শনিবার, ১৯ মে, ২০১২

Whale Wars Viking Shores: A finale that cuts to the quick

Whale Wars Examiner

Whether you have a passion for the sea or not, it may be hard to deny the passion and dedication that you will find in the hearts and minds of the many members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society during the season finale of the five-part series, "Whale Wars: Viking Shores."

Friday night's two-hour finale puts adventure and the raw truth right in front of viewer's eyes. The truth is that pilot whales continue to be killed in the Faroe Islands. The Faroese, by all accounts have no plans of stopping the mass killings that they call, 'tradition.'

View slideshow: Whale Wars Viking Shores: A finale that cuts to the quick

This 'tradition,' known as 'the grind,' consists of Faroese continuing to herd pilot whales to their shores by boat, taking a blunt object to thrust into a pilot whale's blow hole, slicing the whale open to kill the whale in or under two minutes, turning the ocean waters crimson red in 20 minutes time. All this is done because of a 'tradition' that these men and women do not want to see die.

The question for viewers is, should a tradition take precedence over the lives of pilot whales? If we as viewers do nothing, it appears these mass pilot whale killings will continue for many years to come.

To be fair, many people from all around the world eat meat from different animals. People eat meat from cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs and other animals as well. So, what is the difference between what other societies are eating and what the Faroese are eating?

This series tells us that:

When we kill ocean life, we destroy the ocean. According to Paul Watson, when the ocean dies, we will die.
Pilot whale meat has high levels of contaminants such as mercury. The Faroese and Food Veterinary Authority has advised against eating pilot whale meat because of this.
Authorities have recommended that women of child bearing age not consume pilot whale meat. Additionally, in the finale, a family who eats this meat does not allow their own child to eat it because of health concerns.

For all of the majesty of the rolling green hills and shorelines, this series gives a great portrayal of a beautiful part of the world many of us may never see. Unfortunately, for the pilot whales, too many of them swim right to shore to their death.

Friday's finale will take you as close as you may want to be to a 'grind,' as Sea Shepherd crew from the Brigitte Bardot, the Steve Irwin and from their helicopter above do everything they can to drive more than 100 pilot whales away from the Faroes Island shores.

No matter how you may try, it is almost impossible to guess how this series ends. But the last few seconds are the most raw. The last few seconds should speak to anyone watching the Whale Wars Viking Shores finale. The last few seconds gives us all a choice of what to do next.

NOTE: Whale Wars Paul Watson is currently in jail in Germany. To find out how you can help, click this link.

Rating for Whale Wars Viking Shores two-hour finale:

Gillean Smith, Whale Wars Examiner

An avid fan and follower of Animal Planet's show, "Whale Wars," Gillean Smith continues to cover the events and ongoing efforts by members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, led by Captain Paul Watson. After receiving an exclusive interview with Watson in 2011, Smith keeps in touch with...