As an organization, Sea Shepherd cared less about legal nuances than it did about using what it called “direct action” to protect global marine life. Dozens of times over the past several decades, the group had rammed Japanese whaling ships and other vessels that it said were fishing illegally. The modified Jolly Roger, the maritime camouflage, and the shark maw on the prow, like a World War II bomber, put the organization’s zeal on display for all to see. The organization’s mantra captured its vigilante spirit: “Takes a pirate to catch a pirate.”
