...as much as I disagree with whaling in any form, I have to say that if I were a whale and realized I was being "championed" by such as group of inept sailors as those, I'd consider throwing myself on a harpoon. I find it hard to believe that any master of a vessel would put his charges into the danger I see on that program.
Mike
Just some history - in the early days of Greenpeace, Watson and his mates would take a Zodiac and drive it between the pursued whale and the hunter boat. This very dangerous tactic dissuaded the Russian harpooner from taking a shot. Sometimes it got very close & dangerous as the fired harpoon whizzed inches from their heads.
However, it did save some whales and their strategy did pay off as economics, and harassment shut down an ailing Russian whaling industry.
They crew on the Zodiac also remarked that the pursued whales knew to use the Zodiac as a defense shield when hunted. Of course, the whales when initially chased would try to "sound" , but this escape tactic only worked for so long as the newly surfaced - oxygen depleted whale would be spotted by helicopter which radioed a position to a fast harpoon boat. In short, very little chance of escape for the fleeing whale.
In summary, the crews of early Greenpeace were willing to put it on the line. Watson had that impetus on the leadership. Having attended some of these early meetings - I can tell you that the crew cared about the welfare of the people, the environment and the marine animals that they worked so hard to save. Just some facts from someone who knows a bit about the history.
X