In a cramped laboratory, a biologist with the Institute of Cetacean Research prepares plugs taken from whales' ears for age analysis. Scientists study their reproductive habits and food sources, along with the mercury levels in their tissue.
And then, of course, there's the guy who studies the best way to kill them.
For nearly two decades, with commercial whaling having receded dramatically under a global ban, a half-dozen Japanese vessels have sailed off to the waters of Antarctica and the Northwestern Pacific each year to hunt, kill and bring home samples of whales for an ongoing research program -- along with tons of meat for sale.