Hunting the Hunters: At War with the Whalers

Disaffected with his work, Dutch police detective de Groot trades a steady job for a life as a volunteer with Sea Shepherd%E2%80%94the conservation organization made famous by the television program Whale Wars. In this fast-paced tale of high adventure, he recounts his role in the efforts to stop Japanese whale hunting. Despite the international moratorium on commercial whaling and ignoring treaties that make the waters of Antarctica a whale sanctuary under international law, Japanese whalers continue to hunt under the guise of conducting scientific research. The activists of Sea Shepherd view the whalers as poachers and pirates, and confront them on the open ocean to stop the killing. Their risky engagements include lobbing stink bombs of butyric acid onto the decks of the whaling vessels to ruin any catch and using ropes to foul the whaler's propellers. The effort is also a public relations campaign designed to bring attention to the violations of these hunters. Whether you view the mission of the Sea Shepherd as heroic or Quixotic, de Groot's account is a thrilling and engaging tale of a larger than life adventure on some of the world's most dangerous waters. Color photos. (Jan.)