Update on Antarctic Whale Campaign
2006/2007
December 9, 2006
By Captain Paul Watson
Our new ship code named Leviathan
is at sea and on the way south to the coast of Antarctica. Today they are
battling a full gale but Captain Alex Cornelissen reports that the ship is
extremely seaworthy and is pushing through the heavy swells and into the wind
with ease.
In Melbourne, we have been delayed because of two
things. (1) we need a replacement rotor blade for our helicopter and we are
waiting for it to be shipped from the USA which we hope will arrive within a
few days. (2) Because Canada suspended our registry due to pressure from the
Canadian government, we have had to work quickly to re-register the ship under
another flag which we are in the process of doing and hopefully this will not
take more than a few more days.
It's not unusual to fight our way out of
obstacles posed by bureaucrats prior to departure on a campaign. The
bureaucratic delays are just a part of the normal routine. This
week even Homeland Security (USA) was making inquiries about our activities. It
is amazing how governments are getting involved to try and stop interventions
against illegal whaling activities.
The Farley Mowat is
closer to the whaling fleet than the Leviathan
so the delay should not delay the rendezvous between the two ships.
Greenpeace announced that they would be sending two
ships to the coast of Antarctica but we have heard nothing more. The
Esperanza is in Baja and the
Arctic Sunrise is in the
Baltic so they are still quite some distance from the whalers.
As it looks we will be in a position to
confront the Japanese whaling fleet in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary during the
last week of December or the first week in January. Last year we first
confronted them on Christmas Day.
Evidence of climate change is certainly evident here
in the State of Victoria where the Farley Mowat
is presently berthed. This week one of our former helicopter pilots Gerry Nels
dropped by the ship. He had just flown in to help fight one of the largest bush
fires in Australian history. After years of drought the bush is erupting with
hundreds of fires, mainly started by lighting strikes last week. The smell of
smoke is everywhere today in Melbourne as over one hundred square miles of bush
is ablaze not far from the city.
We have only two more days to give tours of the ship
before we move to the fuel dock to take on the fuel for the campaign. The ship
has had over 30,000 visitors since arriving in Melbourne and the support from
Australias has been tremendous.
Follow Sea Shepherd's progress at our website:
www.Seashepherd.org
Check out our campaign with Bluetongue Beer and see
the controversial commercial Bluetongue has produced:
www.whalesafebeer.com.au
If you vist the whalesafe bee site be sure to leave a
message in the bottle.
Note: Please let me know if
you DO NOT wish to receive regular updates on the Antarctica campaign.
Captain Paul Watson
Founder and President of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (1977-
Co-Founder - The Greenpeace Foundation (1972)
Co-Founder - Greenpeace International (1979)
Director of the Sierra Club USA (2003-2006)
Director - The Farley Mowat Institute
Director - www.harpseals.org
Founder and President of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (1977-
Co-Founder - The Greenpeace Foundation (1972)
Co-Founder - Greenpeace International (1979)
Director of the Sierra Club USA (2003-2006)
Director - The Farley Mowat Institute
Director - www.harpseals.org
"Sail forth - steer for the deep waters only,
Reckless O soul, exploring, I with thee and thou with me,
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all."
- Walt Whitman
