I love Whale Wars, have done for quite a while as people can tell from my signature. I think that it's disappointing most of the people on this forum find them very unprofessional and reckless. The reckless part I disagree with, as after all if it stops whales being hunted then I'm all for it. The unprofessional part I partly agree with, as the only reason people think this is because of first mate Peter Brown, whose attitude to everyone else onboard is disgusting, especially when he turned down modernisation by someone from the US Navy (who would have training and experience) for a flipping check-list.
As for Sea Shepherd's tactics, I strongly support them compared to Greenpeace, who honestly just park their boats to make it more awkward and hold up signs. You can see which tactic works better by the fact that the Japanese whalers are absolutely terrified of Sea Shepherd, they even built nets around their ships so that Sea Shepherd can't board them. If you look at the whalers website, you will find more videos and photos on Sea Shepherd than that of Greenpeace which goes to show which is more effective in their encounters.
A captain who sends his ship into an icefield, while the ship has no ice class at all.
The ice was small, and easy to sail through. What you're thinking of is later on, but that was the weather's fault, as the Steve Irwin was only sheltering behind an iceberg from the wind when the next morning it was surrounded by ice.
A chief mate who cant steer the manually.
Peter Brown is an idiot, don't let his idiocy make you judge the rest of the crew.
A crew that freaks out because a fault in the gyro compass (whatever happend to the magnetic compass?!).
The gyro compass controls the pitch and roll of the ship in heavy seas, when that went offline the whole ship went bonkers, but they didn't freak out at all like you just said they did. I thought the way they handled it was really well, the crew laughed at it, whilst the people on the bridge handled and fixed it in a very professional manner I thought. The fact he fixed something so delicate in so little time I find very professional.
Crew getting lost at sea with the RIB because they have no experience at all.
It's impossible to have a radio conversation whilst they are going at the speed they are, especially in heavy seas, if you want to stop a boat just to have a conversation whilst in pursuit of whalers then be my guest.
I don't see Peter Brown being proffessional at all...
Who does?
you dont say the 1st mate is fool a 12 year old could do a better job than him. the thing is but from thair background thay do a good job after all thay are just hippys and who duznt like hippys
They aren't hippies, just because some have beards does that mean they adhere to the hippy stereotype? I'm pretty sure the stereotype of fishermen having beards is more close than the hippy stereotype. Besides, aren't hippies non-violent and just stand around holding signs? I thought we were criticising Sea Shepherd for not having those values like Greenpeace does. Yes I said it, Greenpeace are more like hippies than Sea Shepherd.
Paul Watson makes a complete fool out of himself with his incompetent and unprofessional crew.
I think the way Paul Watson handled the ice field situation is self-explanatory, how can he make a fool of himself when his way of handling things is like a relief and a godsend. Peter Brown is an idiot, yes we all know that, and when Paul Watson took command everything became more calm and relaxing. But the rest of the crew isn't incompetent and unprofessional, they are geniuses hushed down by Peter Brown's stubbornness to change.