I used to admire these guys but now I am not so sure. The captain of the Steve Irwin is incompetent and he is going to get one or more of his crew killed. Won't be his fault of course................. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6977316.ece" target="_blank">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6977316.ece</a>

That video is hilarious; and where do they get off owning a $2M batmobile boat? Couldn't they save a starving village, a huge chunk of the rain forest, help out homeless people in America, etc. with that money instead? <BR> <BR>(Message edited by sinkoumn on January 06, 2010)

"Video footage of the incident, shot from the Japanese vessel, and released by a pro-whaling organisation supported by the Japanese Government, appears to support the environmentalists’ version of events. In it, the Ady Gil can be seen almost at a standstill, to the starboard of the Japanese vessel, which appears to alter course in its direction, while firing on it with a high-pressure hose." <BR> <BR>Huh?? That's not how I view it at all. The batboat is initially at a standstill but very clearly, from the wake, accelerates directly into the path of the ship. All maritime rules of the road give the ship right-of-way in that situtation. It is hard to tell whether or not the ship changes course but the 'they ran into us' version proposed by the Sea Sheperds doesn't hold water to me. <BR> <BR>I watch the show because I am fascinated how these people will continue to follow the orders of this bumbling idiot who calls himself their captain. They have been engaging in or very piracy for years now with attempting to disable propulsion and forcible boarding of the whalers. One of them is going to be killed before long and they will have no one to blame but themselves.

Not that I support whaling, but if I was the Japs, I would throw bullets back at them.

Hey on a Sort of related topic, The captin of the Steve Irwin has a camio in this movie. <BR>Check out the Movie "The Cove" <BR><a href="http://thecovemovie.com/" target="_blank">http://thecovemovie.com/</a> <BR> <BR>Some great footage. Cool behind the curtan footage of swimming and diving and how the film was made IMO this stuff was almost as good as the movie itself. <BR> <BR>It's a never before seen footage of the Jap fishing and how they hunt and kill dolphins and sell the highly contamanatied (laced with mecury) dolphin meat as Whale meat. IMO it's a real eye opener. Some very graphic and sad footage along with some very beautiful footage. I give it 2 thumbs up.

I was thinking the same thing about whoever wrote that article. They must be on crack if they didn't see the propulsion on that little boat drive it right into the path of the whaling vessel. Too funny that they added insult to injury with a hose down after they ripped the bow off their boat. <BR> <BR>I saw on the news this morning that Bob Barker donated $5 million toward a new boat for these jokers. Where the hell does Bob Barker get an extra $5 million??? Did that guy really make that much coin doing The Price Is Right?

I bet he made it in Happy Gilmore.

Is the show back on TV?

ya know what I love,, smashing into the batboat, chopping off the front, then blasting the people inside with a watercanon.! Take that you hippies.!!!!! Love it. The ultimate bitchslap

Does this video give you the same impression that the batboat was at fault? To me it looks like the whaling ship turns towards the batboat, before hitting it. BUt it does also look like the batboat accelrates before the impact... <BR><a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/01/06/lah.japan.whaling.ship.collision.cnn" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/01/06/lah.japan.whaling.ship.collision.cnn</a>

i just saw that video and it does look like they both go for the collision. i dont understand the logic of putting 50 feet of fiberglass in the way of 100+ feet off steel. i agree with the cause, but those hippies are DUMB

You gotta give the "Hippie's" credit for having balls and the gumption to believe so much in their cause they are willing to risk their lives. <BR> <BR>We were out looking for whales Monday and wound up only finding a pod of about 40 Risso dolphins that were jumping and playing all around my boat. We did run into a couple of Grey Whales on Friday, but only for a short time before they went for a deep dive. Until you have been up close and personal with the largest creature in the world and heard them sing underwater maybe you won't understand? <BR> <BR>Killing them needs to stop and since there doesn't seem to be a legal way to do so the activists are starting to get the job done. If they can now get the Japanese ship forced into port for repairs or questioning, then the whaling has stopped. Their goal is to bankrupt the whaling fleet. <BR> <BR>The ship Bob Barker purchased and retrofitted was an ex-whaling ship that is faster than anything the Japanese have. That may well be the last thing that the Japanese expected since it was kept secret. <BR> <BR>BTW whaling is banned the world over! The Japanese have broken that ban calling it research which is total crap.

