Contrary to this article, I’m not hiding—I’m signing this. I’m Elven Villecourt. I’ve been on campaign with Sea Shepherd and witnessed firsthand some of the events that may have led Paul Watson to leave so abruptly.

I saw the corruption, including deals made with the Mexican government in exchange for their silence. I saw how the organisation shifted to softer actions to avoid potential conflicts. I also witnessed an Israeli security team on board—paid obscene amounts—who later returned to participate in operations against Palestinians.

I’ve also seen Sea Shepherd UK’s own documentary, produced entirely by the UK team, attacked by lawyers—despite all the rights being held in the UK. Their UK YouTube channel was taken down, even though they owned the footage. Sea Shepherd has spent staggering amounts on lawyers to suppress internal dissent.

The truth isn’t black or white—it’s grey. But make no mistake: Sea Shepherd is not as clean as it claims. Believe me.