Greenpeace expedition to the Southern Ocean to stop Japan's annual 'scientific' whale hunt. This year the Fisheries Agency of Japan has more than doubled its planned catch of minke whales to 935 and added 10 endangered fin whales which are the second largest creatures on earth after blue whales. Greenpeace ships MY Esperanza (MYE) and MY Arctic Sunrise (MYAS) carry seventy crew and campaigners from 19 countries to defend the whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary as part of Greenpeace's campaign 'Defending our Oceans'. Tape features whaling fleet departure ceremony; expedition preparations & launch from Cape Town; transit to Southern Ocean; first sighting of spotter ship; whaling fleet in operation; first contact between whaling fleet factory ship 'Nisshin Maru' (NM) & MYE; actions against whaling fleet; gruesome whale kills; transfer of whale meat from NM to Oriental Bluebird (OB); painting action against NM & OB; NM collision with MYAS; harpoon fired directly over heads of activists in inflatable boat causing activist to be knocked into sea; human banner on ice shelf; MYAS & MYE sailing through icy Southern Ocean and scenic & wildlife footage from Southern Ocean.