The Sea Shep's new mantra? <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/lol.gif" border=0> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/4387/767652.jpg" alt="Upload">

Just watched the South Park episode 'Whale Whores' and it was hilarious! Pokes fun at both sides and is so politically incorrect <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/rofl.gif" border=0>

That last video looks pretty bad for the Japs side of the story. It appears they just flat ran them down. <BR> <BR>"an ex-whaling ship that is faster than anything the Japanese have" <BR> <BR>Are you sure about this? I remember an episode where they were saying the SS, couldn't catch most of the fleet. Maybe I was mistaken though.

"Another whaling ship arrived in the Southern Ocean today, unexpected and right on time: the Bob Barker. <BR> <BR>The 1,200-ton Norwegian built Antarctic harpoon vessel caught up with the Japanese whaling fleet at 0300 Hours on Wednesday, January 6th, in the area of Commonwealth Bay off the Adelie Coast at 143 Degrees 17 Minutes East and 66 Degrees 43 Minutes South. The Norwegian flag cracked in the chill Antarctic air as the silhouette of the whaler gave every indication that the ship was sent to support the Japanese whalers. <BR> <BR>The Japanese could be forgiven for thinking that the pro-whaling Norwegians had sent a ship to support their illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. But any excitement turned to disappointment quickly as the Norwegian flag was hauled down and the black and white skull with crossed Trident and Shepherd’s crook was raised to announce the arrival of the Bob Barker, the latest ship acquired for the Sea Shepherd ocean defense fleet. <BR> <BR>Thanks to a $5,000,000 contribution from American television personality and icon Bob Barker, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was able to quietly purchase and refit the former Norwegian whaler in Africa. The ice strengthened fast chaser boat quietly departed from Mauritius on December 18th to join up with the Sea Shepherd ships Steve Irwin and Ady Gil in the Southern Ocean. <BR> <BR>Barker has also funded the cost of a helicopter that will accompany the society’s ships. <BR> <BR>The long range fast ice class Bob Barker will take the lead in harassing the Japanese fleet and will be able to stay on station for three solid months without refueling." <BR> <BR>Maybe it is not faster than the entire fleet, but they are going to have one heck of a time trying to outrun a harpoon vessel. <BR> <BR>Read this article: <BR><a href="http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47727/title/Science_%2B_the_Public__Protected_whales_found_in_ Japan%E2%80%99s_supermarkets" target="_blank">Protected whales found in Japan supermarkets</a> They know this due to genetics. <BR> <BR>"Not only could the new genetic analyses identify whale tissue by species, but in some instances they could even differentiate which community of a particular species a landed whale had come from. For instance, J-stock minkes versus O stock animals. <BR> <BR>And that’s what these researchers homed in on for their new paper. In theory, there should be no J-stock whales, since Japan’s scientific whaling had no permits for animals from this depleted stock. In fact, the new paper reports, 46 percent of Japan’s marketplace minke meat has been coming from J-stock whales."

Although I believe in their cause, the group is retarded. The Asians are trashing the fish population, not just whales. What we need is a world wide department of fish and game that has jurisdiction to jail and/or fine those that are breaking the laws.

Aw! I think I was thinking of the Steve Irwin. I didn't know the BB was a new ship they had. My bad.

Am I the only one wondering what whale tastes like? What they are doing is awful but I don't think I've ever had it. Hmmm...

Hey, I am in for trying some whale. Maybe with some ketchup?

Maybe I don't understand what they're doing so I'll ask: What is so bad about it?

Fish and chips........whale and chips...or maybe tots. After watching the previous seasons of Whale Wars, I agree with jwag. The shepherds are clueless and unorganized. I think whaling is awful; however, I have trouble getting behind these idiots. On another note, once the story broke about the bat boat, the green peace gypsies were asking for donations in front of the local supermarket. I gave the guy $10 to take a bath.

