The Japanese are at it again, this time they intend to kill 1000 whales, included endangered Humpbacks. What Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherd needs is hydraulic cable cutters, to quickly and cleanly snip the harpoon cable once it's been fired. Unfortunately this may not save the whale that has just been speared, but it's friends may escape while the hunters repair the damage and replace the lost harpoon.
-- simonj, Nov 19 2007

That whale is mine That_20whale_20is_20mine
[simonj, Nov 21 2007]

I think that, if you could shadow the whalers, you should be able to scare off the whales to safety. I have no idea how you scare off a whale (especially if the presence of a huge whaling boat alone doesn't do the trick), but there must be a way.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 21 2007


The problem is that the whales have to come up for air at some stage, and that's when they get harpooned.
-- simonj, Nov 21 2007


True, but you'd think they could be persuaded to not come up for air right next to a whaling ship.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 21 2007


Ha. If only we had Spock circa Star Trek IV.
-- simonj, Nov 21 2007


I was hoping this was a way to try to improve the performance of the NBA team of the same name, though I doubted its effectiveness.

Any idea to help Sports Illustrated's "worst sports franchise of all time" deserves some attention...
-- globaltourniquet, Nov 22 2007


Maybe we could alert whales to hunters by secreting outfitting rogue ships with an underwater whistle--like the deer whistles you put on cars.
-- Monty6, Nov 22 2007


Hydraulic cable cutters are very very widely known to exist I'm afraid.
-- vincevincevince, Nov 22 2007


Yes, which is why I am employing them to cut harpoon cables.
-- simonj, Nov 22 2007


My concern is that using hydraulic cable cutters to cut cables is not really a new idea?
-- vincevincevince, Nov 22 2007


But if we utilised fairy dust for the cutting I fear this idea would be deleted for using Magic, best stick with the cable cutters.
-- simonj, Nov 22 2007


//The problem is that the whales have to come up for air at some stage, and that's when they get harpooned.//

Is that because they get spotted when they come up, or because the harpoon doesn't have to travel through so much water before striking the whale, rendering it more effective near the surface, or both?

I have an idea brewing but need help first...
-- theleopard, Nov 22 2007


[simonj] You could use Batman's flying logo-shaped thingy. Perhaps shaping it like a manta ray would be more appropriate though.
-- marklar, Nov 22 2007


[theleopard] I think it's because that's when they can be seen. I'm no expert on killing whales though.
-- simonj, Nov 22 2007



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