SHOP | SUPPORT | VOLUNTEER

Every Dollar Matched Until June 8th.

Dear John,

In the past month, Sea Shepherd has ventured to the end of the earth — to Antarctic waters so remote, they have become a playground for industrial plunder. Factory trawlers operate relentlessly here, with fuel and catch ferried by transport ships so their nets can remain in the water for months without pause. No time for recovery. No time for life to return. This is habitat destruction in the shadows — and Sea Shepherd operates the only vessels dedicated to exposing it. Even as a conservation ship, the law restricts our vessel from encroaching on wildlife — restrictions that do not apply to the industrial fleets ravaging these waters unchecked.

In the Sea of Cortez, Sea Shepherd crews have triggered law enforcement operations targeting the deadly totoaba trade. Nets intended for totoaba — often abandoned or lost — kill nearly every animal they encounter and have been the driving force behind the near extinction of the critically endangered Vaquita porpoise. But there is hope: Sea Shepherd now operates two Sentry-class ship in the region. Working closely with the Mexican government, we have built a model that works — reducing illegal fishing by 95% within the protected area, retrieving deadly nets, and saving countless animals in the process. Just this month, Sea Shepherd co-led a Sea Lion rescue effort, resulting in 20 sea lions being cut free from entanglement.

Since our last update, a new campaign is fully underway. The vessel Sharkwater is now deployed at Scorpion Reef, off the Yucatán Peninsula. Lessons learned in the fight to save the Vaquita porpoise are being applied here to defend one of the largest reef systems in the Western Hemisphere — a reef under siege by illegal fishing. Sea Shepherd’s ships now carry not only our crews, but crews from Mexican agencies CONANP, SEMAR, CONAPESCA and PROFEPA, partnering directly with the government. Just yesterday, our presence sent poachers fleeing the area.

Lastly, your voice helped send a powerful message last month. Public comments opposing NOAA’s proposed issuance of a whaling permit to the Makah Tribe have now topped 1,200 — showing that opposition to whaling in U.S. waters runs deep. Sea Shepherd supporters fueled a significant share of that momentum. We respect the Makah people and their cultural heritage, but we stand firm: honoring whales means keeping them alive, not killing them. The final decision has yet to be made — learn more and submit your comment before May 5th.

The work is happening now — nets are being pulled, wildlife rescued, illegal operations exposed. Your donation powers the ships, the crews, and the action on the water.

Every gift made before World Oceans Day, June 8, will be matched — doubling your impact when it’s needed most.

Stand with us. Keep the fight moving forward.

Thank you.

The Sea Shepherd Crews