The environmental buccaneers at Sea Shepherd just named a ship after “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin. No doubt the good ship Irwin will bring renewed attention to skipper Paul Watson’s high-seas exploits chasing whalers and other enemies of the ocean. But does this strike anyone else as weird? Whatever his credentials as a committed environmentalist might have been, Irwin’s claim to fame was his skill at sneaking up on and molesting unsuspecting creatures. Sea Shepard’s claim to fame is its skill at sneaking up on people who molest (or worse) unsuspecting creatures. OK, there’s a big difference between manhandling a croc and harpooning a humpback, but still, doesn’t the “look but don’t touch” rule get to the heart of what protecting animals is all about?
(Image: Worth1000)
