Documentary viewers on the environmental watch cannot forget Paul Watson, an eco-activist of nearly mythic vigilante proportions. His Sea Shepherd Conservation Society broke from the staid practices of Greenpeace and engaged whalers, fish poachers, and Canada baby-seal clubbers with confrontation and sabotage. Watson's bigger-than-life heroics provided filmmakers with dramatic, oft-harrowing material in nonfiction features Pirate for the Sea (2008), At the Edge of the World (2008) and Watson (2019), plus numerous Animal Planet showcases.
Laurent Lutaud's French TV documentary Guardians of the Sea brings viewers up to date on the Sea Shepherd NGO — and know up front that Watson never appears, after a break from Sea Shepherd and its philanthropic benefactors in 2022. There is no airing of dirty laundry here, though even the (English-speaking) narrator admits the current mission of Sea Shepherd is far less spectacular than in the Watson era.
Behold sunny ride-alongs on the ship Sea Eagle, cruising the Mediterranean, a body of water declared much overfished and poached. This time the Sea Shepherd Foundation works in cooperation with local authorities (who are generously assumed to be not corrupt), monitoring suspicious vessels and alerting patrol boats for unlawful activities. The routine includes exposing the harvest of endangered species, saving sea turtles from suffocating plastic garbage, or locating insidious "drift net" and "FAD" (fish aggregate device) traps.
At times it can get monotonous, one crew member says, as they haul up and destroy hundreds of nets. When Sea Eagle personnel pretend to be tourists taking snapshots to get evidence against poachers, that is largely as mischievous as it gets. A few cornered fishermen plead they are trying to feed their families; the heroes are unmoved.
The international crew affirmed that they were drawn to the Sea Shepherd group because of its reputation for "direct action" and making a difference. Nonetheless, this nice bunch of activists is mild stuff compared to past footage of Watson and his disciples charging straight at monstrous whaler harpoons. It is just not the same without the angry old man of the sea.
Note that the title may be confused with another documentary on environmentalists on the waves, Dead Sea Guardians (2022)
What public library shelves would this title be on?
Environmentalism, science, and even broad-minded fishing/outdoors shelves could provide a safe harbor for Guardians of the Sea. Mediterranean Travel is another possible inlet.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
Classes in conservation, sustainability, and public policy, plus science (especially "conservation biology") and a general run of Earth-science-cum-activism might throw a line to this one. Current affairs classes (especially those following Paul Watson's tumultuous career) might also be baited.
What type of classroom would this documentary resource be suitable for?
The hour-ish run time is ideal for several classroom bookings at the high-school level on up and there is much less of the graphic hunting and bloody animal cruelty that was shown in older Sea Shepherd chronicles.