Original subtitles

*

Man: WHOO-HOO-HOO-HOO!

HELLO, BEAUTIFUL!

WHOO-HOO!

OH, THERE'S SEVEN!

HERE THEY COME! WHOO-HOO!

OH! HA HA HA!

OH, MAN! OHH!

Narrator: SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

OF ANY GREAT JOURNEY

ARE ANSWERED AT THE FINISH LINE.

WHERE DID YOU GO AND WHAT DID YOU SEE?

HOW DID IT AFFECT YOU?

FOR ONE SURFER, THE JOURNEY BEGAN

NOT WITH THE "WHERE" OR THE "WHAT",

BUT WITH A SIMPLE "WHY".

THE ANSWER TO "WHY" LIES IN THE SILENT BARGAIN

THAT EVERY SURFER MAKES WHEN THEY FIRST ENTER THE WATER.

FOR THE GIFT OF RIDING WAVES AND PLAYING IN THE OCEAN,

THERE IS AN OBLIGATION.

IT'S AN OBLIGATION THAT ONE DAY

THE OCEAN WILL CALL ON YOU.

* LISTEN WHAT I SAY

* OH

* I GOT YOUR HEY, OH

* NOW LISTEN WHAT I SAY

* OH

* OH

* WHEN WILL I KNOW THAT I REALLY CAN'T GO *

* TO THE WELL ONCE MORE, TIME TO DECIDE ON *

* WHEN IT'S KILLING ME, WHEN WILL I REALLY SEE *

* ALL THAT I NEED TO LOOK INSIDE? *

* COME TO BELIEVE THAT I BETTER NOT LEAVE *

* BEFORE I GET MY CHANCE TO RIDE *

* WHEN IT'S KILLING ME, WHAT DO I REALLY NEED? *

* ALL THAT I NEED TO LOOK INSIDE *

* HEY, OH

* LISTEN WHAT I SAY

* OH

* COME BACK AND HEY, OH

* LOOK AT WHAT I SAY

* OH

* OH

* THE MORE I SEE, THE LESS I KNOW *

* THE MORE I LIKE TO LET IT GO *

* HEY, OH

* WHOA, WHOA

SO, IF ALL GOES WELL, FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME,

WE'RE GONNA BE HANGING ON THAT TRAM,

BECAUSE THE WIND'S GONNA BE COMING THIS WAY,

TAKING US LIKE THAT.

AND SO WE'LL NEVER HAVE THIS TRAM OUT.

( laughs ) MAMMA MIA!

WE MUST GO!

Dave Rastovich: I THINK TRANSPARENTSEA HAS JUST BEGUN

ABOUT TWO MINUTES AGO WITH ALL THE CREW HERE,

AND IT FEELS EPIC.

IT FEELS AMAZING JUST TO KNOW

THAT WE GOT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER OUR SURFING WORLD

SUPPORTING THIS TRIP,

BUT ALSO OUR LOCAL CREW HERE ARE REALLY PUMPED ON IT,

AND IT MEANS A LOT TO JUST FEEL PEOPLE'S PASSION

FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW?

YOU LOVE TO FEEL PASSION IN EQUAL AMOUNTS.

WHEN YOU'VE GOT SO MUCH YOURSELF

AND YOU GET IT BOUNCED BACK, IT'S JUST EPIC.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR EVERYONE COMING DOWN.

THIS CONCEPT WAS ONLY THROWN AROUND OUR LITTLE CREW HERE

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO,

AND WE JUST DECIDED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN REALLY QUICKLY

AND TO MAKE SURE WE HAD EVERYTHING TOGETHER

BY THE TIME THESE WHALES WERE HEADING DOWN THE COAST.

I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT A REALLY AMAZING PERIOD IN TIME

WHERE, AS SURFERS, COLLECTIVELY,

WE'RE STANDING UP,

BASICALLY GOING TO ANOTHER LEVEL

WHERE, IF WE'RE SEEING AN ISSUE,

WE'RE DECIDING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO JUST HAVE A TINY PIECE IN THAT

AND TO SEE THAT-- YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FEW OF US STANDING HERE NOW,

BUT THERE'S MILLIONS OF SURFERS ALL OVER THE WORLD

WHO ALL FEEL THE SAME ABOUT DOLPHINS AND WHALES

AND FEEL THE SAME ABOUT WATER QUALITY,

AND THAT WE'RE STARTING TO WAKE UP AND BE ACTIVE

AND BE MOBILE ON THESE ISSUES.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE WHALES,

THANK YOU TO THE OCEANS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

*

Narrator: TODAY, FIVE SURFERS

ARE SAILING DOWN THE EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA--

A JOURNEY THAT WILL SPAN MORE THAN 700 KILOMETERS TO SYDNEY.

BY DOING SO, THEY'VE JOINED A SMALL PART

OF THE HUMPBACK WHALES' ANCIENT MIGRATION ROUTE

TO THEIR FEEDING GROUNDS OF THE ANTARCTIC.

GETTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER FOR WEEKS,

LIKE DETAILS AND CHECKLISTS

AND MAKING SURE WE HAD THIS AND THAT,

AND ALL THESE DETAILS,

AND AS WE ROUNDED THE CAPE IN BYRON,

IT WAS JUST, LIKE, POOF!

EVERYTHING JUST WAS FREE AND LET GO.

NONE OF THAT STUFF ANYMORE. IT WAS JUST US--

THE FIVE OF US SAILING, AND WE WERE HEADING SOUTH.

DEFINITELY, AFTER I SAID YES TO THE MISSION,

AND FROM THE GET-GO, I WAS--IT WAS YES.

AND I JUST LISTENED TO MY INTUITION.

MY INTUITION SCREAMED, "YOU'RE GOING ON THIS JOURNEY."

I THINK I PULLED A MAP OUT,

AND I REALLY LOOKED AT HOW LONG WE WERE LOOKING.

I'M, LIKE, JUST GOING, "WHOA! WHOA!"

IT JUST KEPT GOING AND GOING AND GOING AND GOING.

AND THEN I WAS, LIKE, "OH, THERE'S A LOT OF WILDLIFE

IN THE OCEAN IN THOSE PARTS."

Narrator: THE VOYAGE DUBBED "TRANSPARENTSEA"

IS AN OCEAN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

DESIGNED TO FOCUS PUBLIC ATTENTION

ON THE GROWING THREATS TO MARINE MAMMALS.

THE LONG, OFTEN RISKY JOURNEY

GIVES AN INTIMATE SEA-LEVEL VIEW OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT.

BUT ON A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL,

THIS VOYAGE IS A DISTANCE MARKER

IN A FIVE-YEAR EXPLORATION

THAT BEGAN WITH ONE SURFER'S COMMITMENT,

THAT UNEXPECTEDLY BLOSSOMED INTO A MOVEMENT.

Rastovich: I LOOK AT BEING OUT ON OUR VESSELS AND--

AND DOING THE CAMPAIGN OF TRANSPARENTSEA

AS ONE GREAT EXPERIMENT THAT WORKS REALLY WELL

AND IS PROGRESSING THE MOVEMENT

WITHIN THE SURF CULTURE

TO CARE FOR OUR COASTLINES

AND TO CARE FOR AND DEFEND OUR MARINE MAMMALS.

( announcer speaking indistinctly )

Narrator: THIS IS PROFESSIONAL SURFING.

IT'S A KICK-OFF EVENT

FOR THE TEN-MONTH-LONG CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR.

THIS CONTEST REFLECTS THE BUSINESS END

OF A GLOBAL $7 BILLION-A-YEAR INDUSTRY.

THERE ARE BETWEEN 17 AND 23 MILLION SURFERS THESE DAYS,

AND IN A SPORTS-MAD NATION LIKE AUSTRALIA,

COMPETITIVE SURFING IS TAKEN QUITE SERIOUSLY.

SURF STARS HERE GET THE SAME FRONT-PAGE TREATMENT

RESERVED FOR TENNIS PROS OR HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES.

Announcer: AT THE BACK, TAKING OFF,

BOBBY MARTINEZ,

CALIFORNIA'S BEST GOOFY-FOOTER--

IN FACT, THE BEST IN THE WORLD AT THIS POINT.

JORDY SMITH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

( continues indistinctly )

Narrator: WHILE COMPETITIVE SURFING HAS ALL THE GLITZ AND GLAM,

THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE OF SURFING

THAT IGNORES THIS SCENE FOR THE PUREST APPROACH

TO THE SURFING EXPERIENCE.

THAT'S FREESURFING.

Rastovich: IN A NUTSHELL, MY TITLE--

MY WORKING TITLE-- IS PROFESSIONAL SURFER.

UM, I'M NOT THE MOST PROFESSIONAL PERSON IN THE WORLD,

SO IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE INACCURATE, THAT TITLE.

AND ALSO, I SURF, YOU KNOW?

AND HOW COULD THAT EVER BE WORK?

THIS IS DAVE RASTOVICH,

KNOWN MOSTLY AS "RASTA" TO HIS FRIENDS AND FANS.

DAVE IS A PROFESSIONAL FREESURFER,

WHICH MEANS HE'S ONE OF THE FEW

WHO GET PAID SOLELY TO WEAR THE BRAND

AND SURF THE BEST WAVES AROUND THE WORLD.

CHECK THIS OUT-- THE WORLD'S MOST FLEXIBLE ECO WETSUIT.

Rastovich: IT'S A POSITION OF GREAT FORTUNE

AND--AND BLESSINGS, REALLY.

LIKE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I GO SURFING,

I USE CERTAIN, UM, MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS

FOR THE SURFING EXPERIENCE

THAT PEOPLE WANT ME TO USE

AND EXPERIMENT WITH AND GIVE FEEDBACK ON,

AND THAT'S VALUABLE.

Narrator: ALTHOUGH DAVE'S ON THE ROAD OVER HALF THE YEAR,

HOME FOR HIM IS BYRON BAY, NEW SOUTH WALES.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CORNER OF THE PLANET,

FILLED WITH NATURAL WONDERS, WILDLIFE,

AND AN ECLECTIC MOB OF FREE THINKERS.

AS MUCH AS DAVE ENJOYS CHALLENGING HIMSELF

ON SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXOTIC AND EXTREME WAVES,

HE FINDS COMFORT AND SANCTUARY

HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS,

RIDING HIS FAMILIAR BACKYARD BREAKS.

* COME, MY BROTHER, COME SLOWLY *

* COME EASY, MY FRIEND

* COME, MY FRIEND

* COME, MY SISTER, COME EASY *

* COME BREEZY

* ON ME YOU CAN DEPEND

* COME, MY BROTHER, PUT YOUR HANDS UP *

* TAKE YOUR HEART OUT

* LET GO, COME, LET GO...

Rastovich: I WAS BORN IN NEW ZEALAND

AND LIVED ON A RURAL PROPERTY UNTIL I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD,

AND THEN, UM, MOVED TO THE GOLD COAST

IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA,

AND BECAME A COMPLETE BEACH BUM.

I REALLY GOT INTO IT,

JUST OBSESSED WITH BEING IN THE WATER EVERY DAY,

AFTER SCHOOL, BEFORE SCHOOL, ON THE WEEKENDS,

AND SLOWLY ENTERED INTO THE LIFESAVING MOVEMENT--

LIKE LIFEGUARDS.

AND THAT'S A VERY COMPETITIVE REALM,

WHERE YOU WOULD COMPETE ON THE WEEKENDS,

BUT DURING THE WEEK, YOU WOULD ALSO SWIM IN THE SWIMMING POOL

FOR TWO HOURS BEFORE SCHOOL,

AND THEN IN THE AFTERNOON PADDLE PADDLEBOARDS

IN THE OCEAN FOR TWO HOURS,

THEN DO THE SAME THING THE NEXT DAY,

EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.

YOU KNOW, RADICAL AMOUNTS OF TRAINING AND SWIMMING

AND SURFING AND RUNNING AND STUFF, AS A KID.

SO, EVENTUALLY, I GOT TIRED OF FOLLOWING THE BLACK LINE IN THE POOL

AND SWIMMING ON A CERTAIN PATH IN THE OCEAN

AND RUNNING AND STUFF AND JUST WANTING TO SURF.

AND THEN I GOT INVOLVED WITH SURFING,

BOARDRIDERS CLUBS AND SURFING CONTESTS,

AND BASICALLY JUST WENT HEADFIRST

INTO SURFING COMPETITIONS,

AND SPONSORED, AND THEN TRAVELING.

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG, HE HATED COMPETING.

HE HATED ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES

OF THE PRO TOUR AND STUFF.

AND HE'S DEFINITELY COME A LONG WAY

FROM BEING A GROWN-UP EARLY.

