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Season 2 of the well-meaning but generally incompetent antics of the Sea Shepherds in Antarctica. I can’t fault these people the courage of their convictions in any way, but it makes for “screaming at the TV screen” levels of frustration to watch how badly they run their operation.

Paul Watson, the head of Sea Shepherds, remarks in the 1st episode of this season that he doesn’t want professionals on-board, that he would rather have passionate volunteers. Which is fine in principle, I guess, but I heartily disagree with the notion that the words “professional” and “passionate” cannot co-exist in the same person – try getting into an argument with me about Identity one day if you don’t believe me. :-)

Case in point for the Sea Shepherds – they find themselves in the middle of the Southern Ocean, incapable of competently launching a Zodiac into the water to chase after one of the Japanese whalers, ostensibly the entire reason they’re there. Now, they set sail from Brisbane Australia, which means 2 full weeks in the Tasman Straits and associated waters before they hit the icy-cold. In the military, one would call this a shakedown cruise, and it’s a good and necessary thing. For as long as you have safe enough waters to do it, wake the crew up at zero-dark-thirty every day: launch the Zodiac, retrieve it, do it over and over and over and over until everyone on-board can do it without thinking. Why am I the only person who sees the wisdom of this?