The BEST episodes of Whale Wars
Every episode of Whale Wars ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Whale Wars!
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society goes to extreme lengths to make what they view as illegal whaling operations extinct. Animal Planet is there to capture all the action.
#1 - A Commander Rises
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 12/13/2013
Note: This will be the only episode this season. Now armed with four vessels while Watson watches from his self-imposed confinement in his quarters aboard the Steve Irwin, the small Sea Shepherd armada has appointed four new captains to continue the mission: Siddarth "Sid" Chakravarty with the main vessel, Steve Irwin; Peter Hammarstedt taking the helm of the icebreaker Bob Barker; Jean Yves Terlan piloting the speedy trimaran Brigitte Bardot; and Luis Manuel Pinho onboard the newcomer ship Sam Simon, named after Sea Shepherd donor, animal rights activist and executive producer of THE SIMPSONS.
#2 - Crazy Ivan
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/7/2009
Low on fuel, the small boats head toward the Steve Irwin, but in order to get them on board safely, Paul must employ a dangerous military strategy, "The Crazy Ivan," circling at a high speed to try and create calm water for the little boats to return.
#3 - International Incidents R Us
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/21/2008
Without negotiation and confrontation with the MV Steve Irwin, the Yushin Maru № 2 agreed to transfer Pottsy and Giles to a government ship that would then meet with the Steve Irwin at a rendezvous point to return the two members. 1st Mate Peter Brown decides to launch an attack on the Yushin Maru № 2 at dusk. Four crewmembers are sent on the Zodiac inflatable boat Delta to carry out the risky mission. After losing radio contact with them, recon pilot Chris Aultman, who was sent too late to survey the situation, reports that they are heading in the wrong direction and must return as night falls. The lone Delta was feared to be forever lost out in the middle of the dark, frigid, vast Antarctic Ocean. Fortunately, contact was finally made with the Delta, which eventually returns to the MV Steve Irwin over two hours later and behind schedule to retrieve Pottsy and Giles.
#4 - From Pirate to Prisoner
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 9/3/2010
Pete Bethune recounts his experience aboard the Japanese security vessel.
#5 - The Flexibility of Steel
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/12/2009
A huge weather system moves in and the Steve Irwin is forced to take shelter behind a large iceberg. By morning, they are surrounded by ice so thick they can no longer move. The ice begins to push against the aging ship's fragile hull, denting it inwards.
#6 - Stealth Attack
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/25/2010
The Sea Shepherd's stealth boat, the Ady Gil, launches a sneak attack on the Japanese whaling reconnaissance vessel in an effort to break free of the tail and find the rest of the whaling fleet.
#7 - Crossing Danger
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/11/2010
A Japanese reconnaissance ship pursues the Steve Irwin; two members of the Andy Gil crew suffer illness and injury; the Bob Barker's engine fails two days into its journey.
#8 - Needle in a Haystack
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/7/2008
Paul Watson is allegedly shot by the Japanese whaling crew during a confrontation between the whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru and the Sea Shepherd vessel MV Steve Irwin. The episode then flashes back to the maiden launching and departure of the vessel from homeport three months earlier.
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#9 - The Thrill of the Chase
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/9/2010
After nearly a month of searching, the Sea Shepherds have finally found their ultimate target: the world's only whale factory ship, the Nisshin Maru.
#10 - Bait and Switch
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/31/2009
As the Sea Shepherds prepare for their fourth straight day of engagement with the Japanese whaling fleet, Andy and Simon argue with Dan over the best strategy for attack.
#11 - Delivering the Final Blow
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/12/2011
In the fourth-season finale, Watson claims a major victory after 30 years of fighting, while he and the crew reaffirm their commitment to stopping the whaling fleet.
#12 - Surrounded by Spies
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/4/2010
The Sea Shepherds embark on another dangerous campaign as whaling season begins in the Antarctic; a donation from former game-show host Bob Barker allows the group to purchase a former Norwegian whaling vessel.
