The Whaling Season: An Inside Account Of The Struggle To Stop Commercial Whaling

by Kieran Mulvaney

Despite a decades-long international moratorium on commercial whaling, one fleet has continued to hunt and kill whales in the waters surrounding Antarctica. Refusing to let this defiance go unchallenged, the environmental organization Greenpeace began dispatching expeditions to the region in an effort to intercept the whalers and use nonviolent means to stop their lethal practice.Over the past decade, Kieran Mulvaney led four such expeditions as a campaigner and coordinator. In The Whaling Season , he recounts those voyages in all their drama, disappointments, strain, and elation, giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at the hazards and triumphs of life as an environmental activist on the high seas. The author also explores the larger struggles underlying the expeditions, drawing on the history of commercial whaling and Antarctic exploration, the development of Greenpeace, and broader scientific and political efforts to conserve marine life. He presents a rich portrait of the current struggles and makes an impassioned plea for protection of some of the world’s most spectacular creatures.For armchair adventurers, polar enthusiasts, and anyone concerned about marine conservation and continued hunting of the world’s whales, The Whaling Season is an engrossing and informative tale of adventure set in one of the Earth’s last great wilderness areas.
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Genres: Science, Animals

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2003

Reviews

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Whaling Season is a pleasure to read as it genuinely takes the reader on a journey through the Southern Ocean, revealing the challenges, joys and mundanity of long sea voyages in demanding environs. And, of course, there are also sections about Antarctica. But, the majority of the book depicts the challenges of being at sea, chasing whaling ships and keeping one's morale up in the face of utter adversity. For those interested in the multiple Greenpeace missions to the Southern Ocean, Ross Sea and Antarctica, this is an excellent book precisely because Mulvaney led expeditions, can provide accurate and colourful accounts and is a creative, engaging writer. For those serious about understanding the challenges of the IWC, whaling and anti-whaling politics (yes, I fall into this camp), then this is a superb book to read. Indeed, I'd go so far as to suggest that this is the only book you need to read to get a thorough historical, political and inspirational insight into modern whaling issues. So, would I recommend it - you betcha!