Whale Wars (2008– )

This stunning and dangerous limited series spotlights both the controversial Japanese whaling trade and the tactics that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and its staff and volunteers ... See full summary »

Stars:

Chris Aultman, Peter Hammarstedt, Benjamin Potts

Nominated for 6 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Chris Aultman	...	Himself - Helicopter Pilot (25 episodes, 2008-2012)
Peter Hammarstedt	...	Himself - 2nd Mate, Sweden (20 episodes, 2008-2012)
Benjamin Potts	...	Himself - Deckhand, Australia (19 episodes, 2008-2012)
Paul Watson	...	Himself - Captain (17 episodes, 2008-2012)
Laurens de Groot	...	Deckhand (17 episodes, 2008-2011)
Alex Cornelissen	...	Himself - Bob Barker Captain (13 episodes, 2011-2012)
Lockhart Maclean	...	Himself - Captain (13 episodes, 2011-2012)
Amber Paarman	...	Herself - 2nd Cook, South Africa (11 episodes, 2008-2011)
Chad Halstead	...	Himself - Small Boat Driver (11 episodes, 2011-2012)
Laura Dakin		(11 episodes, 2009-2011)
Luke Van Horn		(11 episodes, 2009-2011)

Storyline

This stunning and dangerous limited series spotlights both the controversial Japanese whaling trade and the tactics that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and its staff and volunteers use to cripple it. Aboard the Motor Yacht "Steve Irwin" the group seeks out the Japanese whaling fleet and then uses it's Delta Zodiac, helicopter, and other innovative techniques to enforce the law, including close-quarters ship-to-ship contact, to disable and/or sink the Japanese whaling ships in the fight to enforce international laws on the high seas where law enforcement is minimal or non-existent. The successful confrontations disrupt whale carcass processing and disperse the fleet of whaling vessels.

---

Plot Keywords:

whaling | whale | sea shepherd | piracy

---

Taglines:

What is the price of victory? (season 4)

---

Genres:

Documentary | Reality-TV

---

Details

Official Sites:

Animal Planet

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 2008 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Southern Ocean, South Australia, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

RIVR Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #18.106 (2010)

User Reviews

Good entertainment and good political statement!

The reason this series is so poorly rated, is that there are a lot of users who strenuously object to the idea of a group like Sea Shepherd being presented as heroes. And indeed, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society are the heroes of this show, while the whalers are the bad guys. There's no getting around it.

But if, like me, this does not bother you in the slightest, then I highly recommend viewing this.

The narrative and the mise-en-scene are brilliantly done. That is to say that the editing and the way events are presented is good story telling.

The photography of the show is also quite superb. There are images of massive ice bergs, huge ships being tossed around in great storms.

And the show is also accurately named. Even though nobody is killed, it is a war. Every season brings a new escalation in the conflict, new weapons, tactics and tricks by both Sea Shepherd and the whalers.