RASTA'S AN INCREDIBLE FREESURFER--

LIVES IT, BELIEVES IT.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID,

HIS UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OCEAN, I THINK,

IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY CAN RELATE TO.

I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I HAD SO MUCH SPORT AS A KID,

THAT I PRETTY MUCH COMPETED MYSELF

OUT OF HAVING ANY COMPETITIVE DRIVE WHATSOEVER

FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

SO I'M GLAD I GOT THAT OUT OF MY SYSTEM.

Del Moro: OH, HE'S DEFINITELY STILL GOT

A LITTLE COMPETITIVE STREAK IN HIM.

HE'LL OUT-PADDLE YOU, HE'LL OUT-SURF YOU,

AND HE'LL DO IT ALL DAY WITH A BIG OLD SMILE ON HIS FACE.

BUT THE GREAT THING ABOUT HIM--

EVEN WHEN HE'S IN HIS HEAD-DOWN, FOCUSED, COMPETITIVE MODE--

THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIM ONE OF THE BEST SURFERS ON THE PLANET,

AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIS EVOLUTION AS AN ENVIRONMENTALIST

SO COMPACTED, YOU KNOW?

Hannah Fraser: I SPENT NINE YEARS WITH DAVE, JUST ABOUT,

AND HE CARVED A NICHE OUT FOR HIMSELF,

BECAUSE HE WAS JUST SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.

AND THEN WATCHING HIM GO THROUGH FINDING HIS REAL PASSION

IN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM,

AND LINKING THAT TO HIS LOVE OF THE OCEAN AND SURFING,

I WATCHED HIM BECOME A MAN.

Isabel Lucas: I THINK DAVE AND HANNAH

ALSO HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT PERSONAL CONNECTION

TO THE OCEAN AND OCEAN CULTURE.

YOU KNOW, FOR DAVE, IT SEEMS LIKE A NATURAL PROGRESSION

AND SUCH A-- SORT OF THE NATURAL WAY

TO WANT TO BE DOING HIS ACTIVISM.

AND HANNAH-- BEING A PROFESSIONAL MERMAID--

IT'S SO UNIQUE.

IT WAS HELPFUL, I THINK, TO HAVE HANNAH THERE

SORT OF, LIKE, GEARING THINGS UP

WITH A BIT OF FUSS AND FIRE

AND, LIKE, MAKING THINGS HAPPEN AS WELL.

IN THAT WAY, THEY REALLY COMPLEMENTED EACH OTHER.

Narrator: SINCE DAVE WAS A SMALL BOY,

HE HAS SHARED THE OCEANS WITH DOLPHINS.

THEY'VE BEEN HIS FRIENDS, FELLOW SURFERS

AND, ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION, HIS PROTECTORS.

IT'S THIS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

OF WILD ANIMAL TO HUMAN

THE SPURRED DAVE'S INTEREST TO STUDY AND LEARN ABOUT THEM,

AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THINGS BEGAN TO FALL INTO PLACE.

Rastovich: PRETTY MUCH EVERY TIME I SEE A POD OF DOLPHINS BY ME,

OR EVEN FROM A DISTANCE,

I STOP FEELING LIKE A HUMAN.

I FEEL LIKE A DOLPHIN,

AND MAYBE ALL OF US DO,

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO BREATHTAKING WHEN YOU SEE THEM.

I THINK DOLPHINS SURF BECAUSE IT'S FUN

AND BECAUSE THEY ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE OF LIFT

AND WIND AND SPEED.

YOU KNOW, WE, AS HUMANS LIVING IN GRAVITY,

LOVE TO BE UNDERWATER AND FEEL WEIGHTLESS,

AND I RECKON DOLPHINS LIVING IN WATER,

WHERE THEY DON'T FEEL GRAVITY

OR THEIR DIMENSION IN ANY WAY,

WOULD LOVE TO JUMP OUT OF A WAVE

AND FEEL THE VOLUME OF THEIR BODIES.

AND SO EVERY TIME I SEE A POD IN THAT OCEAN--

SURFING, FISHING OR JUST SWIMMING AROUND--

I FEEL JOY AND, UH,

GENUINE GRATITUDE THAT THEY'RE FREE

AND DOING WHAT THEY'RE BORN TO DO,

WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH SURF, EAT, SLEEP AND HAVE SEX.

THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH A JOYFUL BUNCH--

HA HA HA--OF SURFERS!

HA HA HA HA!

DAVE CREATES AN ENERGY THAT PULLS WHAT HE WANTS IN

IN A VERY EFFORTLESS AND BEAUTIFUL WAY.

IT WAS A VERY TIMELY AND FORTUITOUS CROSSING OF PATHS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'M BASICALLY A CRAP SURFER AND BODYBOARDER,

AND YET, AT THIS MOMENT,

THERE WAS A RECOGNITION OF SOMETHING BETWEEN US.

Rastovich: SO, HOWIE IS AN ARTIST,

AN UNBELIEVABLE ARTIST, PROLIFIC ARTIST.

AND SO HIS ART HAS, YOU KNOW,

REACHED THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

ALL OVER THE WORLD, CHILDREN ALL OVER THE WORLD,

THROUGH DIFFERENT ART PROJECTS,

AND IS INSPIRING PEOPLE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DRAWN TO THE COAST

AND SEE THEMSELVES AS LIVING AT THE EDGE OF THE LAND.

SURFERS ARE DRAWN TO THE WAVES

AND SEE THEMSELVES AS LIVING AT THE EDGE OF THE SEA.

SURFERS NOT ONLY HAVE THE GIFT OF THE OCEAN,

BUT THEY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY NOW.

TO ME, THAT SHOWED ME

THAT MAYBE EVEN SOMETHING AS ABSTRACT AS JUST BEING A PRO SURFER

COULD BE HELPFUL TO THIS ISSUE.

SO WE JUST STARTED HANGING OUT

AND I STARTED LEARNING MORE AND MORE FROM HOWIE

ABOUT WILD DOLPHIN CONSERVATION.

I REMEMBER SAYING TO HIM,

"THIS THING WITH THE DOLPHINS IS STILL GOING ON.

THERE A BIG DOLPHIN SLAUGHTER GOING ON."

I WAS TELLING HIM THE PLACES AROUND THE WORLD WHERE IT'S STILL AN ISSUE.

Narrator: DAVE WAS SHOCKED TO DISCOVER

THAT EACH YEAR IN JAPAN,

THOUSANDS OF DOLPHINS WERE BEING ROUNDED UP

AND BRUTALLY SLAUGHTERED FOR THEIR MEAT.

THE KILLINGS ARE DONE IN THE MOST INHUMAN WAY POSSIBLE,

WITH THE FISHERMEN SLASHING AT THE TERRIFIED DOLPHINS

WITH LONG KNIVES,

AND THEN ALLOWING THEM TO SLOWLY AND AGONIZINGLY BLEED OUT

OVER HALF AN HOUR OR MORE.

FINDING OUT THAT THIS IS STILL GOING ON,

AND BEING SO SHOCKED THAT,

AS A SURFER AND AN OCEAN PERSON,

I HAD NO IDEA,

UM, WAS A REAL KICK UP THE BUM,

TO SAY, "HEY, YOU KNOW,

"IF ALL THE OTHER SURFERS IN THE WORLD KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING,

PERHAPS WE COULD RALLY TOGETHER AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT."

IT MIGHT SOUND SILLY TO SAY "HELPING OUT A FRIEND"

WHEN IT'S ANOTHER SPECIES,

BUT THEY ARE OUR FRIENDS, YOU KNOW?

WE'RE SURFING WITH THEM.

WE'RE STOKED WHEN WE SEE THEM.

THAT'S A FRIEND IN MY BOOK.

I TREAT MY HUMAN FRIENDS THE SAME.

IF I SEE A SURFING HUMAN THAT I KNOW,

I'M STOKED TO SEE THEM, AND I WANT TO GO SHARE SOME WAVES WITH THEM.

SO IT'S THE SAME THING.

AND TO THINK THAT MY FRIEND WHO I'M SURFING WITH,

THAT DOLPHIN OUT THERE--

HIS RELATIVES ARE UP THE ROAD,

BEING ROUNDED UP AND KILLED IN THE HUNDREDS,

OR ROUNDED UP AND TAKEN TO VARIOUS AQUARIUMS

AND SHOW PARKS AND THINGS AROUND THE WORLD--

THAT TEARS ME UP.

THAT'S A TERRIBLE THING TO THINK.

THEY'RE WHALE-KILLERS, THEY'RE DOLPHIN-KILLERS.

THEY DON'T HAVE, IN OUR VIEW,

AN ARGUMENT THAT STANDS UP.

I COULD FEEL, LIKE, A PATH OPENING UP,

WHERE I WAS, LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS A CLEAR PATH THAT I CAN TAKE,

WHERE I ACTUALLY HAVE A BIT OF POWER TO DO SOMETHING.

I'VE GOT A FEW OPTIONS HERE.

I'M NOT JUST A, UM, YOU KNOW--

A BUM SURFER THAT'S TRAVELING THE WORLD, HAVING A GOOD TIME.

I ACTUALLY HAVE A BIT OF A PURPOSE WITH THIS.

I HAVE SOMETHING WHERE I COULD, UM, GIVE BACK.

*

Narrator: IRONICALLY, IN THE 1950s,

BYRON BAY WAS ONE OF FOUR MAJOR AUSTRALIAN WHALING STATIONS,

KILLING HUNDREDS OF HUMPBACKS

BEFORE FINALLY SHUTTING DOWN IN 1962

DUE TO OVEREXPLOITATION.

I WASN'T OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW THE POLITICS--

WHY IT WAS STARTED OR WHY IT WAS FINISHED.

BUT I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF OIL.

AND THE BIGGEST-- I WAS USED TO BAD SMELLS

OF PIGSTIES, YOU KNOW?

OF COURSE, WE HAD PIGS ON THE DAIRY FARM.

BUT WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO THE BAY HERE

AND YOU SMELLED THE BLOODY WHALES,

THAT WAS WORSE-SMELLING THAN ANY PIGS.

TERRIBLE SMELL.

AND THEY MELTED IT ALL DOWN AND COOKED IT

AND CUT IT UP FOR OIL.

AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THERE WAS NOTHING TO EAT.

NO ONE ATE ANYTHING OF IT. IT WAS JUST OIL.

THE EASTERN OZ HUMPBACK POPULATION

WENT FROM THOUSANDS TO BELOW 200

AND WAS IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION.

BY THEN, HOWEVER, MOST DEVELOPED NATIONS

HAD AGREED TO STOP HUNTING WHALES.

IN ONE OF THE GREAT COMEBACK STORIES,

THE AUSSIE HUMPBACKS REBOUNDED TO THEIR PRESENT LEVELS

OF OVER 12,000 INDIVIDUALS.

THAT SPAWNED A WHALE-WATCHING INDUSTRY

THAT BRINGS IN OVER 300 MILLION ANNUALLY IN AUSTRALIA ALONE.

Rastovich: COMING FROM A TOWN THAT HAS GONE THROUGH THE TRANSITION

FROM WHALING TO WHALE-WATCHING

IS REALLY INSPIRING.

YOU SEE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE.

YOU SEE THE FUTURE THAT LIES AHEAD

FOR A TOWN THAT WHALES IF THEY SWITCH OVER.

WHEN YOU SEE THE TURNAROUND FROM WHALING TO WHALE-WATCHING

AS EXTREME AS IT COULD POSSIBLY GET,

TO WHERE YOU'LL SEE DOLPHINS AND WHALES ON EVERYTHING--

RUBBISH BINS, HOTEL SIGNS,

ICE CREAM SHOPS, BARS, PUBS, NIGHTCLUBS, YOU NAME IT.

EVERYTHING'S GOT A DOLPHIN OR A WHALE SOMEWHERE,

EVEN IF IT'S ON THEIR TOILET PAPER, IT'S SOMEWHERE.

IT'S TWISTED. THAT'S A WEIRD IDEA--

YOU WIPE YOUR BUM WITH A DOLPHIN ON THE TOILET PAPER.

Narrator: IN 1986, THE WORLD DECLARED

A WORLDWIDE MORATORIUM ON COMMERCIAL WHALING

TO STOP THE GREAT WHALES FROM CERTAIN EXTINCTION.

THE WHALES HAD BEEN SAVED, OR SO WE THOUGHT.

SINCE THE MORATORIUM, OVER 30,000 WHALES HAVE DIED

UNDER A RESEARCH LOOPHOLE EXPLOITED BY WHALING NATIONS

SUCH AS JAPAN, NORWAY AND ICELAND.

