Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A WAR WORTH FIGHTING FOR!!, December 16, 2008
After seeing the pilot episode on Animal Planet, I became more aware, educated and sympathetic to the plight of whales. These magnificent creatures--solemn, intelligent, peaceful and the largest mammals on earth--are vital links to the ecosystem of the seas and the oceans. They are creatures which mesmerizes the sight and stirs the imagination. History has shown us that these creatures were mercilessly hunted towards the brink extinction. It is only in recent times where laws were enacted to save the whales from forever vanishing in our Earth. Unfortunately, some countries like Japan, continue to ignore this moratorium on hunting Whales. Once you see this documentary, you will feel sick to your gut on how the whales are hunted and slaughtered in the guise of research! The Japanese has an armada of highly sophisticated, high-tech ships all dedicated to fine-tune the machinery of hunting whales.
Enter the Sea Shepherd, a conservation organization headed by its founder Paul Watson, dedicated and devoted not just to the conservation and protection of whales but all other marine animals as well. The Sea Shepherd is fighting a conservation war when no other country dares to do the fighting. This organization has been branded as pirates and terrorist. But to people who see the full extent of the unimaginable horrors of whaling, they are warriors, fighting a crusade to protect and conserve the existence of whales.
In this documentary, we will see the Ship M/V Steve Irwin, the flagship of the Sea Shepherd, named after the famous Australian Naturalist who died doing what he loves best--protecting and conserving animals of every kind. We will see the crew, several dedicated and unselfish individuals, volunteering from different countries who all have one goal in common and that is to preserve the animals that nature has given us. We will witness the effort of the Steve Irwin's crew exactly as they are unfolding, no holds barred , uncensored effort as they weave their way thru the Antartic Ocean, locating the Japanese vessels and disrupting their whaling activities. We will see the crew use several "non-lethal" methods of disruption--throwing stink bombs to make the decks unworkable because of the nauseating smell, laying down ropes that will disable a ship's propeller thereby making them immobile at sea and just plain low-down psychological talk on the communication systems.
Although the approach of the Sea Shepherd to conservation seems unconventional, its founder Paul Watson deems it necessary. The unorthodox methods that they are employing seems to be the only one working right now to stop the massacre of whales. He constantly argues that whaling countries do not listen to diplomacy and often ignore enacted laws to these endangered animals. He always backs his claims with UN-sanctioned documentation.
This is a very enlightening documentary that hit the cable TV recently that has roused my awareness in the highest levels. The world is now focusing on sustainable living. We must not discount protection and conservation in these endeavors. I highly recommend this documentary and I am pre-ordering it thru Amazon.
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Case Study, January 21, 2009
Whale Wars tells of the controversial 'War' going on between the Sea Shepherd and Japan over what constitutes legal whaling. Animal Planet has made no secret that they did not attempt to document this issue from the Japanese side, simply because they thought they would not even been granted the access. They decided to document the issue from Sea Shepard's point of view and in doing so show the passion, dedication and what the crew go through to stop the Japanese from killing these whales in the name of research.
The show starts off with the alleged shooting of Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd (a blatant move to get the viewer to watch what happens next). This opening scene is shown in chaos and confusion on purpose, frankly no one really knows if Paul Watson was actually shot by the Japanese. Even though Animal Planet could have easily slanted this event to make the Japanese look like killers, they did not. In the last episode the tell the story exactly as they saw and in my opinion were very fair to both sides. They show the events that led up to the 'shot' and what happened afterward. Though the Japanese were not directly interviewed on the show, the narrator did tell the audience that Japan released a statement stating they did not have a rifle on board their ship or shoot at anyone. This is confirmed by the crew of the Sea Shepard as no one saw a Japanese crew member with a rifle.
This is not the only instance that the producers stayed very neutral even though they documenting this from the Sea Shepherd's ship the 'Steve Irwin'. They show how core crew members are trying to show volunteers who have never worked on a ship the ins and outs of navigating through some of the most dangerous waters in the world. The first time they launch the zodiac, they flip it and if not for the specialized suits they were in case of emergency, they all would have died due to hypothermia. In the process they damage their helicopter. Later, when they dock for repairs, they change out some of the crew members and the new group fumble their way again with trying to launch the zodiac that it results in a lost 'mission'.
For those that claim Animal Planet did not tell the viewers what the law is and how Japan is following the law as it it is currently constituted are 100% incorrect. They do. In fact through out the entire season they remind the viewers what the law is and that Japan is only killing whales within the established quota for research. They tell the viewers that all the meat must not be wasted or discarded. Admittedly, not as much time is spent on this subject as there could have been. Its not as sexy as showing people illegally boarding ships or hard hitting as showing the Japanese dragging dead minke whales into the 'Mother Ship'. I would have liked to have seen interviews with Japanese citizens describing their thoughts on what their government is doing. Whether or not they care, who is eating the meat and why. It would have given them more credibility as a third party observer.
The Sea Shepherd clearly are not saints and their tactics should be questioned. The Japanese are clearly not saints and their research practices should be questioned. Animal Planet clearly is not a saint and this show as a documentary should be questioned. The one thing you can not question after watching it, whether or not you agree with the Sea Shepherd methods, what the Japanese are doing is wrong. The Sea Shepherd have a direct impact on the amount of whales that are lost to 'Research' and the governments from around the world should be doing more to stop Japan so that the Sea Shepherd are not taking the law into their own hands.
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Reality Show To Date ! ! !, January 8, 2009
Wow The best reality show I ever seen.
Capitan Watson Co-fonder of green peace left in the 70's because I think he was tired of diplomatic approach. Sure they will sign green peace papers and never whale again.?? Now he and others are taking a in your face action! Billions of people in this world and there is only maybe 35 people doing something about it. Imagine
children opening there text books and reading about all extinct whales and watching past videos of them as they once existed.
Hopefully not .
Thank you Sea Shepherd.
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