Last season, Japanese whalers admitted that they had given up the remainder of the whaling season due to Sea Shepherd's ability to block them from hunting whales. Sea Shepherd members cheered and thought that the Japanese were giving up whaling once and for all. But nothing could be further from the truth.
And so a new season of Whale Wars begins tonight onAnimal Planet.
Last year, following the tsunami that devastated Japan, various countries offer financial assistance to help this country rebuild from the rubble. But rather than helping families and businesses that have nothing left, reports indicate that the Japanese use a sizable amount of these donations to fund a new whaling campaign in the southern ocean (financial details mentioned in video that accompanies this article). The Japanese are headed back to sea with more security and more manpower to stand against Sea Shepherd. It's a whole new ball game. As soon as news reaches Sea Shepherd that the Japanese will indeed be whaling once again, every campaign they have currently in progress stops in its tracks.
What normally takes four months to plan must now happen in just a matter of days. Every vessel Sea Shepherd has must head to the southern ocean. From Australia to the Faroe Islands to Chile, Sea Shepherd vessels and crew race against time to protect the whales that call the southern ocean home.
For years, Sea Shepherd has wanted to hear from Japanese whalers firsthand, to find out why they feel they have to kill whales. Sea Shepherd's Quartermaster on the ship, Steve Irwin, Shannon Mann said yesterday that hearing both sides of the issue continues to be important to Sea Shepherd and to Animal Planet as well.
"I know that Animal Planet has approached the other side and tried to participate with them (the Japanese whalers) in getting their side of the story. I know that they (Animal Planet) would be willing to put people on their ships and follow them just as much as, you know, they follow us to campaign from our side. But they refuse to participate," says Mann.
For now, Mann says their actions speak volumes for their side of the story.
"I mean, what can they really express when they're killing whales. I mean it is, essentially commercial whaling in a whale sanctuary and they're killingendangered species," says Mann.
Will Sea Shepherd arrive before the Japanese begin their whaling season? What new weaponry and equipment will the Japanese be using to protect themselves from Sea Shepherd's attempts to stop them from whaling?
REVIEW: 5 out of 5 Stars
This season starts off strong and holds nothing back. Just like the seasons before, you will be swept out to the southern ocean with Sea Shepherd crew in search of the Nisshin Maru and its fleet. Pop your popcorn ahead of time and get the entire family to join you tonight to discover what happens when Captain Paul Watson says enough is enough!
Animal Planet's fifth season of Whale Wars opens with its premier episode, 'Setting the Trap.' Sea Shepherd is outgunned and outmanned but determined to end whaling.
Whale Wars fifth season begins tonight at 9:00 PM (et/pt) on Animal Planet.
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