The three Sea Shepherd Ships, Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, and Gojira are ready to head to the Southern Ocean – the only thing missing down there are the whalers!
Has the Japanese Whaling Fleet Surrendered? - Could the whale wars be over? Things are looking very good in that direction! It is December 1st, but the Japanese whaling fleet remains in port. If the fleet left today they would not begin whaling until January, and this delay will certainly see no whales killed during the month of December. ... [read more]
Update January 06 2010:
Japanese Antarctic Whaling Fleet Declares War On Sea Shepherd, Rams/Sinks Ady Gil
"According to a reported statement by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a Japanese vessel alongside the Nisshin Maru whaler slammed into the activists' high-tech speed boat, the Ady Gil, slicing off a piece of it. Reports said the boat is unsalvageable. The six member crew (five from New Zealand and one from the Netherlands) were rescued by another Society Vessel (the Bob Barker), reports said." [In Full]
"The 1,200-ton Norwegian built Antarctic harpoon vessel caught up with the Japanese whaling fleet at 0300 Hours on Wednesday, January 6th, in the area of Commonwealth Bay off the Adelie Coast at 143 Degrees 17 Minutes East and 66 Degrees 43 Minutes South. The Norwegian flag cracked in the chill Antarctic air as the silhouette of the whaler gave every indication that the ship was sent to support the Japanese whalers.
The Japanese could be forgiven for thinking that the pro-whaling Norwegians had sent a ship to support their illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
But any excitement turned to disappointment quickly as the Norwegian flag was hauled down and the black and white skull with crossed Trident and Shepherd’s crook was raised to announce the arrival of the Bob Barker, the latest ship acquired for the Sea Shepherd ocean defense fleet.
Thanks to a $5,000,000 contribution from American television personality and icon Bob Barker, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was able to quietly purchase and refit the former Norwegian whaler in Africa. The ice strengthened fast chaser boat quietly departed from Mauritius on December 18th to join up with the Sea Shepherd ships Steve Irwin and Ady Gil in the Southern Ocean.
Barker has also funded the cost of a helicopter that will accompany the society’s ships. The aircraft is named The Nancy Burnet after the president of United Activists for Animal Rights, an organization Barker also supports. This new helicopter will participate in future campaigns." [In Full]
Japanese Antarctic Whaling Fleet Declares War On Sea Shepherd, Rams/Sinks Ady Gil
"According to a reported statement by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a Japanese vessel alongside the Nisshin Maru whaler slammed into the activists' high-tech speed boat, the Ady Gil, slicing off a piece of it. Reports said the boat is unsalvageable. The six member crew (five from New Zealand and one from the Netherlands) were rescued by another Society Vessel (the Bob Barker), reports said." [In Full]
Earthrace is a 78 feet (24 meters) alternative fuel powered wave-piercing trimaran; part of a project to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat—and to do so using only renewable fuels. [source, with much more]
Due to its speed capabilities, up to 50 knots, Captain Paul Watson (Sea Shepherd President and Founder) intends to use the Ady Gil to intercept and physically block the harpoon ships from illegally slaughtering whales.
Says Captain Watson, “We’re very excited that the Ady Gil will be joining the Steve Irwin in Antarctica this campaign. With these two ships, we will mount the most ambitious and aggressive effort to date to obstruct the slaughter of the whales in the Southern Ocean.”
The vessel, previously known as the Earthrace, is a fast, futuristic looking trimaran that recently set the world record for global circumnavigation. The vessel renaming reflects the ship’s benefactor, Ady Gil, who helped acquire the vessel.
Hi! I'm Razer Raygun. Welcome to Razed By Wolves, Just another BloggerBlog consisting of news and other media about local, national, and global events, and the people who, by their actions and words, create those events, making the world around us a more dangerous, nastier place to live.