Once, Antarctica’s icy shores were littered with the bones of slaughtered whales. On Deception Island, the rusting ruins of old whaling stations still stand—silent witnesses to an era when oil from whale blubber was stored in massive tanks, and entire species were nearly lost to greed.
The latest from Operation Antarctic Defense
Today, that violence has shifted form. The ships no longer drag whales ashore—but they are back, and this time, they’re here for the krill.
Instead of harpoons, they use vacuum hoses. Instead of beaches, they operate from floating factories. The industrial fleet now encircling Antarctica runs around the clock, pumping the sea dry of its most essential building block—krill. These tiny crustaceans are the foundation of life in the Southern Ocean, feeding whales, penguins, seals, and fish. Take the krill, and you starve the entire food web.
The new deception is harder to see. These vessels refuel at sea, offload their cargo to other ships, and stay in place—perpetually operating, hidden at the bottom of the world. The devastation is sanitized, repackaged, and sold as wellness: krill oil capsules, fish feed, pet food.
This isn’t nutrition—it’s extraction. A quiet, calculated erasure of balance in one of Earth’s last wild frontiers.
Sea Shepherd is on the water right now, shining a light into the dark corners of this industrial onslaught. Our crew documents every operation they can get close to. We bring proof to the surface—and we press for change.
But we need your help.
- 👉 Take action: Send a message to the companies selling these products. Demand they drop krill from their supply chain. Visit SaveKrill.com
- 👉 Choose better: A plant-based alternative to krill oil exists. Support Seavoir, the omega-3 that protects Antarctica’s future. Visit Seavoir.com
- 👉 Power the fight: Sea Shepherd is donor-supported. Every dollar keeps our ships at sea and the truth exposed. Donate now
The whalers may be gone, but the plunder continues—dressed up in modern packaging, carried out on factory floors that float. It’s time to stop pretending this is sustainable. It’s time to Stop the Plunder.
