About SSCS

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was founded in 1977 by Captain Paul Watson, co-founder of Greenpeace. Sea Shepherd’s mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protects ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. 

Operating a fleet of vessels, Sea Shepherd patrols the high seas investigating, documenting, and taking legal enforcement action when necessary to eradicate pirate whaling, sealing, illegal fishing, shark finning, turtle poaching, and other illegal activities. Sea Shepherd has brought unparalleled international attention to the continuing plight of marine wildlife worldwide, saving countless lives. 

Highlights from the past three decades include:

• In 1979, Sea Shepherd rammed and disabled the notorious Portuguese pirate whaler, the Sierra, in port.
• In 1980, Sea Shepherd shut down half of the Spanish whaling fleet.
• In 1981, Sea Shepherd landed on Soviet beaches to expose illegal slaughter of endangered California gray whales for fox fur farms.
• In 1982, Captain Watson negotiated an end to the dolphin slaughter on Iki Island, Japan.
• In 1985, our voyages to the Canadian ice floes to protect harp seals led to the landmark victory in the Supreme Court of Canada which overturned the “Seal Protection Act” and a ten year shut-down of the Canadian commercial seal hunt.
• In 1986, Sea Shepherd shut down Icelandic whaling.
• In 1988, Sea Shepherd released documentation of the slaughter of dolphins by tuna seiners, leading to a tuna boycott and the creation of the tuna-safe label.
• In 1992, Sea Shepherd operations off Costa Rica results in the arrest and ending of numerous shark-poaching operations.
• In 1994, Sea Shepherd presented the non-lethal, cruelty-free alternative of seal-brushing to Canadian sealers.
• In 1997, Sea Shepherd’s Siberian gray whale campaign revealed the grisly truth of the excessive slaughter of gray and bowhead whales.
• In 2003, Sea Shepherd crewmembers released 15 dolphins destined for slaughter in Taiji, Japan
• In 2002, 2005-06, and 2006-07, Sea Shepherd traveled to Antarctica to confront and oppose illegal Japanese whaling.
• From 2000 to the present, Sea Shepherd’s patrol efforts in the Galapagos have assisted in the arrest of over three dozen poacher vessels and halted numerous illegal shark finning operations.

Sea Shepherd has led over 250 voyages in its illustrious history and has ended the career of over a dozen illegal whaling and poaching vessels and fleets.  Sea Shepherd has had over 2,200 volunteers serve as crewmembers.  Our crews have also confiscated or destroyed hundreds of miles of illegal drift net and long-lines (with their vicious hooks) from the world’s oceans, releasing and saving thousands of sharks, sea turtles, birds, and fish.

Sea Shepherd remains the most aggressive, determined, active, and effective defender of marine wildlife in the world today.