Founded in 1977 by Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd is an international, nonprofit organization that to date has dedicated their time and efforts to protecting marine wildlife in over 20 countries worldwide.

Their mission is twofold in that they are committed to ending both the destruction of habitats and the slaughter of animals. In their efforts, they strive to protect and preserve ecosystems and species alike. More specifically, they achieve this through applying innovative direct action tactics to identify, document and, if necessary, detect and counteract illegal activity. By protecting the biodiversity of delicate marine life and ecosystems, Sea Shepherd is helping to preserve them both for future generations.

United by a common mission, nonprofit Sea Shepherd Global was founded in Amsterdam in 2013 and is the primary coordinator for finances, communications, logistics, and a five ship fleet that Sea Shepherd utilizes to lead their marine conservation campaigns. Today, Sea Shepherd Global is managed by Captain Alex Cornelissen as "Stichting Sea Shepherd Global" ("Stichting": Dutch for "Foundation").

*Sea Shepherd Global is financially and legally independent from the US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS).