In December 2005, adventure-writer Peter Heller joined the crew of the Farley Mowat, a 50-year-old converted Norwegian fishing trawler and the flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, on a quest through the icy waters of Antarctica to find and stop a six ship Japanese fishing fleet from illegally killing hundreds of whales.
Founded thirty years ago by Paul Watson, one of the original founders of Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd is regarded by some as an ecoterrorist group and its members as pirates. But despite what many would call fanatical measures, which have included the purposeful sinking of nine ships, Sea Shepherd has never harmed a person in the pursuit of its mission to stop illegal whaling, drift-netting, long-lining, dolphin-slaughter, and sealing. Heller met Paul Watson in May of 2005 at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival, where Watson told the following story from his days with Greenpeace:
Founded thirty years ago by Paul Watson, one of the original founders of Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd is regarded by some as an ecoterrorist group and its members as pirates. But despite what many would call fanatical measures, which have included the purposeful sinking of nine ships, Sea Shepherd has never harmed a person in the pursuit of its mission to stop illegal whaling, drift-netting, long-lining, dolphin-slaughter, and sealing. Heller met Paul Watson in May of 2005 at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival, where Watson told the following story from his days with Greenpeace:
"In June 1975, sixty-five miles off the coast of Siberia, Bob Hunter and I ran our Zodiac between a Russian whaler and a small pod of panicked, fleeing gray whales. We were the first to use a Zodiac in this way. The whalers fired a harpoon over our heads and hit a female whale in the head. She screamed. There was a fountain of blood. She made a sound like a woman's scream. Just then one of the largest males I've ever seen slapped his tail hard against the water and hurled himself right at the Soviet vessel. Just before he could strike, the whalers harpooned him too. He fell back and swam right at us. He reared out of the water. I thought, this is it, it's all over, he's going to slam down on the boat. But instead, he pulled back. I saw his muscles pull back. It was as if he knew we were trying to save them. As he slid back into the water, drowning in his own blood, I looked into his eye and I saw recognition. Empathy. What I saw in his eye as he looked at me would change my life forever. He saved my life and I would return the favor."
After his Telluride presentation, Watson invited Heller to join Sea Shepherd on their December campaign to stop illegal Japanese whaling in Antarctica. Heller accepted. Heller tells the story of the Farley Mowat's pursuit of the Japanese fleet through 40 foot swells and ice-locked waters, while simultaneously telling the story of the 44 crew members from 14 different countries who came together in a lone stance against the butchery of some of the Earth's most intelligent creatures. A few key players include:
After his Telluride presentation, Watson invited Heller to join Sea Shepherd on their December campaign to stop illegal Japanese whaling in Antarctica. Heller accepted. Heller tells the story of the Farley Mowat's pursuit of the Japanese fleet through 40 foot swells and ice-locked waters, while simultaneously telling the story of the 44 crew members from 14 different countries who came together in a lone stance against the butchery of some of the Earth's most intelligent creatures. A few key players include:
Geert Vans: A bushy-bearded biker-artist-scholar-children's book illustrator from Amsterdam, whose official title aboard the Farley Mowat was "Ship's Artist."
Emily Hunter: The daughter of Greenpeace cofounder, Robert Hunter, on assignment for City TV in Toronto, one of many media representatives who made the journey.
Gedden: A Cascadian "freegan," who attempts to leave as light a footprint as possible on the planet by eating only that which is discarded by others.
Cassan: A 26 year old with a master's degree in international environmental policy, a chef's certificate from an esteemed culinary institute, and proficiency in four or five languages to his credit.
Inde: An Earthfirster who had spent six weeks the previous winter tree-sitting in a Douglas fir.
Heller's adventure begins on a Melbourne wharf on December 5, 2005 and ends in early January 2006, with nearly empty fuel tanks and hundreds of miles from any shore. The Whale Warriors is in fact a day by day account of Sea Shepherd's pursuit of the illegal Japanese whalers and oftentimes reads something like Heller's journal of the trip, from which the book was doubtlessly constructed.
Emily Hunter: The daughter of Greenpeace cofounder, Robert Hunter, on assignment for City TV in Toronto, one of many media representatives who made the journey.
Gedden: A Cascadian "freegan," who attempts to leave as light a footprint as possible on the planet by eating only that which is discarded by others.
Cassan: A 26 year old with a master's degree in international environmental policy, a chef's certificate from an esteemed culinary institute, and proficiency in four or five languages to his credit.
Inde: An Earthfirster who had spent six weeks the previous winter tree-sitting in a Douglas fir.
Heller's adventure begins on a Melbourne wharf on December 5, 2005 and ends in early January 2006, with nearly empty fuel tanks and hundreds of miles from any shore. The Whale Warriors is in fact a day by day account of Sea Shepherd's pursuit of the illegal Japanese whalers and oftentimes reads something like Heller's journal of the trip, from which the book was doubtlessly constructed.
Along the way, we learn about whales and whaling, an industry which started thousands of years ago as a necessary practice by cultures around the world, but which has since evolved past sustainability and has driven whole species of whales - fin, blue, minke, humpback - to the edge of extinction. Humpbacks, which numbered a million and a half in pre-whaling times, currently barely maintain a worldwide population of 18,000.
Heller is straightforward about Paul Watson's quixotic and fanatical nature when it comes to saving marine wildlife, but he also sheds light on contemporary research indicating that our commercial exploitation of the ocean is predicted to cause its ecological collapse by the middle of this century, and the obvious moral obligation we have to not consciously drive other species - least of all those that may very well be as intelligent (or more intelligent) as we are - to extinction. In so doing, he quotes marine biologist, Roger Payne:
"As supposedly intelligent creatures, doesn't it seem odd that humans might think that the best way to engage whales is to eat them?"
I would imagine support of marine mammals and their welfare to be broad, but how deep is it? That is, to what lengths would any of us go to prevent their ruthless destruction and possible extinction? In a time when we are finally becoming aware of our responsibility to the planet and the other species therein, Peter Heller's portrait of one organization's commitment to the welfare of other species has the power to enlighten and possibly embolden others to action as well.
Heller is straightforward about Paul Watson's quixotic and fanatical nature when it comes to saving marine wildlife, but he also sheds light on contemporary research indicating that our commercial exploitation of the ocean is predicted to cause its ecological collapse by the middle of this century, and the obvious moral obligation we have to not consciously drive other species - least of all those that may very well be as intelligent (or more intelligent) as we are - to extinction. In so doing, he quotes marine biologist, Roger Payne:
"As supposedly intelligent creatures, doesn't it seem odd that humans might think that the best way to engage whales is to eat them?"
I would imagine support of marine mammals and their welfare to be broad, but how deep is it? That is, to what lengths would any of us go to prevent their ruthless destruction and possible extinction? In a time when we are finally becoming aware of our responsibility to the planet and the other species therein, Peter Heller's portrait of one organization's commitment to the welfare of other species has the power to enlighten and possibly embolden others to action as well.
