Sea Shepherd was founded in 1977 with the mission to protect and conserve all marine wildlife. From its inception 44 years, as a small organization with one boat, Sea Shepherd has grown to become a global movement of thousands of passionate and courageous volunteers working on the decks of ten ships operating all around the planet. The message over the last four decades has been consistent and transparent: to expose, intercept, and oppose illegal operations that damage and destroy marine wildlife and habitats.