This is one of those shows that I watch for background noise from time to time, though never for long. The cinematography of the Southern Ocean is really beautiful, and one reason to watch.
The characters, though, annoy the hell out of me, especially the grandstanding captain and his closest sycophants. I also think they're wasting their time; attack whaling by persuading the Japanese to eat less of them, rather than burning gas chasing goddamned ships around the South Pole. Not to mention that--as much as I love whales--it annoys me that they get the kind of sympathy unshared by sharks, bluefin tuna, krill, Atlantic cod, hoki, and just about any other oceanic critter that's been pissed on by humanity.