Whale Wars
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.
Genre: Documentary, Reality-TV
Cast:Chris Aultman , Paul Watson , Peter Hammarstedt , Benjamin Potts , Giacomo Gorgi , Laurens de Groot , Michael May , Laura Dakin , Luke Van Horn , Pete Bethune , Alex Cornelissen , Lockhart Maclean , Jason Hildebrandt , Fiona McCuaig , Amber Paarman , Chad Halstead , Campbell Holland , Malcolm Holland
S1.E1 ∙ Needle in a Haystack
Paul Watson is captain and founder of Sea Shepherd, a radical environmental group made up of self-proclaimed eco-pirates who fight for marine conservation. Their mission is to confront and stop Japanese fishing vessels from killing whales in Antarctica.
S1.E2 ∙ Nothing's Ideal
Sea Shepherds finally spot a Japanese whaling ship, the harpoon vessel Yushin Maru #2. Captain Paul Watson devises a dangerous plan for two of his crewmembers to board the Yushin fleet and deliver and letter telling them to stop the killing of whales.
S1.E3 ∙ International Incidents R Us
With Ben and Giles of Sea Shepherd being held hostage aboard the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru #2, Captain Paul Watson is pleased at the international media storm he has created, and rejects an offer from whalers to release the hostages.
S1.E4 ∙ We Are Hooligans
After three long days, Pottsy and Giles are transferred back from the Yushin Maru and become instant celebrities with the media. Just as they are settling back in, the crew is concerned when they discover an unknown ship has been following them!
S1.E5 ∙ Doors Slamming and Things Breaking
The ship's engineer reports that one of two engines is broken. Now they will be unable to keep up with the Japanese whalers and are forced to return to Melbourne for repairs. While heading back, they have to navigate through a massive oceanic storm.
S1.E6 ∙ Ladies First
Armed with new volunteers, the Sea Shepherds head out to sea to find the Japanese whaling ships. After they pinpoint the fleet's location, the Captain raises the stakes and plans for another boarding. This time it will be an all-female boarding team!
S1.E7 ∙ Boiling Point
The Sea Shepherds have finally found the most important ship in the Japanese whaling fleet, the Nisshin Maru factory ship. Everything has led to this moment and despite warnings from the Japanese whalers, the Sea Shepherds strike.
S2.E1 ∙ The Sound of Ice
Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherds head back down to Antarctica for what promises to be their most intense anti-whaling campaign yet. However, no sooner does the ship leave port than the ship's Gyro breaks,and they hit a massive storm the size of Australia
S2.E2 ∙ The Flexibility of Steel
A huge weather system moves in and the Steve Irwin is forced to take shelter behind a large iceberg. By morning, they are surrounded by ice so thick they can no longer move. The ice begins to push against the aging ship's fragile hull, denting it inwards.
S2.E3 ∙ As Bad as Our Bark
The Sea Shepherd gather intel on the fleet's location, they realize that they are low on fuel. As they weigh whether or not to head back to port, they come across the entire Japanese fleet searching for one of their crewmembers that has fallen overboard.
S2.E4 ∙ Yum Yum Eat Crow
The Sea Shepherds have come across the entire Japanese fleet searching for one of their crewmembers that fell overboard. Paul orders his crew to stand down, and they agonize over being so close to their target, yet unable to attack.
S2.E5 ∙ The Unintimidatables
The Steve Irwin is quarantined in Hobart and the crew anxiously waits to find out if they have been exposed to Anthrax. Finally they get the all clear and 1st mate Peter Brown wastes no time leaving the ship after having quit the campaign.
S2.E6 ∙ With a Hook
Surrounded by the Japanese whaling fleet, the Sea Shepherds ready themselves for their biggest day of battle to date on the campaign. Helicopter pilot Chris flies up and confirms the crew's fears - all of the whaling vessels are equipped with LRAD weapons
S2.E7 ∙ The Desire to Fling Things
Captain Watson is in pursuit of the Nisshin Maru when all three Japanese harpoon ships suddenly appear on out of the fog. The Sea Shepherds are completely outnumbered.
S2.E8 ∙ Bait and Switch
As the Sea Shepherds prepare for their fourth straight day of engagement with the Japanese whaling fleet, Andy and Simon ague with Dan over the best strategy for attack.
S2.E9 ∙ The Crazy Ivan
Low on fuel, the small boats head toward the Steve Irwin, but in order to get them on board safely, Paul must employ a dangerous military strategy, "The Crazy Ivan," circling at a high speed to try and create calm water for the little boatsto return.
S2.E10 ∙ The Stuff of Nightmares
The Sea Shepherds shock turns to fury when the Japanese fleet pulls a dead whale onto Nisshin Maru for slaughter. Paul Watson instructs the crew to prepare for battle.