IN ADDITION, DOLPHINS AND OTHER SMALL CETACEANS

WERE NOT PROTECTED BY THE '86 MORATORIUM.

THIS HAS EFFECTIVELY SANCTIONED OPEN SEASON

ON DOLPHIN KILLS AS WELL.

DAVE'S RESEARCH LED HIM TO THE BOOK OCEAN WARRIOR

BY PAUL WATSON.

Watson: WHALING IS BARBARIC.

IT HAS NO PLACE IN THE 21st CENTURY,

IT HAS NO PLACE IN THE CIVILIZED WORLD,

AND THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION BY ANYONE, ANYWHERE,

FOR ANY REASON, TO BE KILLING WHALES.

THEY'RE HIGHLY SENTIENT, INTELLIGENT,

SOCIALLY COMPLEX CREATURES,

AND IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT WE LEARNED TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH THEM.

PAUL HAD BEEN A PASSIONATE DEFENDER OF OCEAN WILDLIFE

FOR OVER 30 YEARS,

DATING BACK TO WHEN HE LOOKED INTO THE EYE

OF A DYING WHALE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO SAVE.

SINCE THEN, HE HAS ROAMED THE SEVEN SEAS

IN A FLEET OF LEAKY OLD SHIPS,

CHASING DOWN ILLEGAL WHALERS AND FISH POACHERS.

HE'S BEEN CALLED A HERO BY SOME

AND AN ECO-TERRORIST BY OTHERS.

BUT HIS METHODS, WHILE CONTROVERSIAL,

HAVE STOPPED WHALES AND DOLPHINS

FROM BEING KILLED, PERIOD.

( rumbling, ship horn blowing )

WATSON'S WRITINGS INSPIRED DAVE TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP,

AND, WITH THE SEA SHEPHERDS DOCKED IN MELBOURNE FOR THE SPRING,

IT GAVE HIM A CHANCE TO MEET UP WITH THE CAPTAIN AND HIS CREW

FOR A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT.

I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, THE STRENGTH OF ANY MOVEMENT

LIES IN THE DIVERSITY OF APPROACHES AND TACTICS AND STRATEGIES,

JUST LIKE THE STRENGTH OF AN ECOSYSTEM LIES IN DIVERSITY.

SO I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE THEIR ABILITIES,

THEIR SKILLS, AND FOLLOW THEIR PASSION--

SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT--

AND DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAKE IT BETTER.

ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.

WE KNOW THAT. IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ACTUALLY TRYING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO.

EVERYONE WAS OPEN TO THE SCENARIO OF--

OR THE OPTION OF STOPPING WHAT WAS HAPPENING

OR HELPING IN SOME WAY,

BUT WE WERE ALL A LITTLE UNSURE OF HOW TO DO IT.

ONCE HOWIE AND I HAD CONNECTED

AND REALIZED THAT WE COULD WORK TOGETHER ON THESE ISSUES,

WE BASICALLY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA

TO HAVE "SURFERS FOR CETACEANS" AS A WEBSITE

AND AS A CONDUIT GROUP

TO GET THE ISSUE OF WHALING OUT TO THE SURFING COMMUNITY.

THAT'S, YOU KNOW--

WE'RE IDEALISTS. WE'RE LEFT-OF-FIELD,

WITH SEA SHEPHERD AND OTHER GROUPS LIKE THAT

WHO STAND BY EVERY INDIVIDUAL.

Narrator: HOWIE DONATED HIS ART,

AND DAVE WROTE A FEW EDITORIALS

FOR THEIR FLEDGLING WEBSITE SURFERS FOR CETACEANS.

THEY ALSO PUBLISHED A TEN-POINT UNIVERSAL DECLARATION

OF MARINE MAMMAL RIGHTS

THAT GRANTED WHALES AND DOLPHINS

THE SAME FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS

AFFORDED MOST HUMANS.

RECENTLY JUST POSTED SOME INFORMATION

ON THE MASS DOLPHIN KILLS IN JAPAN.

THE JAPANESE KILLED 508 WHALES THIS SEASON...

452 SHORT OF THEIR TARGET.

THERE WAS AN INITIAL PERIOD OF FINDING OUR FEET, I RECKON,

REALLY REALIZING WHAT OUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES WERE.

AND THE MORE WE WENT ALONG, THE MORE I REALIZED

THAT I'M VERY WEAK WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY

AND INTERNET PRESENCE AND THAT KIND OF APPROACH,

AND THAT I'M FAR MORE EFFECTIVE

WITH MY ABILITIES AND SKILL SET

WHEN IT COMES TO SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE.

Narrator: RASTA WAS LOOKING FOR HIS NEXT MOVE,

BUT WASN'T SURE WHAT IT WOULD BE.

Rastovich: JUST TWO DAYS AFTER CREATING SURFERS FOR CETACEANS WITH HOWIE,

I WENT SURFING A COUPLE OF HOURS DOWN THE COAST

FROM WHERE I WAS LIVING THEN WITH A COUPLE OF FRIENDS...

AND A LOT OF DOLPHINS AND FISH ACTIVITY.

WE WERE ON THE BEACH, HAVING A LOOK,

GOT READY--I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SHOOTING WATER.

SO DAVE'S, LIKE, "LOOK AT THESE DOLPHINS!"

THERE'S DOLPHINS GOING THROUGH THE WAVES,

JUMPING, A BIG FRENZY OF FISH AND DOLPHINS AND WHATEVER.

I THOUGHT I WAS BEING PRETTY ONTO IT

WHEN IT COMES TO WATCHING OUT FOR MARINE LIFE

AND POTENTIAL SHARKS AND THINGS.

WE'RE NOT FAR FROM A RIVER MOUTH

THAT'S ALWAYS VERY ABUNDANT.

Narrator: SHARK ATTACKS ARE EXTREMELY RARE.

HOWEVER, THE WATERS OFF AUSTRALIA

HOST A HALF A DOZEN SPECIES OF SHARKS.

THEREFORE, IT'S INEVITABLE THAT SOMETIMES HUMANS ARE TARGETED.

DESPITE THEIR ABUNDANCE, SHARKS ARE ONLY RESPONSIBLE

FOR A FEW ATTACKS AND ABOUT ONE FATALITY A YEAR.

UNFORTUNATELY, SHARKS SOMETIMES MISTAKE US FOR PREY.

SO, AS A SURFER, ESPECIALLY IN AUSTRALIA,

YOU LEARN TO KEEP A SHARP EYE OUT FOR DARK SHAPES

AND THAT TELLTALE PYRAMID FIN KNIFING THROUGH THE WATER.

I JUST SEE THESE TWO THINGS,

LIKE, NO MORE THAN TEN FEET AWAY,

JUST STEALTH-- COMING TOWARDS ME.

NOT LIKE NORMAL DOLPHINS, WHERE THEY JUMP,

YOU KNOW, PLAYING.

THEY'RE COMING STEALTH.

ONE SPECIFIC SHAPE COMING TOWARDS US,

AND THEN ANOTHER SHAPE KIND OF COMING OUT

ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY VISION.

KIND OF--IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY

THAT IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE TOGETHER,

BUT THE ONE ON THE RIGHT SEEMED TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE.

I'M, LIKE, "OH, JEEZ, THEY'RE COMING REALLY QUICK."

AND I'VE JUST, AT THE SAME POINT,

GONE, "OKAY, GET IN SURVIVAL MODE."

I'VE JUST LAID HORIZONTAL,

LIKE, FLAT TO THE TOP OF THE OCEAN.

RIGHT THEN, THE SHARK WAS PROBABLY A METER OR TWO AWAY FROM US,

AND THE DOLPHIN WAS GOING STRAIGHT FOR THE GUTS OF THE SHARK.

I'M BRACING, READY FOR IMPACT,

GOT THE CAMERA OUT,

AND AT THE LAST SECOND, I'M READY, BRACING,

READY TO BE HIT,

AND I JUST SEE THOSE TWO THINGS, JUST--PHEW!

AND I DIDN'T SEE CONTACT,

BUT IT JUST LOOKED LIKE THEY'D T-BONED,

AND THE DOLPHIN PUSHED THE SHARK STRAIGHT AWAY FROM US.

THAT WAS THE TIME WHEN I FINALLY DECIDED

TO START WORKING ON OCEAN ISSUES

AND GIVING-- SOMEHOW GIVING BACK

TO THE OCEAN THAT GIVES ME SO MUCH.

AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS, YOU KNOW,

A DOLPHIN COMES ALONG AND PRETTY MUCH T-BONES AWAY FROM ME.

THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING TIMING.

SO WE WENT INTO TOWN, GET SOME FOOD,

AND I SAID TO DAVE, "TAKE ME STRAIGHT TO THE BOTTLE SHOP."

AND I GOT A LONGNECK,

AND I JUST SAT IN THE CAR AND DRANK IT.

IT WAS LIKE A LITTLE CONFIRMATION LETTER FROM THE UNIVERSE,

SAYING, "YEP, YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BOY.

JUST KEEP GOING."

I THINK THEY'RE HALFWAY BETWEEN US.

AND WE'RE AT THE HIGHEST POINT.

WE ACTUALLY VISUALIZE THEM.

PRETTY CHOPPY.

IT'S A TEST, BUT IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S THESE BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS.

BUT YOU HAVE TO EARN THEM. YOU CAN'T JUST--

OH, YEAH, GET OUT THERE.

IT'S--OH, NO, YOU'VE LEARNED THIS,

BACK HERE, HAVE THIS, HAVE A GIANT DUST STORM.

DEAL WITH THIS, MAN. AND THEN YOU GOTTA--

HERE'S THE TEAM. GO IN, IT'S AWESOME.

Rastovich: WE MANAGED TO DO

THAT MASSIVE 110k DAY

AND THEN GET, LIKE, FIVE DAYS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, BASICALLY.

AND THEN POST UP UNTIL THE NEXT NORTH PATTERN COMES,

WHICH IS PREDICTED TO BE ABOUT A DAY OR TWO AWAY.

SO WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURF

AND RECHARGE, SIT AROUND THE CAMPFIRE,

STEW NEW IDEAS, NEW CAMPAIGN IDEAS,

AND BASICALLY JUST RECONNECT WITH ALL OUR CREW.

( man vocalizing )

AS SOON AS WE START TALKING ABOUT IT,

LIKE, THE NEXT SESSION WE HAVE,

ALL THE DOLPHINS THAT ARE IN THE AREA

SEEMED, LIKE-- CAME STRAIGHT TO US,

SURFED SOME WAVES,

TOOK OFF ON A COUPLE OF WAVES NEXT TO US.

AND WHEN YOU SEE A DOLPHIN SURF,

YOU KNOW THEY'RE HAVING FUN.

YOU JUST KNOW THEY'RE HAVING FUN.

WE WENT THROUGH BIG CITIES,

TINY PLACES IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE,

SO WE REALLY, LIKE--

WE REALLY TAPPED INTO THE GAMUT OF HUMANS

ON THE AUSTRALIAN COASTLINE,

AND NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE--

I DON'T KNOW IF A LOT OF PEOPLE--

IN THE SAME SIMILAR VEIN THAT WE DID--

HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT

AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS

AND DO SIMPLE THINGS THAT REALLY ACTUALLY MAKE A BIG IMPACT--

WAS INCREDIBLE,

AND THAT'S WHAT TRANSPARENTSEA'S BASED ON, YOU KNOW?

THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO BE FINDING MORE OF...

AND LESS OF THIS.

MORE OF THIS, LESS OF THIS.

THIS IS SOME OF THE STUFF WE FOUND

ON THE BEACH TODAY AT OUR CLEAN-UP.

WE'VE GOT PLASTIC AND CIGARETTE BUTTS,

HEAPS OF CIGARETTE BUTTS IN TODAY'S CLEAN-UP,

AND LOTS OF SMALL PLASTICS,

WHICH REALLY SUCKS BECAUSE IT GETS WASHED RIGHT BACK OUT TO SEA.

THE FISH MISTAKE IT AS FOOD,

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S BROKEN UP,

AND THEY EAT IT AND IT CAUSES

THE SLOW STARVATION OF OUR MARINE CREATURES.

SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO CHUCK ALL THAT RUBBISH OUT ON HERE,

DOWN ON THE BAGS, SO WE CAN CATALOGUE IT.

CATALOGUE IT!

THAT'S RIGHT.

WE SPREAD OUT THE RUBBISH AND COUNT EVERY SINGLE PIECE.

THAT IS THEN CONTRIBUTED TO OUR NATIONAL MARINE DEBRIS DATABASE,

AND WE USE THAT DATA

TO SUPPORT LOCAL INITIATIVES

AND GENERALLY APPROACH LOCAL COUNCILS,

OR AS PART OF OUR NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS

OR INDIVIDUAL CAMPAIGNS.

