Ep 4. Into the Belly of the Beast

In the fourth episode of Whale Wars season 5, entitled "Into the Belly of the Beast," the Sea Shepherd crew continues their pursuit of the illegal Japanese whaling fleet. With the Steve Irwin now in hot pursuit of the Nisshin Maru, the fleet's mother ship, the crew must navigate the dangerous waters of the Southern Ocean to get as close as they can without breaching international maritime laws.

As they approach the Nisshin Maru, tensions on board the Steve Irwin continue to rise. The crew is determined to do whatever it takes to stop the whaling operations and save as many whales as possible. However, the Nisshin Maru is heavily armed and equipped with high-pressure water cannons that can cause serious damage to the smaller, less equipped Sea Shepherd vessels.

As the Sea Shepherd crew gets closer to the whaling ship, they realize that they're taking a huge risk. The Nisshin Maru is a massive vessel, and boarding it would be an incredibly dangerous and difficult task. The crew must come up with a plan that will allow them to get onto the ship undetected and without being harmed by the whalers.

Meanwhile, tensions are also running high on the Bob Barker, which is still following the harpoon ships. The crew is growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of action and are determined to do something to disrupt the whaling operations. They come up with a plan to launch a small boat to create a wake that will rock the harpoon ships and make it difficult for them to shoot whales.

Back on the Steve Irwin, the crew prepares to launch a small boat to try to get closer to the Nisshin Maru. The plan is risky, but they know that they need to do everything they can to save the lives of the whales. They manage to get onto the whaling ship undetected, and what they discover is horrifying.

As the crew of the Steve Irwin explores the Nisshin Maru, they witness firsthand the brutal and inhumane methods that the whalers use to kill the whales. They see the huge steel harpoons that are fired into the whales' bodies, the way that the whales are winched onto the ship, and the grim task of processing the whale meat.

As the Sea Shepherd crew gets a closer look at the whaling operations, they realize just how big of a challenge they're up against. The Nisshin Maru is a huge, well-equipped ship, and the whalers are determined to do whatever it takes to keep killing whales. The crew knows that they need to act fast if they're going to make a difference.

In the end, the Sea Shepherd crew manages to extract itself from the Nisshin Maru undetected. But the experience has left them more determined than ever to stop the whalers and save the lives of as many whales as possible. As they continue to pursue the Japanese whaling fleet, they know that every moment counts and that they need to act quickly if they're going to make a difference.