“Whale Wars”
8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21
Animal Planet

We like whales as much as the next guy. They’re graceful, they’re big, and they’re the animal kingdom’s undisputed masters of the cannonball. Still, you’d think if they were so smart, they’d have come up with a way to fend off the whaling fleet – head-mounted lasers, perhaps; or maybe just by going Moby Dick on their harpoon-shooting asses with a bit more frequency. Until that happens, though, it’s up to humans to protect them. And by “humans,” we mean filthy, dreadlock-wearing hippies. That’s where the folks on “Whale Wars” come in. The show follows the fortunes of a crew of newbie sailors – mostly college kids who want to do something real for the environment – on a journey to Antarctica to try and disrupt the activities of Japanese whalers who stalk their prey there. From their floating home base – a boat called the “Steve Irwin” (uh, oh … insert your own morbid joke here) – they employ everything from an on-board helicopter to super stinkbombs to inflatable speedboats to try and either run off the whalers or scare the whales into heading elsewhere. While that’s dangerous enough, it’s definitely not an environment where you want to be in the middle of on-the-job training. The water, for instance, is so cold that if you go in the drink for even a few minutes, you come out a very dead hippie-sicle. Add to that some seriously pissed off whalers and law-free international waters, and you’ve got a war that lives up to its name.   

Advertisement

David Koon

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Fill ‘er up with gas Next article Friday To-Do: Cool Shoes