He Took On Japan's Whalers - It Almost Cost Him Everything
- Aug 15, 2026
- 0:50
- Short
Pete Bethune is a Kiwi who's lived one of the craziest lives you've ever heard of - and he's not done yet.
He holds the world record for circling the globe in a powerboat, running the whole way on waste cooking oil. He then painted that boat black and took it to Antarctica to stop Japanese whaling with Sea Shepherd, where a security vessel ran it down and cut the bow clean off.
What he did next put him in a Tokyo prison for five months and saw him receive countless death threats.
He's also been bitten by the second most venomous snake in the world - and that's just the start.
Stoked to share this one with you all - watch or listen to the full podcast now wherever you get your podcasts.
Brief Summary
The episode critiques New Zealand's inaction on Japanese whaling and discusses environmental activism against powerful industries.
Key points
- John Key and Japanese Whaling. John Key faced backlash for New Zealand's inaction against Japanese whaling.





