"Whale Wars" to Return in December with 2-Hour Special

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Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s crew returned to port after their grueling 2012-2013 Antarctic campaign, Operation Zero Tolerance, with damaged ships but hope for the whales. Sea Shepherd claimed victory in saving over 900 animals from the harpoons.

Photos of the dangerous collisions between the whaling fleet and Sea Shepherd’s much smaller vessels have had people waiting to see the next season of “Whale Wars,” which was reportedly delayed until this Fall or early next year. They don’t have to wait much longer, as Animal Planet reports that the show will return next month, but only as a one-night event.

Animal Planet announces in today’s press release that a two-hour special will air on December 13th at 9pm ET/PT. As Captain Paul Watson made the decision to step down as Sea Shepherd president to protect the organization from legal consequences, Animal Planet writes, “Leaderless and without Watson’s vast experience in aggressively engaging the whalers at sea, the Sea Shepherds are at a crossroads. Which one of the Sea Shepherds will take the mantle of leader and guide the group as they embark on their dangerous mission ‘to die for the whales?'”

Sea Shepherd, however, had four captains at the helms of their ships: Long-time veteran of the Antarctic campaigns, Peter Hammarstedt on the Bob Barker, Siddarth “Sid” Chakravarty on the Steve Irwin, Jean Yves Terlan on the Brigitte Bardot, and Luis Manuel Pinho on the newest ship, the Sam Simon. This year’s footage was shot by Sea Shepherd’s production crew, rather than Animal Planet.

Animal Planet says the special features the “most epic battle ever in the WHALE WARS series between the Sea Shepherds and the whaling fleet”:

If you’re disappointed that the new season will only be two hours long, you might be happy to hear that Animal Planet is accompanying the special with “a ground-breaking, immersive online experience that blends photos, video, interactive graphics and sound into a powerful narrative that tells the tale of Watson and the Sea Shepherds, while also offering the perspective of the Japanese whalers whom they confront.” That will hit AnimalPlanet.com/WhaleWars in early December.