IT ALSO FEELS GOOD TO AT LEAST BE SITTING DOWN

ON THIS BEACH RIGHT NOW,

KNOWING THAT WE JUST SWEPT AT LEAST A KILOMETER OF IT,

AND THAT A LOT OF JUNK HAS LEFT THAT AREA.

AND IT WAS MINOR.

IT WAS, LIKE, AN HOUR OF OUR TIME.

Narrator: DAVE HUDDLED UP WITH HOWIE AND A FEW FRIENDS

TO COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF DIRECT ACTION

THAT THEY COULD START RIGHT AWAY.

THE CHALLENGE THAT KEPT POPPING UP

WAS HOW THEIR ACTIONS IN AUSTRALIA

COULD HAVE ANY DIRECT EFFECT ON THE ISSUES WORLDWIDE.

ONE IDEA THAT CAME UP WAS A VISUAL PETITION.

IF PEOPLE TRULY LOVED DOLPHINS AND WHALES,

WHY NOT SHOW IT RATHER THAN SAY IT?

DAVE TOOK THE FIRST ONE.

Rastovich: A COUPLE OF MY BUDDIES WHO ARE FROM OZ,

WHO ARE GREAT MUSICIANS WHO SURF AND ARE GOOD FRIENDS--

ASH GRUNWALD AND XAVIER RUDD--

ARE ALWAYS STOKED TO HAVE A SURF OR HAVE A JAM.

SO I THINK THEY'LL BOTH REACT WITH COMPASSION

AND WANT TO HELP OUT IN SOME WAY.

WELL, RASTA'S A REALLY--

OBVIOUSLY A REALLY AMAZING PERSON

IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

BUT HE'S A FUNNY DUDE.

I THINK FROM THE OUTSIDE,

PEOPLE SOMETIMES THINK HE'S MORE SERIOUS THAN HE REALLY IS.

HE'S JUST A COMEDY DUDE, YOU KNOW?

ALWAYS HAVING FUN,

BUT OBVIOUSLY MOTIVATED AND COMMITTED

TO CHANGING THE WORLD IN A POSITIVE WAY.

*

Narrator: FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS,

THE ANNUAL EAST COAST BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL

HAS BEEN THE PREMIERE AUSSIE MUSIC VENUE,

ATTRACTING A HUGE INTERNATIONAL CROWD OF ALL AGES.

AND IT WAS HERE THAT DAVE DECIDED

TO TAKE THE VISUAL PETITION PUBLIC.

PLEASE GIVE A VERY WARM WELCOME

TO ASH GRUNWALD!

( cheering )

HEY, WE'VE GOT A SPECIAL GUEST UP HERE.

THIS IS DAVE RASTOVICH.

MR. RASTA.

Rastovich: GETTING UP IN FRONT OF A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE

AND PLAYING MUSIC

IS KIND OF LIKE PUTTING YOURSELF

IN FRONT OF A MASSIVE WAVE.

I'M WAY MORE SCARED OF PLAYING MUSIC IN FRONT OF PEOPLE

THAN I AM OF BIG WAVES.

EVERYBODY SHOUT OUT REALLY LOUD,

"GO, RASTA!"

Crowd: GO, RASTA!

OW! OW!

( imitates dolphin )

AND I ENDED UP MAKING THAT SONG, YOU KNOW,

WHICH IS A BIT OF A COMEDY SONG, REALLY,

BUT ACTUALLY THERE IS A STORY BEHIND IT.

( imitates dolphin to guitar solo )

( imitates dolphin )

WELL, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT, YOU KNOW,

WHEN YOU HAVE ICONS OF CULTURE SUPPORTING A CAUSE,

THAT THE EVERYDAY PERSON'S GONNA SEE THAT

AND BE INSPIRED BY THAT

AND WANT TO TAKE PART AND WANT TO LEARN

ABOUT WHAT IT IS THEIR FAVORITE MUSICIAN,

FAVORITE SURFER, IS DOING WITH THEIR TIME

AND WHO THEY'RE SUPPORTING.

* OPTIMISTIC HYPOCRITE THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE NERVE TO QUIT *

* THE THINGS THAT KEPT HIM WANTING MORE *

* UNTIL HE FINALLY REACHED THE CORE *

* FELL ACROSS THE FALL LINE

* AIN'T THERE NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE? *

* WE FELL ACROSS THE FALL LINE *

* AIN'T THERE NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE? *

* NA-NA-NA-NA, NA-NA-NA-NA *

( cheering )

THANKS A LOT.

WHEN I'M OUT IN THE WATER,

I MAKE ALL KINDS OF WEIRD, TWEAKY NOISES,

AS IF I WANTED TO TALK TO THEM.

HAVE YOU GOT ANY KIND OF NOISES YOU WOULD DO?

FOR SOME REASON-- I DON'T KNOW WHY I DO IT--

BUT IF I SEE IT GOING BY,

I START KNOCKING ON MY STRINGER AS HARD AS I CAN,

AND THEN GOING, LIKE...

( whistling )

LIKE, A REAL HIGH-PITCHED WHISTLE

AND KNOCK ON MY STRINGER,

AND SOMETIMES THEY GET CLOSER. HA HA HA!

THEY SOUND A LITTLE LIKE, UH, FLIPPER.

( squeaking )

THIS IS THE WHALES AND THE DOLPHINS.

( deep notes playing )

( chanting )

NOW PEOPLE CALL THE DOLPHINS "CHILDREN OF THE SEA"

BECAUSE THEY LOOK SO HAPPY AND THEY'RE JUMPING AROUND,

AND THEY'RE JUST PLAYING, LIKE CHILDREN IN THE SEA.

THEY'RE JUST PLAYING, HAVING FUN.

AND THEN THEY POP OUT THE BACK

AND DO A LITTLE AIR AND THAT.

THEY'RE JUST LIKE US. THEY LOVE THE WATER.

( crowd cheering )

( lyrics indistinct )

THANK YOU!

( indistinct )

WHEN WE SEE THEM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, LIKE--

FOR ME, IT'S LIKE SEEING AN ANCESTOR,

OR SOMETHING FROM WAY BACK FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME

COMING INTO BEING IN YOUR SPACE

AND GIVING ENERGY AND RECEIVING ENERGY

AND COMING THROUGH YOUR WORLD.

AND, FOR ME, TO GET THE VISUAL ON IT

AS WELL AS THE FEELING THAT YOU MIGHT GET

WHEN YOU SENSE HUMAN SPIRIT,

IS REALLY POWERFUL.

WHY DO YOU THINK THEY SURF?

'CAUSE SURFING'S RAD.

HA HA! BECAUSE, I MEAN--

SURFING--IT'S A PULSE OF ENERGY FROM MOTHER NATURE

THAT'S REAL AND REALLY PHYSICAL.

THERE'S NO OTHER REAL WAY OF CONNECTING LIKE THAT--

YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO JUST FREELY EXPRESS YOURSELF

IN MOTHER NATURE'S PALM.

IT'S POWERFUL.

WOULDN'T YOU SURF IF YOU LIVED IN THE OCEAN 24/7?

Narrator: BY THE TIME BLUESFEST CLOSED DOWN,

DAVE AND THE CREW HAD COLLECTED HUNDREDS OF VISUAL PETITIONS.

IN THE MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED,

MANY MORE WOULD JOIN ONLINE.

THE GOAL WAS TO CREATE A HUGE STATEMENT OF SUPPORT

THAT PUT A FACE TO THE SIGNATURE

AND ALLOWED ANYONE A CHANCE

TO IMMEDIATELY GET INVOLVED ON A PERSONAL LEVEL.

THE BELLS CLASSIC WAS ANOTHER EVENT

WHERE DAVE FELT HE COULD GATHER SUPPORT

FOR THE VISUAL PETITION.

BEING THE LONGEST-RUNNING PRO CONTEST IN HISTORY,

IT'S A BIG HONOR AMONG THE TRAVELING PROS

TO WIN THE COVETED BELLS TROPHY,

AND THEY WOULD ALL BE THERE TO COMPETE.

ALTHOUGH RASTA'S A PEER AMONG SURFING'S ELITE,

HE WAS INITIALLY HESITANT ABOUT APPROACHING THEM MID-CONTEST

TO PITCH THE VISUAL PETITION.

BUT ONE BY ONE, THEY SIGNED ON--

MICK FANNING, ANDY IRONS, JOEL PARKINSON,

AND THE ENTIRE TOP TEN.

WENT OUT THERE, WE WERE JUST GONNA GO DOWN THE COAST,

CHECKING OUT DOLPHINS, AND WE SEE THE WHALE.

WE WERE, LIKE, "OH, LOOK AT THE WHALE, CHECK IT OUT."

AND WE ACTUALLY WENT TO GO CHECK IT OUT.

WE DIDN'T SEE IT. WE WERE, LIKE, "WHERE IS THIS THING?"

AND IT ACTUALLY, UH, WENT UNDER OUR BOAT.

AND WE LOOKED OVER, AND I REMEMBER BEING SO FREAKED OUT.

I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE MOBY-DICK.

BUT IT JUST WAS RIGHT UNDER, THEN CRUISED UP,

CHECK US OUT FOR, LIKE, A SECOND, CAME DOWN,

AND THEN GOT, LIKE, 100 YARDS AWAY

AND THEN STARTED TO BREACH.

AND IT WAS JUST RADICAL.

THESE DOLPHINS WERE KIND OF CRUISING OUT THERE.

I COULD SEE THEM MATING AND STUFF.

AND THEN I RODE ABOUT FOUR WAVES BY MYSELF,

JUST CRUISING, AND NEXT THING I KNOW,

THEY WERE UP CLOSE, AND I CAUGHT A WAVE,

AND I RODE OUT THE TOP ONE, AND IT STAYED WITH ME

ALL THE WAY TO THE SHORE,

AND I DID THAT THREE WAVES IN A ROW.

THREE WAVES IN A ROW HE FOLLOWED ME.

HE WAITED FOR ME TO GET AT THE BACK AND GET BEHIND,

AND HE WAS WITH ME ALL THE WAY TO THE SHORE.

BACK OUT THE BACK, I COULDN'T FIND HIM.

THEN, SURE ENOUGH, AS SOON AS I WAS POUNDING THE WAVE AGAIN,

HE WAS THERE AGAIN.

I HAD A COUPLE OF TIMES WHERE I DOVE UNDERWATER

AND ALMOST TOUCHED, BEEN, LIKE, AN INCH FROM THEM.

LIKE, SO CLOSE. LIKE, OH, GOSH!

IF I JUST KICKED ONE MORE TIME,

I WOULD'VE TOUCHED HIM, YOU KNOW, IN THE WILD.

WHY DO YOU THINK THEY SURF?

UH, I LIKE TO THINK FOR PLEASURE.

BUT I THINK IT'S PART OF THEIR HUNTING, TOO.

I THINK THEY PROBABLY SNEAK UP ON FISH THAT WAY,

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY PROBABLY KIND OF CATCH THEM BY SURPRISE.

BUT I THINK THEY JUST ENJOY IT, YOU KNOW?

Narrator: SECURING THE SUPPORT OF SURFING'S BIGGEST PLAYERS

WOULD LEAD TO THOUSANDS MORE VISUAL PETITIONS BEING SUBMITTED.

NOW IT WAS TIME TO SEE HOW THE BUREAUCRATS HANDLED THINGS.

THE UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION MEETINGS

WOULD OFFER A GOOD LOOK INTO THE SITUATION.

WHILE IT WAS HELPFUL TO SEE HOW THE I.W.C. BUREAUCRACY WORKED,

THE REAL BENEFIT WOULD BE IN CONNECTING

WITH THE HUNDREDS OF DIVERSE OCEAN ACTIVISTS

THAT HAD GATHERED AROUND THE CONFERENCE.

Rastovich: THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION IN ALASKA

WAS A MEETING

THAT I FELT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL,

IN THE COLLABORATIVE SENSE.

YOU MEET WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING ON THE ISSUE.

AND YOU HEAR WHAT EVERYONE'S UP TO,

AND YOU CAN COLLABORATE ON FUTURE PROJECTS.

THIS GENERATION AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE

HAVE TO STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN.

THIS IS OUR WORLD. AND IF WE DON'T--

IF WE DON'T START FIXING IT NOW,

WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE THINGS THAT WE LOVE TODAY.

IF JAPAN CONTINUES WHALING, AND IT'S NOT--

AND IT'S NOT ABLE TO SUSTAIN IT,

THEN WE MIGHT NOT HAVE WHALES AND DOLPHINS

FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE SOMETIMES HARD TO QUANTIFY--

WHAT A TEEPEE CAN ACHIEVE AND STUFF LIKE THAT--

LIKE I PUT UP IN ALASKA,

THEY'RE, LIKE, "SAY WHAT?"

