By throwing grenades and shooting harpoons, whaling boats hope to hit whales enough to make a traumatic blow. Unfortunately when you’re on a swaying boat trying to hit a moving target, more often than not your aim won’t be exact, leaving the whales to die a slow agonizing death. Every year, nearly 2,000 whales are brutally murdered for commercial whaling. Although many laws have been put into place to stop this horrendous event, many countries continue to whale today including Finland, Norway, and Japan.

SSS Bob Barker finds the Nisshin Maru in Mackenzie Bay. photo credit: Glenn Lockitch, Sea Shepherds Australia

The bloodied deck of the Nisshin Maru stained from the butchering of a whale. Photo credit: Tim Watters, Sea Shepherds Australia

Paul Watson created the Sea Shepherds Conservation Society (SSCS), a non-profit marine wildlife conservation organization, in 1977. Composed entirely of volunteers, the Sea Shepherds takes a different approach to put an end to whale poaching. “I became tired of signing petitions that more often than not achieved little or were created by NGOs or governments who were not truly invested in bringing about a change, or at least were only interested in making a difference during their paid office hours and only if it would gain them publicity and donations. Sea Shepherds was different. They got the job done regardless of what people thought about them. The clients were the living beings below the surface and they were all that mattered,” states Ben J Harris, current Sea Shepherds member. The Sea Shepherds works every day to make a difference, even if it is to the extreme...whether it’s sending fleets out to block the whaling ships, cutting fishing nets in the cove, or rescuing sea turtles in the Galapagos.

The Yushin Maru crosses bow of the Bob Barker at an unsafe distance. Photo credit: Simon Ager, Sea Shepherds Australia

These majestic creatures are intelligent beyond our comprehension. They don’t deserve to be slaughtered only to sit in an over-stocked freezer. “I’m honored that I got to be part of a great team that made a huge difference,” noted Alex DiPietro, former crew member. “To me, it showed what was possible when you put your mind to something.”

Three dead protected Minke Whales on the deck of the Nisshin Maru. Photo credit: Tim Watters, Sea Shepherds Australia

If you want to learn more, please see:

http://www.seashepherd.org/

Harpoon vessel crosses the bow of the Bob Barker at close range during a 6-hour attack. Photo credit: Simon Ager, Sea Shepherds Australia

Carleigh Pierce is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program