logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
44m 15s

Operation Asshole: Paul Watson's whale w...

The Observer
About this episode

Out on the high seas, Paul Watson became a hero and pariah of the environmental movement. Now he sits in a remote prison. How should we treat the radicals willing to go to extremes to protect the planet?


Reported by: Basia Cummings and Xavier Greenwood

Produced by: Xavier Greenwood

Sound design by: Hannah Varrall and Dominic Delargy

Edited by: Gary Marshall and Matt Russell

Podcast artwork by: Jon Hill


Image credit: Mirco Taliercio/laif/ Camera Press


To find out more about Tortoise:


Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content


Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Oct 6
Gaza's Deadly Aid
Since May, almost 900 Palestinians are reported to have been killed in the vicinity of aid checkpoints. So what exactly has happened at these aid sites?Reporter: Ruth MichaelsonProducer: Madeleine ParrArtwork: Jon Jones & Lola WilliamsSound design: Dominic DelargyEditors: Jasper ... Show More
39m 16s
Sep 30
An uncivil war inside Unite
Unite was once the biggest trade union in Britain, and the largest funder of the Labour Party. In the past its reputation has come under scrutiny. Four years after its first female leader was elected on a promise of restoring trust… it remains mired by in-fighting.Reporter: Jon U ... Show More
31m 58s
Sep 25
Introducing ... We Have Notes
The week in culture, annotated. Writer and journalist Liv Little and Observer critic Miranda Sawyer get notes from editors all the time - now it’s their turn to hand them out. Every Wednesday morning, Liv and Miranda weigh in on the latest cultural happenings, from reality TV mel ... Show More
4m 41s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
The Seagull | Dangerous Memories Ep 2
Fipsi starts to question what really happened in the soft pink room, and how to help her friends who are still on their journeys with Anne Craig. But for one of them it’s already too late, as she makes a series of life altering decisions. This is episode 2 of 6 of Dangerous Memor ... Show More
43m 45s
Sep 2023
Sliding doors
Kirat is a successful marketer and radio presenter. Online, she’s contacted by a man she vaguely knows called Bobby, and they start chatting. Slowly, they become close… and she’s reeled in to a scam of epic proportions.All 6 episodes are available to listen now.To get exclusive a ... Show More
31m 2s
Oct 2024
Amber | Elon's Spies Ep3
To his surprise, Alexi finds himself speaking to a local reporter at the Gold Coast Bulletin in Australia. It’s not where he thought the story would take him but it reveals a new case involving Elon and his spies. You can find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - f ... Show More
40m 34s
Jun 2024
The other Gas Man | The Gas Man Ep 4
Chloe makes a startling discovery about another chemical trafficker that has consequences for her investigation. A Kurdish survivor of mustard gas shares her story. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists ... Show More
46m 41s
Oct 2024
Pedo guy | Elon's Spies Ep1
In 2018, Vernon Unsworth is at the centre of a global news story. He plays a crucial role in rescuing a young football team who became trapped in a flooded cave system. Overnight, he is a hero. But there’s a darker side of his story that’s less well known. That’s where Elon Musk ... Show More
38m 49s
Jul 2024
That amazing healer lady | Dangerous Memories Ep 1
A group of well-heeled young English women hear about an intriguing therapist figure, who describes herself as a ‘teacher of personal development’. One by one they start to visit her for sessions and, for some, it will lead to disastrous consequences.  This is episode 1 of 6 of D ... Show More
38m 58s
Jul 2024
The bath | Ep 1
Neil Gaiman is one of the world’s most successful authors. And one of the most loved. His works have been adapted for film, TV and the stage. Now two women, a former nanny and a fan, allege he sexually assaulted and abused them while they were in consensual relationships with him ... Show More
56m 17s
Oct 2024
Introducing ...Elon's Spies
Introducing...Elon's SpiesElon Musk is one of the most powerful men in the world. He's a billionaire, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla and more. To his followers, he's a hero; to his critics, a far-right rabble rouser. But for someone so public, there’s one part of his life that’s le ... Show More
40m 45s
Nov 2024
The world’s loneliest penguin
An emperor penguin has turned up on a surfers beach in southwestern Australia, more than 2000 miles away from its natural habitat in the Antarctic. How did it end up so far off course?  Writer and producer: Claudia WilliamsEpisode photography: Jon JonesExecutive producer: Rebecca ... Show More
8 m
Sep 18
Ian McEwan on Speculative Fiction, Lost Poems and What We Can Know
Ian McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of nineteen novels and two short story collections. His novels include Atonement, Enduring Love, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach, and he is the recipient of many awards including the Booker Prize, the Somerset Maugham Award and t ... Show More
42 m