In its quest to combat illegal whaling and fishing, whaling pirate ship the Sea Shepherd may be purchasing the “Octocopter,” which are  robotically-controlled flying cameras.

Simon Jardine, who developed the Octocopter, is in discussions with a Sea Shepherd representative and is planning to give a demonstration of the robo-camera’s capabilities in the near future. Named for its eight propellers,  the Octocopter was developed over two years and features GPS as well as video and still cameras.

The Octocopter could prove an invaluable in preventing whaling by filming illegal fishing vessels doing dirty work.