AND WITH FLAGS FLYING OFF THE TOP OF POLES,

ALL IN JAPANESE KANJI, SAYING,

"FAMILY", "FUTURE", "WHALE", "DOLPHIN",

"RESPECT", "LOVE", "COMPASSION", "TRUTH".

AND THEY'RE, LIKE, "OH, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?"

THEN--WHOOSH! AROUND WITH THE SKIN.

AND THERE WAS THIS WHALE TEEPEE--

A THREE-DIMENSIONAL BANNER

THAT HAD CREATED THIS SACRED SPACE.

WHAT I HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS CURTAIN

IS TO GIVE A VISUAL EXAMPLE

OF HOW MANY WHALES HAVE BEEN KILLED

SINCE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTED

SINCE 1986 WHALING MORATORIUM WENT INTO EFFECT.

SO THAT PEOPLE WILL SEE THAT, ACTUALLY,

THIS MANY WHALES HAVE DIED,

AND THAT IT'S TIME TO STOP WHALING.

IT'S TIME TO PUT PRESSURE AND APPEAL TO OUR GOVERNMENTS.

IT IS A BLIGHT ON THE HUMAN SPECIES, ISN'T IT,

THAT ALL THE THREATS

THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT THE MOMENT FOR WHALES AND DOLPHINS

ARE HUMAN-INDUCED-- ALL OF THEM.

AND IT'S THEIR HABITAT.

SO THAT MARINE HABITAT IS AN INDICATOR

OF THE HEALTH OF THE PLANET,

AND IT'S AN INDICATOR FOR THE HEALTH OF US AS A SPECIES.

I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE I.W.C.

YOU KNOW, TO WALK INTO A ROOM

FILLED WITH POLITICIANS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MINISTERS

FROM EVERY COUNTRY THAT'S IN THAT ROOM-- 70-ODD COUNTRIES--

AND TO HEAR THEM CLAP WHEN THEY HAND OUT QUOTAS FOR WHALES

IS...CURIOUS.

IT'S JUST STRANGE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

I GOT TO MEET RIC O'BERRY,

WHO'S THE AUTHORITY ON DOLPHIN CAPTIVITY, IN MY MIND.

HE'S HAD MORE EXPERIENCE THAN ANYONE

WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH DOLPHINS IN CAPTIVITY,

RESCUING DOLPHINS, REHABILITATING DOLPHINS

AND FREEING THEM.

I THINK FLIPPER WAS THE BEST

AND THE WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO DOLPHINS.

ON THE ONE HAND, IT EXPOSED PEOPLE TO THEM,

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND,

IT CREATED A LOT OF CAPTURES

AND A LOT OF, UH, NEW DOLPHINARIUMS OPENING UP,

AND NEW SWIM PROGRAMS AND, YOU KNOW--

THE CAPTIVITY ISSUE IS OVERWHELMING

FOR ONE PERSON.

AND IT TAKES UP ALL OF MY TIME.

WHALES CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES,

SO WE'RE HERE SPEAKING FOR THEM ON THEIR BEHALF.

THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES THAT--

IT BREAKS MY HEART TO SAY THAT GENERATIONS TO COME

MIGHT NOT GET THE CHANCE TO ENJOY THEM.

I WAS JUST THINKING, "OH, THIS WOULD BE INTERESTING

TO CATCH THIS LITTLE OFFSHOOT."

I.W.C. HAD JUST STARTED,

AND I WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO WATCH AND TO FILM DAVE.

AND ONE THING HE SAID JUST PERKED ME UP.

HE SAID, YOU KNOW--

HE JUST MENTIONED OFFHANDEDLY

THAT HE'D BEEN SAVED BY A DOLPHIN.

WE INTERVIEWED HIM. I ASKED HIM, UH--

I WAS ASKING HIM QUESTIONS, AND HE STARTED ASKING ME,

"DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN JAPAN WITH THE DOLPHINS?"

AND I'D DONE SIX TRIPS THERE.

LEAVING ALASKA AND THE I.W.C. THERE,

I WAS REALLY MOTIVATED

BECAUSE I'D HAD TALKS WITH O.P.S. AND RIC O'BERRY

ABOUT GOING TO TAIJI, AND I KNEW IT WAS POSSIBLE.

THAT WAS THE POINT WHERE I KNEW I COULD GET INTO THE COVE

THROUGH COLLABORATING WITH O.P.S.,

AND I KNEW THAT, UM,

WE COULD BE EDUCATED AND CLEAR ABOUT THE WHOLE ISSUE

THROUGH RIC O'BERRY.

AND IT WAS ON.

BEING INQUISITIVE ABOUT EVERYTHING DOLPHIN AND WHALE,

YOU KIND OF SOON DISCOVER THAT CULTURES ALL OVER THE WORLD

HAVE A HISTORY WITH DOLPHINS AND WHALES.

I'M REALLY IMPRESSED BY THE INTERTWINED TIMELINES

BETWEEN HUMANS AND CETACEANS,

AND THAT SUCH DIFFERING CULTURES

CAN HAVE LINKS TO THEM--

CULTURES LIKE ABORIGINAL-- HERE IN AUSTRALIA--

TO PEOPLE IN PERU AND CHILE AND THE AMAZON

AND YOU NAME IT-- ALL OVER THE WORLD--

THAT THERE IS THESE LINKS.

AND SO I REALLY WANTED TO TRY AND FIND PEOPLE

WHO STILL KIND OF EMBODY SOME OF THAT MYTHOLOGY

AND STILL HAVE THAT REVERENCE FOR THE CETACEAN.

GETTING TO SWING THROUGH L.A. AND CALIFORNIA

AND MEET UP WITH THE CHUMASH INDIAN REPRESENTATIVE MATI WAIYA--

IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE

TO BE ABLE TO SMELL, FEEL AND HEAR

THE SPIRIT AND THE POWER OF A CULTURE

THAT HAS, UM, HONORED AND CONTINUED THEIR TRADITIONS.

Narrator: MATI WAIYA, CHUMASH ELDER,

IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP MAKE THAT ANCIENT CONNECTION

BETWEEN HUMANS AND DOLPHINS.

THE CHUMASH WERE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S FIRST COASTAL PEOPLE.

THEY BUILT THEIR LIVES AROUND THE OCEAN,

OFTEN LIVING IN LARGE VILLAGES

OVERLOOKING NOW-FAMOUS SURF BREAKS.

THE DOLPHIN, ALONG WITH OTHER SEA MAMMALS,

FIGURED HEAVILY INTO CHUMASH LEGEND, LORE AND ART.

IN MANY WAYS, THEY WERE CALIFORNIA'S FIRST SURFERS,

BUILDING ELEGANT PLANK CANOES

TO FISH AND TRAVEL BETWEEN THE NEARBY CHANNEL ISLANDS.

( blowing note )

MATI IS A LIVING LINK TO THESE ANCIENT PEOPLE.

BECAUSE THEY DEPENDED ON THE SEA FOR THEIR SURVIVAL,

THE CHUMASH UNDERSTOOD THAT IF THEY ABUSED NATURE,

NATURE WOULD QUICKLY ABUSE THEM.

FOR EVERYTHING THEY TOOK,

THEY NEEDED TO GIVE BACK IN SOME WAY.

MATI HAS DEDICATED HIS LIFE

TO UNDERSTAND THE WAYS OF HIS ANCESTORS

AND PASSING ON THEIR TEACHINGS TO FUTURE GENERATIONS,

WHETHER THEY ARE CHUMASH DESCENDENTS OR NOT.

SO WE HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH THE EYES OF THE ANCESTORS

AT OUR STORIES, OUR CREATION STORIES,

OUR SONGS AND DANCES, 'CAUSE THAT'S OUR HISTORY.

SO OUR RELATIONSHIP AS A MARITIME CULTURE TO THE COAST,

TO THE LAGOONS AND ESTUARIES AND RIVERS,

HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR SUBSTANCE,

THE BLOODLINE OF OUR WORLD.

THE BLOODLINE OF THI WORLD IS THESE WATERS.

THE PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND-- AS THEY WERE STARTING TO POPULATE,

THE PLANT LIFE AND TREES WERE DWINDLING,

AND THE PEOPLE WERE GETTING A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT--

"WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IF THEY OVERPOPULATE THE ISLAND?"

AND ONE DAY, THERE'S A FISHERMAN ON THE SHORE,

AND THE CLOUDS BEGAN TO RUMBLE AND OPEN UP,

AND THE CREATOR-- HUTASH--COMES DOWN,

AND SHE TELLS THE FISHERMEN,

"LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT I WANT TO TAKE THEM

"TO A PLACE WHERE THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE--

"ABUNDANCE OF FOOD AND LAND,

"SO THAT THEY COULD RAISE THEIR CHILDREN

AND THERE'LL BE MORE FOR THOSE UNBORN."

SO THE NEXT MORNING, THEY ALL GATHERED AT THE SHORELINE.

AND, ONCE AGAIN, THE CLOUDS START RUMBLING,

AND THEY OPEN UP, AND THE CREATOR COMES DOWN

AND TELLS THE PEOPLE, "ARE YOU READY TO GO?"

AND THEY ALL LOOKED AT EACH OTHER

AND SAID, "YES, WE'RE READY TO GO."

AND THE CREATOR WAVED HER ARM,

AND THIS BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW BRIDGE--

WITH ALL THE WONDERFUL COLORS THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE,

LIKE THE DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD OF PEOPLE--

STRETCHED FROM THE ISLAND TO THE MAINLAND.

AND THE CREATOR TOLD THEM, "BEFORE YOU GO OVER THIS BRIDGE,

"I WANT TO WARN YOU NOT TO LOOK DOWN.

"'CAUSE IF YOU LOOK DOWN, YOU'RE GONNA FALL TO THE OCEAN

AND YOU'RE GONNA DIE."

AND ONE BY ONE, THEY START GOING OVER THIS RAINBOW--

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WALKING OVER IT.

SOME OF THEM COULDN'T RESIST, SO THEY LOOKED DOWN,

AND ONE BY ONE-- PSHOO, PSHOO, PSHOO!

THEY START FALLING, FALLING DOWN TO THE OCEAN FLOOR.

THE CREATOR, SEEING THIS, KNOWING SHE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO DIE--

SO RIGHT BEFORE THEY HIT THE OCEAN,

SHE TURNED THEM INTO DOLPHINS.

WE CALL THEM ALOLKOY.

ALOLKOY IS OUR BLUE DOLPHIN THAT WE HAVE HERE.

AND IT PROTECTS US FROM DANGER.

IT GUIDES US IF THE STARS AREN'T OUT

OR THE SUN SETS TOO QUICK.

AND IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN A TEACHER.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF OUR RELATIONS,

OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE OCEAN.

SO WE TRUST IN THEM, WE DANCE FOR THEM,

WE SING SONGS ABOUT THEM.

Man on P.A.: YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE.

WELCOME TO LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

Narrator: EARLY ON, DAVE SPOKE WITH PAUL WATSON

ABOUT COMING ABOARD THE SHIP FOR A DIRECT ACTION.

THIS SUMMER, THE SEA SHEPHERDS

WERE SAILING ONE OF THEIR PATROLS VESSELS

TO THE GALAPAGOS

TO WORK WITH LOCAL ACTIVISTS

IN PROTECTING THE GALAPAGOS MARINE SANCTUARY.

THE GALAPAGOS, STRADDLING THE PACIFIC EQUATOR,

600 MILES OFF THE COAST OF ECUADOR,

ARE FAMED FOR THEIR STARK BEAUTY

AND RICH BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY.

THEIR ISOLATION ALLOWED ANIMAL SPECIES TO FLOURISH

WITHOUT HUMAN INTERFERENCE FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS

UNTIL THEIR COLONIZATION BY PIRATES IN THE LATE 1700s.

DAVE HAD BEEN TO THE GALAPAGOS YEARS EARLIER

AND KNEW THERE WERE GOOD WAVES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE ARCHIPELAGO.

THIS MADE FOR A GREAT OPPORTUNITY

TO DO SOME WORK FOR THE SURF MAGAZINES

WHILE WAITING FOR THE SEA SHEPHERDS TO COME INTO PORT.

*

A SMALL CREW OF LOCAL SURFERS

HEARD THERE WAS A PRO SURFER IN TOWN

AND JOINED IN FOR A FEW WAVES AND A LINE-UP.