S2.E11 ∙ Overlooking a Forlorn Shore
The Sea Shepherds continue to attempt to disrupt the whaling fleet's operations. When the Yushin 3 tries to transfer a dead whale to the Nisshin Maru, Captain Watson maneuvers his ship to block the transfer resulting in a full-speed collision.
S3.E1 ∙ Surrounded by Spies
As whaling season begins in the Antarctic, the Sea Shepherds embark on another dangerous campaign. With each boat launching from a different port, Captain Paul Watson now faces the daunting task of being the admiral of a fleet.
S3.E2 ∙ Crossing Danger
After repeated attempts to outrun and engage his pursuers, Captain Paul Watson makes a dangerous decision. Meanwhile, the Sea Shepherd's speedboat, Ady Gil, has returned to dock to repair their damaged radar.
S3.E3 ∙ From Hell's Heart
The Sea Shepherd's have been relentlessly followed by the whaling reconnaissance vessel for 2 weeks. They find themselves in a full-on engagement on the high seas as the Captain orders a massive butyric acid bottle attack on his nemesis.
S3.E4 ∙ Stealth Attack
The Sea Shepherd's stealth boat, the Ady Gil, launches a sneak attack on the Japanese whaling reconnaissance vessel in an effort to break free of the tail and find the rest of the whaling fleet.
S3.E5 ∙ The Thrill of the Chase
After nearly a month of searching, the Sea Shepherds have finally found their ultimate target, the world's only whale factory ship, the Nisshin Maru.
S3.E6 ∙ Sliced in Two
At the bottom of the world, a collision has just devastated one of the Sea Shepherds' vessels. The crew on the other vessel stand helpless on their deck, watching in horror as the Japanese vessel barrels through the Sea Shepherd's prized speedboat.
S3.E7 ∙ Revenge Is Mine
In the aftermath of the devastating loss of their stealth vessel, the Sea Shepherds have returned to the campaign with renewed passion and intensity. Now the two remaining ships are back on the hunt for the Japanese fleet.
S3.E8 ∙ Ready to Snap
With low oil and drinking water, and a damaged helicopter, the Sea Shepherd's hunt for the Japanese whaling fleet has been brought to a halt. While on their way back to port, the radar shows two colossal storms that they can't avoid.
S3.E9 ∙ A Bloody Trail
As the Sea Shepherd's approach the Nisshin Maru, they are suddenly surrounded by four whaling vessels. Suddenly, one of the Japanese vessels moves in dangerously close and as the deck crew quickly braces themselves, the ships violently collide.
S3.E10 ∙ Zero Hour
The Sea Shepherd's refuse to be bullied by the Japanese fleet even though they're out numbered. The deckhands repel over the side of the ship to assess the damage from the collision and realize there is a gash in the steel hull and water is pouring in.
S3.E11 ∙ Fire in the Sky
This is the beginning of the most massive engagement on the campaign. The Sea Shepherd crew deploys new tactics in their efforts to stop the Japanese whalers.
S3.E12 ∙ Vendetta
Under the cover of darkness, Pete Bethune attempts to board one of the Japanese whaling vessels. Meanwhile, things go terribly wrong on one of the Sea Shepherd vessels. The engine is fried and the ship is dead in the water.
S3.E13 ∙ To the Ends of the Earth
Sea Shepherd crew continue to engage the Japanese whaling fleet leading to a chase in an all encompassing ice field. After a massive engagement, both Sea Shepherd vessels decide to head back to port, signifying the end of their campaign for this season.
S4.E0 ∙ Road to the Showdown
Journey through the past three season of Whale Wars, where the volunteer activists of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society risk their lives in the most brutal conditions on planet earth to battle the Japanese whaling fleet.
S4.E1 ∙ Battle Cry
Journey through the past three season of Whale Wars, where the volunteer activists of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society risk their lives in the most brutal conditions on planet earth to battle the Japanese whaling fleet.
S4.E2 ∙ No Escape
After engaging the harpoon ships using the small boat teams, Paul makes the call to abandon the harpoon ships and go in search of the factory vessel. After a few hours of sailing, the tables have turned - two harpoon ships begin tailing Sea Shepherd.
S4.E3 ∙ Ghosts in the Machine
Tailed by a harpoon ship, the Steve Irwin enlists the help of the Gojira in an attempt to break free. Meanwhile, the Bob Barker crew spots a large blip on their radar, and believe it could be their ultimate target, the Nisshin Maru.
S4.E4 ∙ The Devil's Icebox
When damage happens to one of the small boats, and the Bob Barker 5 hours away, the crews realize they will have to spend a night at sea. But the crew is wet and freezing already and early symptoms of hypothermia begin to set in.
S4.E5 ∙ Tracking the Enemy
The Bob Barker desperately searches for their two small boat crews who were lost at sea in the aftermath of a daring mission. Meanwhile, the Gojira locates the whalers' refueling vessel and Locky plays a dangerous game of "chicken" with the massive ship.
