Sea Shepherd in Final Preparations as the Whale Killers Set Sail

Saturday, November 22, 2008
Posted in Whales | Tagged Whales

In a matter of days, Sea Shepherd will depart for its 5th Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign: Operation Musashi. Our ship, the Steve Irwin, is in final preparations as we get ready to head south to confront the illegal Japanese whalers, who are currently on their way to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. In the meantime, Animal Planet’s TV series chronicling last year’s whale defense campaign has reached millions of people in the U.S. and Canada
- be sure to tune in this Friday (U.S.) and Sunday (Canada) for the 3rd episode, which continues to expose the atrocities committed against whales.

The Yakuza owned and controlled Japanese whaling fleet has left Japan in a very low key manner, without the traditional celebratory send-off, with fewer crewmembers, and with less support than years before. They are also departing on the threshold of a major recession in the Japanese economy.

The Sea Shepherd ship, Steve Irwin, is scheduled to depart at the end of November, which should put both the whaling fleet and the Sea Shepherd crew on a course that will bring them together somewhere in the remote and hostile waters off the Antarctic coast in mid-December.

More information here

It looks like Animal Planet’s TV show Whale Wars, which follows Sea Shepherd’s Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign: Operation Migaloo, has captured the attention of the public.

“This is great news for the whales, for Sea Shepherd, and marine conservation,” said Captain Paul Watson. “More and more people are becoming aware of the illegal atrocities that the Japanese whalers are doing in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and they are witnessing first hand the passion of men and women from around the world who are defending the whales.”

Tune in for the 3rd episode of Whale Wars this Friday (U.S.) and Sunday (Canada) on Animal Planet! Be sure to check local listings, as times may vary depending on your satellite/cable provider.

Read More About Whale Wars

Scott West, Former head of EPA Criminal Investigations and now Sea Shepherd Chief of Investigations and Intelligence, has dropped a bombshell that may spark a United States Congressional hearing.

West has revealed that in March 2006, he headed an investigation against BP for dumping thousands of gallons of oil into Prudhoe Bay in Alaska– an oil spill rivaling Exxon-Valdez for environmental damage.

Read the report in the Wall Street Journal

Sea Shepherd is in final preparations to return to the Southern Ocean to defend the great whales once again. Every year that Sea Shepherd has gone south, we have been increasingly more effective, thanks to the support of thousands of caring and compassionate individuals from around the world. With your help, this 5th campaign to Antarctica will be our most successful ever. Thank-you for making this campaign– and all of our other campaigns to defend sharks, seals, and other marine animals– possible.

For the Oceans,

Captain Paul Watson
Founder and President