IT'S ALWAYS COOL TO GET A WARM WELCOME FROM THE LOCALS,

AND THESE ISLANDERS WERE NO EXCEPTION.

AMONG THEM, LONGTIME FISHERMAN

AND ONE OF THE FIRST TRUE GALAPAGOS SURFERS-- HUMBERTO HERNANDEZ--

HAD SOME INTERESTING THOUGHTS

ON THE HEALTH OF THE LOCAL FISHERIES.

( speaking Spanish )

OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS,

THE LORE OF THIS FAR-OFF DESTINATION

HAS TRANSFORMED THE GALAPAGOS

FROM AN ISOLATED MID-PACIFIC ISLAND CHAIN

INTO A MUST-SEE ECO-TOURIST DESTINATION.

OVER 200,000 PEOPLE NOW VISIT THE GALAPAGOS EACH YEAR,

CONTRIBUTING MILLIONS TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

BUT THIS GROWTH COMES AT A HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL COST.

SHEER HUMAN NUMBERS

STRAIN THE GALAPAGOS' FRESHWATER SUPPLY

AND THREATEN TO OVERWHELM DELICATE ANIMAL ECOLOGIES.

RAMPANT OVER-FISHING AND POACHING FOR THE SHARK FINNING TRADE

HAVE DECIMATED LOCAL FISHERIES--

THIS DESPITE THE GALAPAGOS BEING DECLARED

A WORLD HERITAGE MARINE SANCTUARY.

FOR A LOT OF ISLAND DESTINATIONS,

SHARKS ARE CRUCIAL TO THEIR ECOSYSTEMS,

NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY HELP MAINTAIN

THE ECO-BALANCE IN THE OCEANS,

BUT, FOR A LOT OF THESE DESTINATIONS

THAT DEPEND ON TOURISM,

A DIVERSE POPULATION OF SHARKS

MEANS A DIVERSE POPULATION OF MARINE SPECIES.

AFTER A FEW PERFECT DAYS OF SURFING,

ONE MORNING THE BLACK SHIP APPEARED ON THE HORIZON.

NOW THAT THE SEA SHEPHERDS HAD ARRIVED,

IT WAS TIME TO JUMP ON BOARD

AND SEE WHAT DIRECT ACTION WAS REALLY ALL ABOUT.

THE SEA SHEPHERDS' ALL-VOLUNTEER CREW

COMES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

SOME ARE HARDCORE ECO-WARRIORS,

OTHER ARE KIDS ON UNI LEAVE

SIMPLY LOOKING FOR A BIT OF ADVENTURE.

BUT ALL SEEM BOUND BY A COMMON LOVE FOR CREATURES

AND A SENSE THAT PROTECTING OUR SHARED ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY

IS IMPERATIVE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A DREAM ACTION, ISN'T IT,

WHEN YOU GOT THE TACK, YOU GOT THE BOATS,

YOU'VE GOT THINGS THAT CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

AND, UH, THE PROBLEM BACK HOME

IS THAT YOU'VE GOT THE WILL,

BUT YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE MONEY AND THE EQUIPMENT,

AND YOU'RE JUST YOURSELF,

SO YOU'RE LIMITED IN WHAT YOU CAN DO.

THE SEA SHEPHERDS-- WOW, THEY'VE GOT BOATS,

THEY'VE GOT SHIPS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

THEY'VE GOT LOVELY T-SHIRTS.

I THINK PEOPLE IN GENERAL ARE IN AWE

OF WHAT A SMALL ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS

IS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.

AND PEOPLE GENERALLY COME WITH PRAISE AND SAY,

"IT'S A WONDERFUL THING YOU'RE DOING FOR THE WHALES."

AND YET, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE'RE AFTER.

WHAT WE'RE AFTER IS SEEING ACTION.

WE'RE AFTER SEEING PEOPLE ALSO TAKE THAT SAME RESPONSIBILITY.

BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON BOARD HERE

WAS IN THAT POSITION AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER.

AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER, EVERY SINGLE CREW MEMBER

DIDN'T KNOW THAT WHALING WAS GOING ON

OR DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY COULD DO TO STOP IT.

BUT AS SOON AS WE REALIZE WHAT'S WRONG,

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

BECAUSE BY BEING PASSIVE, WE'RE COMPLACENT IN IT,

AND WE'RE JUST ALLOWING IT TO CONTINUE.

Narrator: TWO DAYS OUT,

THE SEA SHEPHERDS FOUND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.

AT DAWN, ONE OF THE WATCH CREW

HAD SPOTTED SOME IMPROVISED FLOATS IN THE DISTANCE.

ALL HANDS CAME ON DECK

TO HELP HAUL IN A POACHER'S LONG LINE.

A LONG LINE IS A HIGHLY EFFICIENT WAY OF CATCHING FISH,

BUT THE MARINE EQUIVALENT OF A ROADSIDE BOMB.

THE LONG LINE, WHICH CAN STRETCH AS LONG AS 60 MILES,

WITH THOUSANDS OF BAITED HOOKS,

CREATES A VIRTUAL KILLING WALL

THAT DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN A TUNA, A SHARK

OR A HUNGRY SEA TURTLE.

THE WASTE FROM BYCATCH IS ENORMOUS,

AND THE LONG LINE'S DEADLY EFFICIENCY

IS SYSTEMATICALLY DECIMATING FISHERIES AROUND THE WORLD.

SOMEONE SPOTTED THE POACHERS IN THE DISTANCE,

BUT BY THIS TIME, THE FISHERMEN DUMPED THEIR GEAR

AND BEAT IT FOR THE HORIZON.

THEY GOT AWAY, BUT NOT WITHOUT BEING VIDEOTAPED

AND THEIR BOAT AND REGISTRATION NUMBERS RECORDED.

THROUGHOUT THE DAY, THE CREW PULLED IN

OVER NINE MILES OF LONG LINE

AND CLIPPED OFF HUNDREDS OF BAITED HOOKS.

KIND OF MIXED FEELINGS OF EXCITEMENT,

AND IT'S REALLY DEPRESSING AT THE SAME TIME.

BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH WE GOT HERE QUITE EARLY.

THE EMPTY HOOKS-- THAT'S REALLY GOOD.

AND TO HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SO LONG,

TO FINALLY HAVE FOUND ONE, IT'S AWESOME.

WATCH OUT!

GO!

Rastovich: IT'S AMAZING TO THINK THAT WE'VE ONLY BEEN PULLING IN THIS TINY AMOUNT.

IT'S SCARY TO THINK HOW MUCH HAS BEEN MISSED.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED

IF NO ONE WAS HERE TO PICK IT UP.

Narrator: THIS WAS THE KIND OF CONCRETE, DECISIVE ACTION

THAT DAVE COULD RELATE TO.

WHILE THERE'S A TIME AND A PLACE FOR PLAYING POLITICS,

THERE'S ALSO A TIME WHEN YOU DRAW LINE

AND STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

THOSE COUPLE OF DAYS ABOARD THE SHIP

MADE DAVE REALIZE MORE THAN EVER--

HE NEEDED TO BE IN JAPAN

WHEN THE DOLPHIN HUNTS RESUMED.

( people chanting in Spanish )

CHILE WAS MY FIRST, UM, INVITE

INTO THE S4C-- AN S4C INITIATIVE.

AND THE EXPERIENCE OF GOING TO THE I.W.C.

WAS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL REALLY NEEDED TO HAVE FOR OURSELVES.

PERSONALLY, IT REALLY STOKED THE FIRE WITHIN EVERYBODY,

ESPECIALLY MYSELF.

AND I CAN SEE IT IN EVERYONE.

SO AWESOME TO SEE HOW PASSIONATE THEY ARE.

THESE ARE CHILEANS

WHO HAVE JUST GOT A NEW SANCTUARY STATUS FOR THEIR WHALES,

SAYING THEY DON'T WANT ANY WHALE KILLING. IT'S GREAT.

STATING THE OBVIOUS.

All: WHALE KILLERS!

WHALE KILLERS!

WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE IN CHILE!

( indistinct chanting )

SHUT THEM DOWN!

( indistinct chanting )

SHUT THEM DOWN!

SHUT THEM DOWN!

( chanting continues )

PEOPLE REALIZE, THROUGH ALL AGES,

THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THESE CREATURES

AND HOW IMPORTANT ROBUST CONSERVATION IS FOR THEM.

AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT THIS EVENT HERE THIS MORNING

IS A REALLY, REALLY GOOD SYMBOL OF THAT.

AND IT HAPPENS ON THE FIRST DAY THE I.W.C. MEETING.

THAT'S A GOOD DAY FOR IT TO HAPPEN.

Narrator: HOWEVER, WITH THE I.W.C. MEETING

HELD BEHIND HEAVILY-GUARDED CLOSED DOORS,

THE DELEGATES ARE FOR THE MOST PART

SHIELDED AWAY FROM ANY OUTSIDE CONTACT.

Man: FACING IT, SITTING THERE

AND SEEING THE COUNTRIES THAT WERE STANDING BEHIND IT

AND FEELING THE TENSION, IT WAS, LIKE, VERY POWERFUL,

EMOTIONAL, IN A LOT OF SENSE.

THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING INSIDE WITH THE SUIT AND TIES

AND LITTLE POLITE CARDS

AND, YOU KNOW, THE DELEGATION

AND THE GUYS OUTSIDE CHANTING AND SCREAMING AND TATTOOED

AND WILLING TO LOCK ARMBAR AND LOCK THEMSELVES

INSIDE, YOU KNOW, THE FRONT OF THE SHERATON

AND DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO STOP WHAT'S GOING ON.

NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

Both: NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

( screaming ) NO MORE WHALING! NO MORE!

( shouts indistinctly )

WHEW! THAT WAS HEAVY, MAN.

THEY JUST MANHANDLED THOSE GIRLS.

INCREDIBLE.

DEFINITELY NOT SHOWING THEM ANY SYMPATHY

FOR BEING FEMALE. IT'S INSANE.

THESE GUYS ARE TOUGH, MAN.

THESE ARE GREEN COATS OF DOOM HERE.

( speaking Spanish )

GOOD-BYE. BYE-BYE.

Narrator: AFTER A LONG AND OFTEN FRUSTRATING DAY,

THE CREW DECIDED THE BEST ACTION

WAS TO HIT THE ROAD AN ENLIST CHILEAN SURFERS

AND COASTAL RESIDENCE FACE TO FACE.

GETTING OUT ON CHILE'S RUGGED, BEAUTIFUL COAST

OFFERED A CHANCE TO RECHARGE

AND CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAD THE MOST AT STAKE

IN PROTECTING THEIR COASTAL LEGACY.

* ...FREEDOM AROUND US, WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED *

* AND I WILL CARE FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU CARE FOR ME *

* WE ALL HAVE OPINIONS, SOME OF THEM GET THROUGH *

* BUT THERE'S BETTER PEOPLE

* WITH MORE TO DO, MORE TO DO

( indistinct chatter )

* WHAT I HAVE COULD BE A MESSAGE *

* OR JUST SOME WORDS FROM MY HEART... *

( cheering )

ALL THE WORLD--IF WE DO THE THINGS LIKE THIS,

WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD,

AND WE CAN HAVE, LIKE, A NEW MENTALITY.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS,

BECAUSE WE GO EVERYWHERE,

MAKE A MEETING WITH THE PEOPLE, WITH THE CHILDREN.

WE LOVE THE CHILDREN. AND THE CHILDREN IS, YOU KNOW--

WHO KNOWS? ONE OF THE CHILDREN

COULD BE THE PRESIDENT OF CHILE OR A DIFFERENT COUNTRY.

LIKE I SAY, OKAY, WE CAN DO SOME STUFF NOW,

AND HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT LATE TO DO THAT.

* OOH, GOOD TO DO

*

( indistinct lyrics )

BEING ABLE TO BE IN A SILENT CRAFT,

SAILING NOISELESSLY, AND NO SCENT,

AND JUST BEAUTIFUL MODE OF TRANSPORT, WAY OUT TO SEA,

WITH FOUR OTHER LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE,

AND HAVE THESE INCREDIBLY LARGE AND INTELLIGENT

AND CURIOUS ANIMALS

COME UP AND HAVE A GOOD LOOK AT US

IS JUST AN AMAZING ENCOUNTER.

IT'S AN AMAZING RECONFIRMATION OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.

ON MANY LEVELS, IT'S A REALLY, REALLY, COOL TRIP.

THE FRIENDSHIPS YOU MAKE,

IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT THERE ON THE SEA.

YOU GO, LIKE, "COME ON, I NEED YOUR HELP!"

YOU'VE GOT TO REALLY BE AS TAME

IN LAND AND THE WATER

AND JUST BE STRAIGHT-UP HONEST WITH EACH OTHER.