S4.E6 ∙ Race to Save Lives
New Zealand's Navy contacts the Steve Irwin to respond to an emergency distress signal where five crew members from a Norwegian sailboat have gone missing. Now the Sea Shepherds must risk their lives in a dangerous mission to find the missing mariners.
S4.E7 ∙ Enemy in Their Grasp
As the first leg of their campaign comes to a close, the Sea Shepherds battle physical and mental exhaustion, especially pilot Chris Aultman. Thanks to an anonymous tip, the Steve Irwin finally locates the whalers' factory ship, the Nisshin Maru.
S4.E8 ∙ Battle Stations
The Bob Barker and Gojira launch an ambitious assault on the harpoon ship that has been following them and manage to completely disable the whaling vessel. Now free of its tail, the Barker continues searching for their ultimate target, the Nisshin Maru.
S4.E9 ∙ The Giant Enemy
After months of grueling searching, the Sea Shepherd's have found their ultimate target, the whaler's factory vessel. But the behemoth factory ship is intent on escaping from the carbon-fiber Gojira in the deadly Antarctic ice.
S4.E10 ∙ Delivering the Final Blow
Captain Paul Watson's crew of volunteers refuses to back down from the whalers, vowing to follow the fleet to the ends of the earth. Finally, after 30 years, Watson sees his life's work paid off with the ultimate victory.
S5.E1 ∙ Setting the Trap
After seven years of intense battles at sea, the Sea Shepherds believe they have finally driven the Japanese whaling fleet from the Southern Ocean. But now, Japan promises to return to Antarctica to resume its hunt, and the stakes are higher than ever.
S5.E2 ∙ Games of Chance
The crew of the Steve Irwin spot a ship on the horizon that they suspect is the Japanese whaler's factory ship. Meanwhile, already short on fuel, the Bridgitte Bardot is struck by a rogue wave and her crew prepare to abandon ship.
S5.E3 ∙ Dead in the Water
The terrified crew aboard the damaged Brigitte Bardot issue a distress call to, but help is still 20 hours away. As raging seas continue to pound the fragile craft, the frightened crew begins to fall apart, fearing they will not survive the night.
S5.E4 ∙ Into the Belly of the Beast
With the Japanese fleet's security vessel looming on the horizon, the captain of the badly damaged Brigitte Bardot orders his crew to evacuate the boat. Meanwhile, in Antarctica, the Bob Barker deploys the small boats team to disable a harpoon ship.
S5.E5 ∙ Crossing the Line
The exhausted crew of the Brigitte Bardot scramble to evacuate the ailing vessel. And Captain Paul Watson goes on the offensive, sending a team to board the heavily armed security vessel: the Shonan Maru.
S5.E6 ∙ Never Say Die
With three activists aboard the Japanese security vessel, Capt Paul Watson hopes the media frenzy will force the Shonan Maru 2 to back off. Meanwhile, the crew of the Steve Irwin are plunged into their most violent battle yet.
S5.E7 ∙ Counterstrike
When a massive target is detected on their radar, Sea Shepherd sends out their new helicopter pilot to ID the mystery vessel. But as the helicopter reaches the limits of its fuel range, it abruptly disappears, crashing into radio silence.
S5.E8 ∙ Target Acquired
They finally see the Nisshin Maru and are only 8 nautical miles away but between the sea shepherds and Their prime target lie 2 harpoon boats which are ready to make the 8 mile journey one of their toughest
S6.E1 ∙ A Commander Rises
WHALE WARS will chronicle the Sea Shepherds' 2012 "Zero Tolerance" mission that is in peril even before it gets started. Watson is forced to step down as the Sea Shepherds' leader just as their fledging armada leaves for the Southern Ocean. He has been the target of two Interpol "red alerts" (which seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view toward extradition) and a ruling from the United States Ninth District Circuit Court that provides strict limits on how the Sea Shepherds can "interact" with Japanese whaling activities. Because of this, Paul must remove himself from his leadership role with the Sea Shepherds. Everyone on board the boats is rattled by the news - now questioning how his/her important mission and the environmental organization itself can succeed without his presence.
S7.E1 ∙ The Devil's Den
Sea Shepherd embark on their 10th anti-whaling campaign in the Antarctic, but for the first time they are without Captain Paul Watson. Peter Hammarstedt takes the reigns as campaign leader, where a single misstep could cost hundreds of whales their lives.
S7.E2 ∙ Fight to the Death
With a brutal storm threatening to strike, and crew members refusing to obey orders, rookie campaign leader Peter Hammarstedt finds himself struggling to maintain control. With the Japanese harpoon ships looming, the campaign may be in trouble.
S7.E3 ∙ The Darkest Hour
The battle to stop whaling reaches its apex as the Bob Barker and a Japanese harpoon ship collide. Sea Shepherd's only hope is to track the whaling fleet by helicopter, but when blizzard conditions block communications and freeze instruments, hope fades.
