SEA SHEPHERD: AN INTRODUCTION

Internationally renowned eco warriors, The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) led by Captain Paul Watson, has engaged in missions across the planet to save and protect eco-systems and marine species including whales, seals, dolphins and sharks from immoral and illegal hunting operations, by enforcing international conservation law.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was formed in 1977 by Capt. Paul Watson - a co-founder of GreenPeace - to use 'aggressive non-violence' against perpetrators of crimes against marine life. Within two years it had scored one of its most famous victories, finding the pirate whaling ship 'Sierra' - one of the world's most prolific whale-hunting vessels - ramming it twice, and chasing it  into a Portuguese harbour. Soon after that, while the 'Sierra' was awaiting one million dollars of repairs to begin, Sea Shepherd operatives snuck in and sank the 'Sierra' for good, saving thousands of whales in the process.

Since then, the organisation has become the scourge of illegal killers of marine life the world over - assisting the South African Navy in scuttling two pirate whaling ships in 1980; scuttling two whaling vessels in an Icelandic port in 1986; and downing two illegal Norwegian ships in the early 1990s.

Despite being fired upon and rammed by the Norwegian Naval destroyer 'Andenes,' being hunted by global whaling corporations and even being attacked by a mob of angry locals, the Sea Shepherd has always stayed true to its non-violent beliefs.

That is, apart from the odd 'accidental' collision, the stink bombs, paint-guns and water-cannons loaded with chocolate and lemon pie-filling. Well, a ship's got to defend herself, hasn't she?

The entirely donation-funded organisation,boasts celebrity supporters including Brigitte Bardot, Sir Mick Jagger, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Pierce Brosnan, Leona Lewis, Christian Bale, Ed Norton, Anthony Kiedis and the late Heath Ledger, who was in the process of directing the Modest Mouse video for King Rat, to raise money for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, when he died.

The SSCS is currently featured on Animal Planet's Whale Wars and has been the subject of a number of feature-length films including the soon-to-be-released 'Confessions of an Eco Terrorist', which showed at Cannes Film Festival to much critical acclaim as well as a spoof episode of South Park.

And even the Dalai Lama himself backs Captain Watson and his crew, and sent a letter of support along with a wrathful, scowling statue of the deity Hayagriva - a symbol of compassion and determination in overcoming obstacles.

The Sea Shepherd will be holding a number of high-profile events - both for fundraising purposes and to help educate journalists in the missions of Sea Shepherd - around the UK.

This will include a major media event scheduled to take place upon the crew's return from the Faroe Islands in late autumn this year.

With three ships currently making up the Sea Shepherd fleet - the super-fast and space-age 'Brigitte Bardot', the antiwhaling beast 'Bob Barker' and the fleet's flagship vessel the 'Steve Irwin' - plus many smaller vessels and watercraft, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society continue their work to save the world's sea-life with a slew of missions planned for 2011 and 2012.

"Whale Wars splashes across the increasingly exhausted genre of people-at-work reality series like icy seawater, jolting you awake with a frothy, briny burst of — well, you get the idea. This is one spunky show." - Neil Genzlinger, NewYork Times

"I hate all men, with the exception of Captain Paul Watson,captain of my heart."
Brigitte Bardot