The WORST episodes of Whale Wars

Every episode of Whale Wars ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst 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.

Last Updated: 3/20/2024Network: Animal PlanetStatus: Ended
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Games of Chance
star
6.65
86 votes

#1 - Games of Chance

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/8/2012

A plan to intercept the whaling fleet before it reaches the whaling grounds is nearing a critical point. The new helicopter pilot, Gary, spots a ship on the horizon; If it is the whalers' factory ship, this may be Sea Sheparhd's the earliest victory ever.

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The Devil's Icebox
star
7.16
139 votes

#2 - The Devil's Icebox

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/24/2011

When damage happens to one of the small boats, and the Bob Barker is five hours away, the crew realizes that they will have to spend a night at sea. But the crew is wet and freezing already, and early symptoms of hypothermia begin to set in.

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The Sound of Ice
star
7.16
81 votes

#3 - The Sound of Ice

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/5/2009

The series starts with a dramatic encounter with the Japanese Whaling fleet. The episode then flashes back to the maiden launching and departure of the vessel from homeport three months earlier. Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherds head back down to Antarctica for what promises to be their most intense anti-whaling campaign yet. However, no sooner does the ship leave port than the ship's Gyro breaks and they hit a massive storm the size of Australia

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Vendetta
star
7.19
104 votes

#4 - Vendetta

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 8/27/2010

The former captain of the Ady Gil goes for a boarding attempt and one of the Sea Shepherd vessels goes dead in the water.

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Tracking the Enemy
star
7.28
169 votes

#5 - Tracking the Enemy

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/8/2011

The Bob Barker desperately searches for their two small boat crews who were lost at sea in the aftermath of a daring mission. Meanwhile, the Gojira locates the whalers' refueling vessel and Locky plays a dangerous game of "chicken" with the massive ship.

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Never Say Die
star
7.33
57 votes

#6 - Never Say Die

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/6/2012

With three activists aboard the Japanese security vessel, Capt Paul Watson hopes the media frenzy will force the Shonan Maru 2 to back off. Meanwhile, the crew of the Steve Irwin are plunged into their most violent battle yet.

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Dead in the Water
star
7.36
83 votes

#7 - Dead in the Water

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/15/2012

The Sea Shepherds' scout vessel, the Brigitte Bardot is damaged by a 30-foot wave, and help is more than 20 hours away.

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Yum Yum, Eat Crow
star
7.44
78 votes

#8 - Yum Yum, Eat Crow

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/26/2009

The Sea Shepherds have come across the entire Japanese fleet searching for one of their crewmembers that fell overboard. Paul orders his crew to stand down, and they agonize over being so close to their target, yet unable to attack.

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Zero Hour
star
7.44
135 votes

#9 - Zero Hour

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/13/2010

The Sea Shepherds refuse to be bullied by the Japanese fleet even though they're out numbered. The deckhands repel over the side of the ship to assess the damage from the collision and realize that there is a gash in the steel hull and water is pouring in.

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With a Hook
star
7.44
109 votes

#10 - With a Hook

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/17/2009

Surrounded by the Japanese whaling fleet, the Sea Shepherds ready themselves for their biggest day of battle to date on the campaign. Helicopter pilot Chris flies up and confirms the crew's fears - all of the whaling vessels are equipped with LRAD weapons.

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Battle Cry
star
7.50
197 votes

#11 - Battle Cry

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/3/2011

The Sea Shepherds depart on their 2010/2011 ant-whaling campaign with a new, fast interceptor vessel. Early on, they find two harpoon ships before the whaling fleet has killed a single whale. Could they be set up for their most successful campaign ever?

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The Giant Enemy
star
7.52
111 votes

#12 - The Giant Enemy

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/5/2011

The Sea Shepherds finally locate the factory vessel after months of searching, but it promptly tries to evade the Gojira.

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Fire in the Sky
star
7.53
165 votes

#13 - Fire in the Sky

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 8/20/2010

The whalers face new attacks from the Sea Shepherds as they mount an attack with both the Bob Barker and Steve Irwin.