THERE'S NO ROOM FOR ANY BULLSHIT.

IT'S JUST CLEAR AND BASICALLY BEING TRANSPARENT

WITH ALL THINGS-- OUR CAUSE AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO,

WHICH IS SAVE THESE MAJESTIC CREATURES.

JUST THE FEELING OF BEING WITH THEM IN THE WATER,

AND THEY COME NEAR YOU AND YOU'RE ALTERED.

THE SHEER SIZE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL BEING

IS, UM--IT'S JUST MIND-BLOWING.

THEY CHOOSE TO COME TO US,

THOSE LITTLE CRAFTS.

I WAS STANDING UP, JUST HANGING ON TO MY MAST,

BIG SMILES, LOOKING AT THIS CALF

AS IT KIND OF WENT OFF FROM ITS MOTHER

AND KIND OF LOOKED AT ME--

AND THERE WAS ALL OF US HERE--

AND JUST LOOKED STRAIGHT AT ME,

AND THEN JUST WENT UNDER,

AND EVERYONE STARTS YELLING, "WILL!"

I'M, LIKE, "WHAT?!"

IT JUST COMES RIGHT UNDER,

ABOUT THREE FEET UNDER MY BOAT,

AND I JUST WAS, LIKE, "OH, MY GOD."

IT WAS JUST--PHEW!

I MEAN, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.

IT CHOSE TO COME OUR WAY,

AND THERE WAS A REAL CONNECTION.

I JUST--PHEW! ONCE AGAIN, IT'S--

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING THIS FOR,

BUT THE WHOLE TRIP IS THIS.

I GUESS WE'RE ALL SO HIGH

FROM COMING IN EVERY NIGHT.

WE FEEL LIKE WE BECOME BLOOD BROTHERS

EVERY TIME WE HIT THE BEACH AGAIN.

GUYS! GUYS!

All: OHH!

( overlapping chatter and laughter )

RIGHT NOW WE ARE OVER HALFWAY.

WELL AND TRULY OVER HALFWAY,

AND ABOUT 200k OUT FROM SYDNEY.

WE'RE GOING TO THAT SPOT OUT THERE,

WHICH IS CALLED SEAL ROCKS.

JUST A MINOR LITTLE RUN TODAY.

JUST CRUISING.

TO SIT THERE AND BE ABLE TO LOOK AROUND

AND SEE A GROUP OF FRIENDS

WHO ARE ALSO INSPIRED ACTIVISTS, REALLY--

PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY CARING

AND WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE--

TO SEE THEM FLOATING AROUND ME

AND JUST SEEING, ON THE BEACH,

PEOPLE SUPPORTING WHAT WE'RE DOING,

AND TO FEEL THIS SURGE,

FEELS LIKE WE'VE PROGRESSED A LONG WAY SINCE WE STARTED.

I FEEL LIKE I'VE PROGRESSED A LONG WAY.

I CAN COMMUNICATE CLEARER,

AND I CAN STAY COMPOSED MORE IN THE FACE OF, YOU KNOW,

DOLPHIN KILLS OR--

OR POLLUTED OCEANS OR IRATE FISHERMEN

OR BABBLING POLITICIANS, YOU KNOW?

THERE'S PROGRESS.

THERE'S DEFINITE PROGRESS.

*

WE DECIDED TO GO TO JAPAN

TO BASICALLY SHINE A LIGHT ON THE COVE,

TO HELP RIC O'BERRY IN EXPOSING THE ISSUE,

TO JOIN WITH THE OCEAN PRESERVATION SOCIETY

IN DOCUMENTING IT,

AND TO ALSO BRING A PEACEFUL ENERGY TO THAT COVE

WHICH HAS BEEN FILLED WITH VIOLENCE FOR SO LONG.

JAPAN IS A REALLY SENSITIVE PLACE,

AND I FEEL LIKE DIRECT ACTIONS

THAT INVOLVE A VOLATILE SCENARIO

WOULD FREAK OUT THE JAPANESE SURFING CULTURE.

ANY CHANCE OF GETTING THEM INVOLVED WITH THE ISSUE

WOULD BE DESTROYED

BY THE CONFRONTATIONAL NATURE OF DIRECT ACTION.

AT THE SAME TIME, THOUGH, THERE'S A PART OF ME

THAT REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE MEDIA WORKS IS,

THERE'S GOTTA BE DRAMA MOST OF THE TIME

TO GET THAT SPOTLIGHT ON AN ISSUE.

WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO HAVE A LITTLE POWWOW.

SIMPLE AS THAT.

SO, I'M JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH THE RUNDOWN

OF WHAT WE'LL DO WHEN WE'RE DOWN THE COAST,

JUST SO EVERYONE STRAIGHT-UP KNOWS WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT HERE.

THIS IS THE KILLING COVE

AND THE CAPTURE COVE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO THE PLACE WHERE, EVERY YEAR,

THOUSANDS OF DOLPHINS AND SMALL WHALES ARE KILLED.

WE HAVE GOT FRIENDS WHO CARE A LOT

ABOUT THE DOLPHIN AND WHALE ISSUE

WHO ARE HIGH CELEBRITIES.

THEY'RE VERY FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO--

WHO, UM, ATTRACT MEDIA ATTENTION.

IF I WASN'T, UM, WORKING IN THE FIELD THAT I AM,

I WOULD BE DOING THIS REGARDLESS,

AND I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY THE SAME AS DAVE

AND THE MAJORITY OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE AS WELL.

DEFINITELY, LIKE--

WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE REALLY GENUINELY CARE ABOUT THIS.

I HAD NO IDEA OF ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS

THAT WOULD BE HERE,

ALL THE DIFFERENT KIND OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE HERE.

WE HAVE COME AS A COMMUNITY OF SURFERS

AND LOVERS OF THE SEA.

...A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN IT WOULD TAKE...

Narrator: THE PLAN WAS TO PERFORM A TRADITIONAL

SURFER'S PADDLE-OUT CEREMONY

AT THE KILLING COVE IN TAIJI

TO CREATE A RUSH OF MEDIA ATTENTION.

THE PADDLE-OUT CIRCLE IS THE WAY

THAT SURFERS REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE A FELLOW WAVE-RIDER

WHO'S PASSED ON.

SINCE THE COVE WAS TECHNICALLY PUBLIC PROPERTY,

THEY'D BE BREAKING NO LAWS,

AS LONG AS THEY DIDN'T DAMAGE NETS

OR INTERFERE WITH THE FISHERMEN.

IT WAS SORT OF A STANDOFF.

THEY WEREN'T GONNA GO OUT, AND WE WEREN'T GONNA LEAVE.

AND SO WE WENT DOWN THERE TO DO IT ANYWAY.

WELCOME TO TAIJI.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE,

AND IT'S SORT MEDIEVAL AND GOTHIC AND STRANGE

AND KIND OF, LIKE-- LIKE, TIME-WARPED.

WE WERE ALL ON THE BEACH, WE WERE HOLDING SURFBOARDS,

WE HAD FLOWERS, WE HAD GREAT INTENTIONS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

THERE WAS NO FLOOD, THERE WAS NO DOLPHINS.

AND, ALTHOUGH WE REALLY FELT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING,

THE IMPACT OF THE DANGER AND THAT KIND OF THING

WAS QUITE MUTED.

( speaking Japanese )

OKAY. WE CAN TALK MORE OVER THERE?

WE'LL TALK ON CAMERA OVER THERE?

PERFECT, THANK YOU.

NO PROTEST. NOT PROTEST?

CEREMONY. CEREMONY.

PEACEFUL CEREMONY.

HAI, HAI.

LEGAL CEREMONY. HAI, HAI.

WE LEFT THAT DAY KIND OF FEELING

LIKE WE HAD OUR HAT IN OUR HAND.

IT WASN'T, LIKE, A REALLY SUCCESSFUL TRIP.

AND THEN--

WE WERE AT DIFFERENT HOTELS OVER IN OSAKA.

AND I WAS GOING LITERALLY FROM ONE HOTEL TO THE NEXT,

AND I GOT A CALL FROM RIC O'BERRY,

WHO WAS STILL DOWN IN TAIJI AT THE COVE.

HE SAID, "THERE'S DOLPHINS IN THE COVE."

AND I HAD ALREADY SENT MY TEAM OFF TO THE AIRPORT.

I WAS, LIKE, "OH, MAN. WE JUST MISSED IT BY A DAY.

IF WE JUST WOULD'VE HELD ON..."

CHARLES WAS HEARING THIS CONVERSATION,

AND I KNEW RIGHT THEN THAT WAS--

I DIDN'T SAY A WORD, BUT I JUST NODDED,

AND HE JUST GOT ON THE PHONE AND GOT THE TEAM BACK.

AND, LITERALLY, THEY'RE AT THE AIRPORT,

AT THE COUNTER, CHECKING IN,

AND THEY SAID THE BAGS HAD JUST BEEN SET ON THE CONVEYER BELT.

AND CHARLES SAID, "WHERE ARE YOU NOW?"

THEY SAID, "THE BAGS ARE JUST GOING OFF."

HE SAYS, "GET 'EM BACK NOW!"

Rastovich: OUR NEXT GEAR SHIFT HAD OCCURRED,

AND IT WAS, LIKE, OKAY, THE DRIVE WAS HAPPENING.

AND SO WE HAD, LIKE, A WINDOW OF X-AMOUNT OF HOURS

TO GET OUR GROUP TOGETHER

AND GO BACK AND DO ANOTHER PADDLE-OUT.

Woman: SO, WE LITERALLY HAD A MEETING

WITH, LIKE, A TINY CORE CREW,

GOT BACK IN THE VAN AT 1 A.M.,

HAD NO SLEEP,

WITH OUR PASSPORTS AND PLASTIC BAGS

TUCKED DOWN OUR WETSUITS,

YOU KNOW, FULLY EXPECTING TO BE ARRESTED

AND POSSIBLY PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED BY THESE PEOPLE.

Man on radio: JUST MAINTAIN THE MORAL HIGH GROUND.

WE'LL MAYBE GET SOME PAIN AND SOME VIOLENCE

AND NEGATIVITY DIRECTED AT US,

BUT ULTIMATELY, UH, WE ARE PREPARED FOR THAT.

WE'RE JUST PASSING THROUGH, UH,

I GUESS WHAT WOULD COUNT FOR DOWNTOWN FUJIMOTO HERE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S--

IT'S ABOUT A QUARTER AFTER 5:00 IN THE MORNING.

THE TOWN'S STARTING TO WAKE UP.

OH, LOOK, THERE'S A POLICE STATION.

HELLO. GOOD MORNING.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HELICOPTER TEAM--

THESE GUYS WITH REMOTE CONTROL HELICOPTERS.

WE HAVE CHARLES', YOU KNOW, FULL CAMO AND THE BLIND.

UM, WE HAVE THE SURFERS GOING DOWN.

IT WAS JUST, LIKE, THIS MILITARY OPERATION.

HERE YOU GO.

( indistinct chatter )

AND IT WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SCENE THIS TIME.

THERE WERE ROPES EVERYWHERE, CHAINS HERE,

NETS ACROSS THE BAY, BOATS OUT WIDE,

A METALLIC SMELL IN THE AIR

OF ALL THE BLOOD AND MINERALS IN THE WATER.

IT WAS JUST REALLY SURREAL.

IT WAS REALLY, REALLY SURREAL.

AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE GIRLS,

AND THE GIRLS WERE GUNNING IT,

AND I HAD TO KEEP PACE WITH THEM.

IT WAS AMAZING. AND THAT REALLY LIFTED ME UP.

I WAS, LIKE, "WOW, THIS IS RIGHT. WE GOT THE RIGHT CREW HERE."

WHEN WE GOT OUT THERE AND ALL JUST HELD HANDS,

SUDDENLY THE FEAR WENT AWAY,

BUT THE ADRENALINE WAS THERE.

BUT THERE WAS THIS FEELING OF SOLIDARITY.

THERE'S JUST SOMETHING SO UNITED ABOUT WHAT WE DID

AND JUST HOW WE, YOU KNOW-- WE PADDLED OUT TOGETHER.

WE STAYED TOGETHER, WE STUCK TOGETHER.

OUR SURFERS ARE IN THE WATER,

AND THE FISHERMEN ARE SHOWING UP,

AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY ANGRY.

( shouting in Japanese )

THEY WERE JUST SO FULL OF RAGE

THAT WE HAD INTERFERED IN WHAT THEY WERE DOING

THAT, ALL OF A SUDDEN,

ONE OF THEM PICKS UP THIS HUGE, LONG STICK,

JUST COMES IN AND, YOU KNOW,

I JUST FEEL THIS KIND OF SHARP JAB

COMING DOWN MY BACK ONTO MY LEG.