#13 - A Bloody Trail
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/6/2010
As the Sea Shepherds approach the Nisshin Maru, they are suddenly surrounded by four whaling vessels. Suddenly, one of the Japanese vessels moves in dangerously close, and as the deck crew quickly braces themselves, the ships violently collide.
#14 - As Bad As Our Bark
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/19/2009
The Sea Shepherd gather intel on the fleet's location, they realize that they are low on fuel. As they weigh whether or not to head back to port, they come across the entire Japanese fleet searching for one of their crewmembers that has fallen overboard.
#15 - The Darkest Hour
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/2/2015
The battle to stop whaling reaches its apex as the Bob Barker and a Japanese harpoon ship collide. Sea Shepherd's only hope is to track the whaling fleet by helicopter, but when blizzard conditions block communications and freeze instruments, hope fades.
#16 - Fight to the Death
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/2/2015
With a brutal storm threatening to strike, and crew members refusing to obey orders, rookie campaign leader Peter Hammarstedt finds himself struggling to maintain control. With the Japanese harpoon ships looming, the campaign may be in trouble.
#17 - Into the Belly of the Beast
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/22/2012
With the Japanese fleet's security vessel looming on the horizon, the captain of the badly damaged Brigitte Bardot orders his crew to evacuate the boat. Meanwhile, in Antarctica, the Bob Barker deploys the small boats team to disable a harpoon ship.
#18 - From Hell's Heart
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/18/2010
The Sea Shepherds have been relentlessly followed by the whaling reconnaissance vessel for two weeks. They find themselves in a full-on engagement on the high seas as Captain Paul Watson orders a massive butyric acid bottle attack on his nemesis.
#19 - The Desire to Fling Things
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/24/2009
Captain Watson is in pursuit of the Nisshin Maru when all three Japanese harpoon ships suddenly appear on out of the fog. The Sea Shepherds are completely outnumbered.
#20 - Doors Slamming and Things Breaking
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/5/2008
The MV Steve Irwin experiences several technical difficulties, including a damaged engine, hydraulic crane, and helicopter. Running on only one engine, the ship must return to port at Melbourne, Australia to make repairs while the whaling continues. Some crewmembers decide to party and leave the operation. Upon arrival, they were welcomely greeted and cheered by the citizens, and by the police. Pottsy and Giles become instant celebrities on homecoming. After recruiting new members, the crew travels without its recon chopper and returns to the Southern Ocean only to find that the suspicious ship is still following them.
#21 - Revenge Is Mine
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/23/2010
In the aftermath of the devastating loss of their stealth vessel, the Sea Shepherds have returned to the campaign with renewed passion and intensity. Now the two remaining ships are back on the hunt for the Japanese fleet.
#22 - Nothing's Ideal
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/14/2008
After weeks of searching, the Sea Shepherds finally spot a Japanese whaling ship, the harpoon vessel Yushin Maru #2. Captain Paul Watson devises a dangerous plan for two of his crew members to board the vessel and deliver a letter telling them to stop the killing of whales. He hopes to create an international incident, but his plan sparks a safety debate that divides the crew. Two volunteers enlist for the mission — Ben Potts and Giles Lane — and the crew braces for the worst as the men jump over the railing of the enemy ship. They are immediately tied up by the Japanese fishermen, and the Yushin speeds away with the two Shepherds still aboard.
#23 - Battle Stations
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/29/2011
The Bob Barker and Gojira launch an ambitious assault on the harpoon ship that has been following them and manage to completely disable the whaling vessel. Now free of its tail, the Barker continues searching for their ultimate target, the Nisshin Maru.
#24 - Sliced In Two
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/16/2010
At the bottom of the world, a collision has just devastated one of the Sea Shepherds' vessels. The crew on the other vessel stand helpless on their deck, watching in horror as the Japanese vessel barrels through the Sea Shepherds' prized speedboat.
#25 - Ready To Snap
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/30/2010
With low oil and drinking water, and a damaged helicopter, the Sea Shepherds' hunt for the Japanese whaling fleet has been brought to a halt. While on their way back to port, the radar shows two colossal storms that they can't avoid.