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Counterstrike
star
7.57
56 votes

#14 - Counterstrike

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/13/2012

When a massive target is detected on their radar, Sea Shepherd sends out their new helicopter pilot to ID the mystery vessel. But as the helicopter reaches the limits of its fuel range, it abruptly disappears, crashing into radio silence.

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No Escape
star
7.58
164 votes

#15 - No Escape

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/10/2011

After engaging the harpoon ships using the small boat teams, Captain Paul Watson makes the call to abandon the harpoon ships and go in search of the factory vessel. After a few hours of sailing, the tables have turned — two harpoon ships begin tailing Sea Shepherd!

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Race to Save Lives
star
7.60
168 votes

#16 - Race to Save Lives

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/15/2011

New Zealand's Navy contacts the Steve Irwin to respond to an emergency distress signal where five crew members from a Norwegian sailboat have gone missing. Now the Sea Shepherds must risk their lives in a dangerous mission to find the missing mariners.

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The Unintimidatables
star
7.60
78 votes

#17 - The Unintimidatables

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/10/2009

The Steve Irwin is quarantined in Hobart and the crew anxiously waits to find out if they have been exposed to Anthrax. Finally they get the all clear and 1st mate Peter Brown wastes no time leaving the ship after having quit the campaign.

Fight to the Death
star
7.63
27 votes

#18 - 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.

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The Devil's Den
star
7.63
38 votes

#19 - The Devil's Den

Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/2/2015

Sea Shepherd embark on their 10th anti-whaling campaign in the Antarctic, but for the first time they are without Captain Paul Watson. Peter Hammarstedt takes the reins as campaign leader, where a single misstep could cost hundreds of whales their lives.

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We Are Hooligans
star
7.63
82 votes

#20 - We Are Hooligans

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/28/2008

Giles Lane and Ben Potts safely return to the MV Steve Irwin. The crew then discovers that an unknown ship, allegedly spying for the Japanese whaling fleet, has been following them, decides to recon it from behind a tabletop iceberg for any military personnel aboard, and temporarily drives it away after seeing no sign of illegal military activity. The crew later plans to ambush the mystery ship, soon identified as the Fukuyoshi № 68, to prevent information about the Steve Irwin's whereabouts from being given to the rest of the whaling fleet. They plan to do this by boarding the vessel and sabotaging its communication equipment, shutting off any communication with anyone. Before the mission, a hydraulic crane used to launch the motor rafts somehow got damaged, jeopardizing the Sea Shepherd's mission.

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Ladies First
star
7.65
82 votes

#21 - Ladies First

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/12/2008

After noticing that the suspicious ship Fukuyoshi Maru № 68 has found and followed the MV Steve Irwin again, Watson unsuccessfully attempts to send four female crewmembers to board the vessel to deliver a warrant. This leads to a man's injured thumb and a woman's injured pelvis (Incidents not related). The Steve Irwin detects the Nisshin Maru on radar. At dusk, the entire ship experiences a power outage, leaving it drifting through an iceberg field without operating engines.

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Ghosts in the Machine
star
7.65
166 votes

#22 - Ghosts in the Machine

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/17/2011

Tailed by a harpoon ship, the Steve Irwin enlists the help of the Sea Shepherds' new, fast interceptor ship in an attempt to break free. Meanwhile, the Bob Barker crew spots a large blip on their radar and believe it could be their ultimate target: the Nisshin Maru.

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The Stuff of Nightmares
star
7.65
75 votes

#23 - The Stuff of Nightmares

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/14/2009

The Sea Shepherds shock turns to fury when the Japanese fleet pulls a dead whale onto Nisshin Maru for slaughter. Paul Watson instructs the crew to prepare for battle.

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Setting the Trap
star
7.66
62 votes

#24 - Setting the Trap

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/1/2012

In the Season 5 premiere, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society responds to Japan's 2011 announcement to resume its whaling operations in the Antarctic and the government's promise to beef up the fleet's security.

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Enemy In Their Grasps
star
7.69
166 votes

#25 - Enemy In Their Grasps

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/22/2011

As the first leg of their campaign comes to a close, the Sea Shepherds battle physical and mental exhaustion, especially pilot Chris Aultman. Thanks to an anonymous tip, the Steve Irwin finally locates the whalers' factory ship, the Nisshin Maru.

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