Newscaster: THIS WAS A DRAMATIC

AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING CONFRONTATION

BETWEEN THE YOUNG SURFERS ON THEIR BOARDS

AND THE ANGRY FISHERMEN--

USING THE BOAT'S PROPELLERS TO BLOCK THEIR COURSE,

AND FLAILING BOAT HOOKS

TO PHYSICALLY PREVENT THE SURFERS

FROM REACHING THE POD OF TERRIFIED DOLPHINS.

AT THAT POINT, I ACTUALLY LOOKED INTO THE EYES

OF ONE YOUNG FISHERMAN,

WHICH WAS A REALLY CRUCIAL MOMENT.

AND THERE WAS ONE YOUNG GUY,

AND THERE WAS PLENTY OF SURFERS AROUND THERE.

AND I JUST GOT THIS FEELING THAT HE WAS A SURFER

AND HE KNEW ME THROUGH SURFING MAGAZINES OR WHATEVER.

AND HE JUST WAS LOOKING AT ME, JUST--

HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. I COULD SEE IT IN HIS EYE.

HE WAS, LIKE, "I DON'T UNDERSTAND

"EITHER WHAT I'M DOING

"OR WHAT THESE OLD GUYS ARE DOING,

"OR I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.

WHY ARE YOU IN THE WATER HERE?"

TO ME, THERE WAS SO MUCH IN THAT MOMENT.

IT WAS JUST...

( sighs ) AN UNFORGETTABLE LOOK.

THEY JUST GOT TO A FEVERISH POINT WHERE THEY'D REALIZED

THEY'D BEEN HITTING THESE GIRLS IN THE LEGS WITH THE THING

AND FREAKING OUT,

AND THEY LOOK OVER AND THERE'S CAMERAS

ALL POINTED AT THEM, AND--

OH, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE LOOKING DOWN FROM ABOVE.

AND THEY JUST PUT THE BOAT HOOK BACK IN THE BOAT--

VROOM! BOOM, STRAIGHT OVER TO THE ROCKS.

( indistinct chatter )

( sobbing )

OH. FUCKING HARD TO WALK AWAY.

FUCKING HARD TO WALK AWAY.

( yelling )

HEY!

( overlapping shouts )

YEAH, NICE.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? ( shouting in Japanese )

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

SHE BREAK JAPANESE LAW!

DESPITE INTIMIDATION,

THE SURFERS HAVE ACHIEVED EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED TO.

ARE WE BEING FOLLOWED?

NO. NO.

THIS IS JUST FOR US?

JESUS.

HOLY COW.

THEY'RE REALLY-- THEY'RE BEING VERY COOL.

THEY'RE JUST ASKING A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT EVERYTHING

AND WHAT WE WERE DOING,

AND JUST ALL THE DETAILS AND STUFF,

SO WE'LL BE FINE.

DO I TELL THEM I'M A SURFER?

I THINK I'LL TELL THEM I'M A WOMBAT.

IF THEY ASK ME, I'LL SAY, "I'M A WOMBAT."

( Japanese accent ) "OHH, WOMBAT."

DAVID. HI.

WHAT YOUR JOB?

UH, WOMBAT.

WOMBAT? MM.

WOMBAT.

WOMBAT SURFER.

SURFER? SURFER.

A WOMBAT SURFER.

Narrator: IN THE END,

THEY TOOK EVERYONE'S PASSPORT DETAILS

AND WAVED THE CREW ON.

IT WAS, AS THE POLICE SERGEANT CALLED IT,

"A CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SUBJECT."

A FEW WEEKS AGO, A GROUP OF PROFESSIONAL SURFERS

AND ACTORS AND MUSICIANS ALL JOINED FORCES

TO PROTEST AGAINST WHALING.

IT'S JUST BEEN ISSUED IN JAPAN

THAT WE ARE UP FOR ARREST IN JAPAN

FOR DOING WHAT WE DID LAST WEEK.

SO THEY HAVE ISSUED-- HA HA--

ARREST WARRANTS, UM, SAYING THAT THE SIX OF US

THAT WENT INTO THE WATER DURING THE KILL

WERE VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE.

ONCE WE LEFT, WE REALIZED THAT OUR ACTIONS

HAD NOT ONLY AFFECTED THE FISHERMEN AND OURSELVES,

BUT THE SURFING COMMUNITY THERE WAS BEING PRESSURED.

THERE'D BEEN A COMPLETE BLACKBALLING

OF ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME,

AND ANYONE WHO HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME

WAS SIDELINED AS WELL.

SO IT WAS PRETTY SCARY

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED WITH US IN JAPAN

TO BE THERE,

'CAUSE THE FISHING INDUSTRY'S GOT SOME DARK CORNERS,

SOME DARK PEOPLE.

ANYONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT THIS, I FEEL, COULDN'T--

WOULDN'T NOT BE MOTIVATED TO DO SOMETHING.

ONCE YOU KNOW,

YOU WOULD BE SACRIFICING IF YOU WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING.

IT WILL ALWAYS DRIVE US.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING I'LL EVER BE ABLE TO FORGET.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE A RESPONSIBILITY

I ALWAYS WANT TO HAVE.

WHEN DAVE BECOMES FOCUSED ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS TO DO,

EVERYTHING ELSE TENDS TO DISAPPEAR QUITE SUBSTANTIALLY,

AND THAT'S HOW HE MAKES GREAT THINGS HAPPEN,

AND HE HAS AN INCREDIBLE WAY OF MANIFESTING.

BEING HIS PARTNER THROUGHOUT ALL OF THAT EXPERIENCE--

IT WAS, LIKE, I GOT SUCKED UP BY THAT ENERGY,

SUPPORTED IT WITH ALL MY HEART,

BUT OUR RELATIONSHIP DEFINITELY TOOK A BACK SEAT

TO THE MUTUAL PASSION THAT WE HAD FOR THIS JOURNEY.

YOU JUST GET CONSUMED.

LIKE, THIS HAS BEEN PROBABLY A TWO-YEAR PERIOD OF MY LIFE,

WHICH IS NOTHING. IT'S TWO YEARS, YOU KNOW?

CAPTAIN PAUL HAS 30 YEARS,

RIC O'BERRY EVEN MORE.

BUT FOR ME, JUST TWO YEARS,

AND THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT HAVE JUST FALLEN AWAY IN MY LIFE

BECAUSE OF BEING SO FOCUSED ON THIS STUFF.

IT'S, LIKE, "OOH, SORRY, LOVE.

I CAN'T REALLY GIVE YOU AS MUCH ATTENTION AS YOU NEED."

"OOH, SORRY, FAMILY. I JUST CAN'T SEE YOU FOR A WHILE.

"I'VE GOT TO GO DO THIS STUFF.

"THERE'S TOO MANY THINGS LINING UP FOR ME TO GO AND DO THIS.

I HAVE TO DO THIS."

*

* INNOCENT BYSTANDER NO MORE... *

I DON'T FEEL SUCCESSFUL OVERALL

WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING,

BECAUSE THERE'S STILL DOLPHINS AND WHALES BEING KILLED.

WHEN THAT STOPS,

I'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A HUGE BEER,

A GOOD SIT-DOWN WITH MY MATES,

AND BE, LIKE, "WOW. THIS FEELS GOOD.

I HOPE THIS CAN CONTINUE."

RIGHT NOW, I SIT DOWN AND GO...

( sighs )

"THIS DOESN'T FEEL GOOD.

THIS IS STILL HAPPENING."

THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT ONE PERSON CAN DO, YOU KNOW?

AND DAVE-- I'VE SEEN IT--

CAN MAKE HIS-- DEPLETE HIS BATTERIES

TO ABSOLUTE, YOU KNOW-- DONE, LIGHTS OUT FOR A WHILE.

"YOU KNOW, I REALLY NEED TO UNPLUG."

AND THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH HE CAN DO.

AND THAT'S WHERE US, AS THE GLOBAL COLLECTIVE

OF SURFERS AND HUMAN BEINGS

AND, YOU KNOW, GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD

CAN REALLY STEP IN AND AID IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS, YOU KNOW?

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT DAVE. IT'S ABOUT EVERYONE.

* A CHOICE IS A VOICE, AND A VOICE CAN BE HEARD *

* HEARD, HEARD

* MM-MM-MM, SAY HEARD... *

Narrator: IN NOVEMBER, AFTER A 36-DAY,

700-KILOMETER JOURNEY,

THE LINE-UP AT BONDI BEACH IN SYDNEY

FILLED WITH SURFERS, FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS,

WELCOMING DAVE AND THE CREW TO THE BEACH.

THE TRANSPARENTSEA VOYAGE WAS COMPLETE

AND THE MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

BUT THE TIME SPENT REFLECTING AND RECHARGING

WOULD PROVE INVALUABLE TO THE OVERALL PURSUIT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT.

AND WE ARE A VOICE FOR THE SURFING COMMUNITY ALL OVER THE WORLD

THAT FEELS THE SAME WAY.

WE ALL FEEL THAT THE DOLPHIN AND THE WHALE

ARE OUR REPRESENTATIVES.

THEY'RE OUR ULTIMATE SURFING INSPIRATION,

AND WE WANT TO BE A CUSTODIAN FOR OUR LAND, OUR COASTLINES,

AND WE ALSO WANT TO BE CARETAKERS

FOR THOSE WHALES AND DOLPHINS.

AND OUR VOICE IS ONE VOICE,

AND IT'S THE SAME ALL OVER THE WORLD.

SO, WE WANT TO SAY, ON BEHALF OF THE SURFING COMMUNITY,

THAT WE'RE THERE TO BE THE CARETAKERS OF OUR COASTLINES

AND THE DEFENDERS OF DOLPHINS AND WHALES.

SO, THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH FOR COMING.

( cheering )

* CIRCLE OF HEARTS

* AND LINES IN THE WATER

* BROTHER, SISTER

* SONS AND DAUGHTERS

* COME TOGETHER

* TO HONOR THE OCEANS

* GIVE OUR RESPECTS

* AND OFFER THESE FLOWERS

* BRING THEM THE DAWN

* FROM DARKEST HOURS

* SHINE THE LIGHT

* ON THE COLORS OF THESE WATERS *

* NOW IS THE TIME TO KNOW

* THE MINDS IN THE WATER

* NOW IS THE TIME TO HEAR

* THE SONGS OF THE SEA

* YES, I BELIEVE

* THAT ALL LIFE IS EQUAL

* ALL THAT EXISTS

* IS NOT JUST FOR PEOPLE

* SO WE STAND AND DEFEND

* AS OUR PLANET'S KEEPERS

YEAH, I'M AROUND THEM ALL THE TIME. I LOVE THEM.

THEY'RE SMART, BEAUTIFUL, AWESOME,

INCREDIBLE, MYSTIFYING CREATURES.

LIFE BEGAN IN THE SEA.

THAT'S WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED ORIGINALLY.

AND, UH--AND THE DOLPHINS AND THE WHALES, I THINK,

ARE RIGHT UP THERE AT THE TOP OF THE CHAIN.

THEY TRAVEL THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF MILES.

THEY NEED PROPER MIGRATORY PLACES WHERE THEY CAN GO.

IF THEY'RE NOT AROUND, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE AROUND.

SO, EVEN IF YOU DON'T CARE AT ALL ABOUT WHALES AND DOLPHINS

AND YOU CARE ONLY ABOUT YOURSELF,

KNOW THAT IF THESE GUYS START DISAPPEARING FROM THE PLANET,

IT'S ONLY A FINITE TIME BEFORE WE'RE NEXT.

I GUESS ANYONE WHO HAS ACCESS TO ANY MEDIA,

IT'S GOOD TO USE IT FOR SOMETHING

OTHER THAN JUST PROMOTING YOUR LATEST LAME MOVIE.

AND IF THEY CAN USE IT TO PROMOTE CAUSES

THAT HELP, UH--

HELP SAVE REALLY, REALLY INTELLIGENT CREATURES

FROM BEING DECIMATED BY REALLY, REALLY HORRIBLE COUNTRIES,

THEN, UH--

IT IS FOR US, AS GOOD STEWARDS,

TO CLEAN UP THE ENVIRONMENT,

TO SAVE THE ENDANGERED SPECIES,

AND TO GIVE FUTURE GENERATIONS

WHAT WE HAD WHEN WE STARTED.

* YEAH, YEAH

* THE TIME HAS COME

* THE TIME HAS COME

* RISE, THE TIME HAS COME

* THE TIME HAS COME

* THE TIME HAS COME

( dolphins squeaking )