For those of an environmental bent, there are several things that make your heart sad: 1). clubbing baby seals, 2) littering, 3) SUVs filled with toxic waste, and 4) whalers.
And so we have this story in National Geographic not about SUV drivers with toxic waste in the back, but about whalers. Japanese whalers. Did you know whaling was even still practiced? I mean, sure, maybe some Native American groups up North still do it to keep the traditions alive and the skills sharp (skills that might come in handy again some day if global warming happens), but whaling among advanced nations? You’re pulling my porpoise, right?
Well, yes, Veronica, there are whalers. But there are also those who wish to stop them, and that, dear reader, is really what this story is all about. It is a story of adventure, water, greed, culture, and passion. Give it a read and the next time someone asks you to go out on a whale harpooning trip, just say no.