NZ's Wildest Conservation Activist: Jailed in Japan, Rammed in Antarctica, Bitten in The Jungle

Pete Bethune from Hamilton is one of the most unique and intriguing guests I’ve ever had on this podcast. He’s worked on oil rigs, been bitten by one of the worlds most deadly snakes, flown on the Concorde, spent $3 million building one of the coolest boats ever made and holds the world record for taking it round the world in the fastest time.

He then took that same boat to Antarctica to protest Japanese whaling and had it rammed in half by a huge security vessel. Then he ended up spending five months in a Japanese maximum-security prison. And this is just the very small tip of a very large iceberg!

Pete talks about the decisions he’s proud of - and the one decision that still hurts. He speaks honestly about prison, PTSD, losing everything, and why he still lives with the goal of making the world a slightly better because he was in it. ****

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CHAPTERS 00:00 Preview 00:54 Sponsor 01:23 Pete Bethune joins the podcast 02:46 Fighting poachers and illegal miners in Costa Rica 04:54 Pete’s extraordinary life and appetite for risk 10:08 The snake bite that nearly killed him 12:21 Fatherhood, sacrifice and making his daughters proud 15:42 Becoming “the most hated man in Japan” 20:49 A wild childhood in Hamilton 27:05 Air Force rejection, university and finding his path 31:24 Hard work, problem-solving and raising resilient kids 36:21 Earning huge money—and walking away from it 40:05 High-stakes adventures in the oil industry 54:55 The idea that became Earthrace 57:05 Building the world’s coolest boat 01:05:36 Breaking the round-the-world record 01:09:09 The best and worst days aboard Earthrace 01:15:35 The true meaning—and cost—of the world record 01:19:24 Redefining success, purpose and wealth 01:24:55 Joining Sea Shepherd and taking on Japanese whaling 01:35:00 The collision that destroyed the Ady Gil 01:36:56 Pete’s biggest regret 01:41:35 Boarding a Japanese security ship 01:42:53 Becoming a prisoner in Japan 01:49:13 Inside Japan’s highest-security prison 02:07:50 What five months in isolation taught him 02:12:19 Rebuilding his life after prison 02:13:45 Moving from ocean activism to wildlife conservation 02:16:47 Is Pete finally ready to slow down? 02:19:13 Reflecting on an extraordinary life 02:21:32 Why Pete keeps a low profile today 02:24:09 Part Two and final thoughts