Well basically the Sea Shepherd folks view it as a violation of the 1986 Moratorium placed on commercial whaling. The only exemptions are for "scientific-research and aboriginal-subsistence". the Japanese take the science route and since 1988 has averaged between 400-500 Minke whales a season. The hippies love whales no matter what and believe the fact that the majority of the whales are butchered and end up in grocery stores make it a violation of the moratorium. <BR> <BR>Considering that there are over 1 million estimated Minke whales a few hundred isn't all that many. But it would appear to be in violation of the rules.

Whale tail is good in almost any situation

Hell ya Manzo! Mince that whale up with some brown rice. Grubdiggity!

These guys have some serious backers. I remember last season the Chili Peppers gave them 100K to repair the SS.

Patrick - that episode of South Park was hilarious. They were pretty bang on with a lot of criticisms. I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks these guys (particularly the captain) are ridiculous. <BR> <BR>On a side note, I have heard that "The Cove" was a fantastic film. I have really been meaning to see it. It kind of surprises me that steve irwin is in it, considering what a tool he is.

You mean that Paul dude who is the captain? Steve Irwin is the ship...? Right?

Looks like the Japanese were out to sink themselves a boat that day. David and others might need to rethink what the smaller vessel was doing by hitting the throttle. Looks like it was to try to save their butts. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8f2_1262846690" target="_blank">http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8f2_1262846690</a> <BR> <BR>(Message edited by helinut on January 08, 2010)

If you only knew the history of just about everything you guys talk smack about. Watching the "Pirate for the Sea" makes you all look like sheeple you all are. 2010 guys time to wake up to Reality!!!

and once again, boats do have reverse... you don't go forward to get out of the way. its pretty clear that they moved forward with the intention of trying to get the whaling ship to stop, and in the mean time, it looked like the whaling ship was turning to get closer so that their high pressure hoses would be more effective...

Imagine my surprise looking under "Whale Wars" thread for pictures of FAT bottomed girls!!!!! Darn.Maybe I'll start my own Whale Wars thread..

What the Japanese are doing is exploiting a loophole in the rules that stopped commercial whaling. Any whale taken for "Research", the Japanese are able to keep the whale meat and sell it, making enormous profit. They are hunting the whales in protected areas and using research as a front. And some of the whales that are harpooned are endangered species. And the only study that has been produced by this "research" is that whales eat fish and this may deplete the fish population; how convenient.


It's tragic that you guys dismiss the crew as a bunch of dumb hippies for standing up for something they believe in. These whales are harpooned by an exploding harpoon which pinpoints their internal organs, but that doesn't kill them. They are then shot multiple times with a rifle, electrocuted, or in many case hung to the ship by their tales then dragged until they drown. A sniper on the Nissin Maru shot Captain Paul in 2008, but luckily he was wearing a vest. I guarantee if there was some company, here in the US, shooting bald eagles in the name of research most of you would take whatever means necessary to stop them.

That was a publicity stunt....it was never confirmed nor proven he was shot.

It's his word against the Japanese.

From Wikipedia

"On March 17, 2008 Paul Watson said that he was shot by the Japanese crew or coast guard personnel during the Operation Migaloo anti-whaling campaign in the Southern Ocean. The incident is documented during the show in the final episode of the Whale Wars TV reality show, and the first six episodes are covered as a buildup to what is portrayed as the major incident during the campaign. The footage in Whale Wars shows Watson standing on the deck of the Steve Irwin while Sea Shepherd crew throws glass bottles filled with butyric acid at the Nisshin Maru whaling vessel. Butyric acid was used for its foul odor and sticky properties. [58] The Japanese respond by throwing flashbang devices. Watson is then shown reaching inside his jacket and body armour and remarking "I've been hit." Back inside the bridge of the Steve Irwin, a metal fragment is found inside the vest.[59]

The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research has dismissed Sea Shepherd's statements as lies. The Institute and Coast Guard said that they used seven flashbang devices designed to flash and make noise in the air without causing harm.[60] Neither of the two conflicting accounts have been independently verified. The Australian Foreign Affairs Department had condemned "actions by crew members of any vessel that cause injury". Two media releases were made on the same day from the office. One said that the Australian Embassy in Tokyo had been informed by the Japanese that the whalers had "fired warning shots"[61] while the updated version used the phrase "'warning balls' – also known as 'flashbangs' – had been fired"."

Where's the proof that it is a hoax? The Japanese account?