I don't watch many "reality" type shows.   One that I have been watching lately is "Whale Wars",  believe it or not.   If you don't know what it is about,  it features the truly insane and unbalanced "Captain"  Paul Watson, one of the founders of the radical enviro group Greenpeace and the founder of the even more radical group Sea Shepards.  

Every year the Sea Shepards head south on the ship "Steve Irwin" (all the way south, almost to Antarctica)  to harass Japanese whalers.   The show is almost comical in its portrayal of this group.   They probably think they come off as heroic but even editing cannot cover the inaptitude of the crew of this misfit  (calling him "Captain" is being very generous) Watson. 

The crew is no surprise,  mostly "idealist" type younger people who probably truly think they are changing the world by being there.   If they truly knew what was going on,   none of them seem to know or care.   It makes for great TV as they go from one disaster or drama to the next.  

But it does show the truth of today's radical environmental groups in regards to human life.  I have pointed this out a number of times on this blog.  They think very little of it.   Watson seems to care little about the safety of his mostly inexperienced  young crew.   The ship "Steve Irwin"  is a old piece of junk and is not rated to go as far south as they take it.    Its not a rated as a icebreaker, a requirement of operating that far south,  even though Sea Shepards once owned a icebreaker rated ship (the Canadian government seized it).  They take this ship into areas where they have no business being, like with ice cover (and get trapped at one point).    It breaks down constantly and they have no way of being rescued by anyone. 

The first mate is Peter Brown, a long time friend and  hanger on of Watson (seems to be the only other crew member the age of Watson outside of the doctor).  He  is incompetent at any thing he does, and is not open to any ideas not his own or Watsons.    He almost kills a number of crew members as they tried a practice launching of a small boat by not paying attention to what he is doing.   He also was the only member opposed to a young woman crew member,  when she tried to improve the safety procedures (they appeared to have none) just because she had once served in the US Navy.   He is so "anti-establishment" that he cannot even accept basic safety procedures that are used by the US Navy (and every other ship on the sea).   He ignores the technology and instruments of the ship preferring his own gut (mostly faulty) instinct.  

Never the less, he isn't liked much by the rest of the crew.   Thankfully he finally saw the writing on the wall and left the ship this season so the safety of the ship was a little better by him being gone.    But "Captain" Watson isn't very safe either.   He rams the "Steve Irwin" into the whalers ships a number of times endangering the crews of the whalers as much as his own.   He is so intent on doing something he doesn't think about what could happen if something really went wrong.   I would never feel safe with him as captain of any ship I would be on, or have anyone I know willing set foot on his ship.    He stages a "crisis" after two Sea Shepards board one of the whaling ships,  and claim to be held as hostages,  never mind the Japanese try to return them as fast as possible (by trying to throw them back overboard when they were boarding).    

Even though the producers of the show are probably on Watsons side,  I don't think that the image that this show shows is what Watson would really want.    I think he hurts his cause more than anything.    Whaling is disappearing from most of the world on its own,  and spotlighting this only harden the ones that are still whaling.    One type of the whales hunted aren't even endangered.   They deny being pirates even though their own logo and flag are a pirate like design.    The new season,  the whalers have adapted to the Sea Shepards tactics much to the annoyance of the crew.     One of the tactics (stink bombs) they used was banned by the Dutch government ("Steve Irwin" is registered by the Dutch) though in the newest episode they seem to be doing it again (after the whalers seem to just ignore the Sea Shepards and instead of fleeing like before, whale right in front of them,  much to their horror).  

So they are claiming to be enforcing laws of the UN (like there are laws of the UN, ha ha) but they are entitled to break others that are real laws, like the rules of the open seas.   How confusing is that?   They would be considered pirates for real had the Dutch not registered the "Steve Irwin".    Many TV observers of reality programing think that some show will someday feature someone dying.    This show may be the one that does.    Its a disaster waiting to happen.



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