According to the whalers' story: engine room oiler Hajime Shirasaki was reported missing early Monday. During rescue efforts, whalers claim that the Sea Shepherds vessel took advantage of distress signals to approach the ship with their lights off -- with the goal of ostensibly disrupting whatever the whalers were up to. It just so happened that they were trying to rescue a crew member, who is now believed to have drowned.

As the Sea Shepherds tell it, they approach the vessel with their lights on, offering to assist the whalers with their search. According to Captain Paul Watson, the Japanese replied "that they did not want any assistance from an eco-terrorist organization."

What really went on -- aside from the tragic death of a sailor? Just like with the magic bullet in last year's expedition, I guess we'll probably never know. Although I thought that there might be a TV crew filming the whole thing for Animal Planet. With the news about all of the pirates, and now this. It seems that the high seas are the new wild west.