With tons of debris and toxic degrading plastic bags masquerading as fish in the ocean, whales have enough to worry about without being hunted. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is dedicated to addressing that problem — for years, the whale preservationist group has engaged in an increasingly publicized (and even televised) David versus Goliath fight against the massive Japanese whaling industry. The whaling armada recently introduced the devastating LRAD noise device to their arsenal of nonlethal weaponry. Now, Ecorazzi reports, Sea Shepherd is upping the ante by investing in the “octocopter,” a state-of-the-art robotic flying camera that could be used to keep a much closer eye on whaling ships.
According to news reports, the firm behind the “Octocopter” is readying a future demonstration of their technology for U.S. representatives of the anti-whaling organization. From the article: “Developed over two years, the machine features state-of-the art electronic GPS wizardry and video and still cameras. The ‘octocopter’ – so called because of its eight propellers – is ‘flown’ like a helicopter and can be kept in the air for up to 30 minutes before batteries have to be recharged.”
Excessive whaling is as illegal for Japanese ships as for anyone else in the world, but ships like the Nisshin Maru have been able to skirt the rules under the guise of “research sampling.” An extra pair (or eight) of eyes in the sky courtesy of Sea Shepherd, however, could seriously aid in monitoring illegal on-deck activities–and, perhaps, prove a crushing blow to the whaling industry.
