Whale wars is a weekly American television show that tracks and documents the events of Paul Watson and his crew as they travel through Antarctica and its regions in an attempt to disrupt and stop japanese whaling vessels from capturing various whale species for research and/or other possible uses.
Those who operate the whaling vessels state that what they are doing is legal because they are gathering necessary whale research data for educational purposes, however opposing organizations such as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society founded by Paul Watson state that these vessels are using whale research as a loosely tied cover up for hunting whales and selling their meat to distributors who then package and sell the meat for consumption by people at restaurants and at various food supply stores.
During the show Paul Watson and his crew can often be seen interacting with whaling ships by flagging them down and protesting the whaling vessels using a variety of methods including, circling the vessels with boats, ramming into them with their own boats, attempting to disable the whaling equipment on the whale vessels and even boarding the whaling boats themselves.
The often controversial show has received both praise and criticism over the actions being taken by Paul Watson and his crew, however many viewers and spectators have also stated that by watching the show they have become much more aware of the need to monitor and continue to cut down on the still existing whaling industry.
Whether or not people agree with the shows antics it has done an excellent job of increasing awareness and educating people about the continuing issues and questions raised among countries still involved in the practice whaling and hunting whales for meat and/or for sport.
The whale Wars television show originally aired on November 7, 2008 on Animal Planet and has since produced at least 5 additional seasons.
Whale Wars has also managed to create a spin-off series called Viking Shores which focuses on the practice of whaling in the Faroe Islands.
Viking Shores shows the continuing whaling debate from both angles by taking in the perspectives of both those who oppose the act of whaling and those who are pro whaling through a series of documentaries and interviews taken from both sides.
For more information on Whale Wars be sure to check out the links posted below.