointment. The look on their poor faces is priceless. They should sell pictures of them on postcards and get well soon cards. "Hope you feel better, at least your not this jackass"

 

[Warp Coil]

^it's actualy on Animal Planet, not the discovery channel

Animal Planet is owned and operated by Discovery Communications (along with the Discovery Channel, TLC, the Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery, HD Theater, the Military Channel, Discovery Health, FitTV and Discovery Kids). I should know, I work for them. Additionally, since APL is not available in all regions, shows like "Whale Wars" air on Discovery's international networks outside of the U.S.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Fine, you win

 

[Top41]

The hopeless and useless efforts from the crew of the Sea Shepherd are immensely entertaining. I don't follow the show, I only watch it when I happen to find it on, but do they ever stop the Japs from doing anything? The last ep. I saw had the crew looking on as the whalers harpooned and processed a whale right in front of their eyes and they were able to do absolutely dick. I'd pay to watch that kind of embarrassing display of impotence and disappointment. The look on their poor faces is priceless. They should sell pictures of them on postcards and get well soon cards. "Hope you feel better, at least your not this jackass"

It's well established here and in, you know, the real world that "Japs" is a racial slur. Warning for trolling issued.

 

[firehawk12]

So, I watched "The Cove" and I highly recommend it to anyone with any remote interest in the issue of Japanese whaling and dolphin fishing. They even got the Sea Shepherd guy to do an interview.

It's really informative and the "secret mission" stuff was extremely tense. They themselves describe it was Oceans 11 and that's basically what part of the movie was - an environmental heist film.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Did anyone see the last episode of the season? I thought it was interesting.

From a drama perspective, the last episode has everything:

Spoiler: last episode

A collision, a wedding, and a police raid

It's difficult to say if they made a real difference, but the whaling fleet fell 305 whales short of their quota (which means they still killed 600-something whales). Overall, as long as some nation will give them a flag, I imagine that the Sea Shepherds will be back, so there will probably be a third season of Whale Wars next year.

 

[Lookingglassman]

I'm waiting for the day when the Japanese starts shooting them. If I was the captain of a boat and some guys try to board it I will kill them and throw their bodies in the sea. How would I know they arent up to some mischief that will cause harm to me or my crew.

 

[Gertch]

I checked it out tonight because of another thread elsewhere, and I mist say that the sea shepards are pretty much just Eco-terrorists

I've watched a couple of episodes but probably not the last one and I have to agree with you here. I certainly don't feel bad when anyone on the Sea Shepard gets hurt. And I love those sonic devices!

While I wish there was no need to whale, what these people are doing is extremely dangerous to humans. Their time might be better spent educating the people of Japan (hopefully thats still okay to use) so internal pressure would stop the whaling.

 

[Lookingglassman]

These guys are really wasting their time. Japan is going to do as it pleases and in the end more whales are going to die and their futile efforts will get nowhere. They can't force a country to stop doing what it wants.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

My roomies and I have watched this show, and found ourselves actively rooting against the Sea Shepherds pretty much the whole time. Ever since the captain pulled that ridiculous stunt where he faked getting shot, the entire crew lost credibility. Especially the captain...

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Well, I didn't see the first season. Wikipedia remains neutral on the issue and just says that the Japanese claim he faked getting shot. Is it obviously fake? The whaling crew did intentionally try and crash a helicopter, so I don't know why they wouldn't try something else as well.