Pete Bethune

This book is less about whale conservation and more about the egos of some of the activists involved in the anti-whaling campaign in the Southern Ocean. One of the things that irritated me is the author's continued derogatory reference to female conservation activists (or at least the ones he finds insufficiently attractive or useful) as "hamsters". The male activists, on the other hand, are "bros".

The emphasis of the book is more on "warrior" than "whale". The reasons for opposing Japan's show more whaling program are covered briefly then it's on to the tactics and gadgets, some of a quasi-military nature, with the ultimate gadget being the high-tech multi-hull the Ady Gil.

Almost half the book is taken up with Bethune's boarding of the Shonan Maru, his transport to Japan and his subsequent imprisonment and trial there. In meticulous detail Bethune describes his mental and physical state (complete with description of bowel movements) during his imprisonment.

One of the events described - the sinking of the Ady Gil after the collision with the Shonan Maru - is now disputed by Bethune. In the book, Bethune says the Ady Gil sank while under tow by the Bob Barker and while he was asleep. He accepts this with equanimity: "It's just a boat after all" (he had sold the boat to businessman Ady Gil, so presumably suffered little in the way of financial loss). But in 2010 (the same year the book was published) Bethune says Paul Watson ordered him to scuttle the boat to gain public sympathy. Bethune seems to be standing on shaky ground in calling Watson dishonest.

For anyone interested in whale conservation and the activities of Sea Shepherd, a better book is "The Whale Warriors" by Peter Heller, a journalist embedded on a Sea Shepherd ship. show less