Posted on 02/09/2011 11:51:05 AM PST by Dengar01
The Sea Shepherd scout vessel Gojira found the illegal Japanese whaling ship Sea Shepherd calls the Cetacean Death Star at 2115 NZST on February 9th. The Nisshin Maru was caught in the process of unlawfully flensing a whale on their aft deck at the position of 74 degrees 16 minutes south and 149 degrees 2 minutes west.
The Gojira immediately gave chase as the Nisshin Maru attempted to escape by entering a field of ice. The Gojira attempted to block the huge factory ship to buy time for the Bob Barker to arrive from some 28 miles away. Captain Locky MacLean engaged the Nisshin Maru in a skirmish, and notified the Japanese whalers that they were not to continue their illegal whaling.
The Nisshin Maru seemed to be engaged in flensing operations at the time it was discovered. Work lights illuminated the deck as water was being flushed over the sides and brown-red stains were visible along the aft deck of the vessel around the scuppers/ drain holes, while black smoke bellowed from the factory smoke stack.
Crewmembers observe the Nisshin Maru from the bow of the Bob Barker. Photo: Gary StokesCrewmembers observe the Nisshin Maru from the bow of the Bob Barker. Photo: Gary StokesThe Gojira was stopped in an area of growlers and floe ice as the Nisshin Maru proceeded to bear down on her. Despite several VHF calls to alter course, the Nisshin Maru closed in on the Gojira. When the Nisshin Maru was 40 meters away, Captain MacLean fired a flare to signal the Nisshin Maru to alter course. The Japanese factory ship altered course to starboard, as the Gojira slid 20 meters down her port side.
At 0220 on February 10th, the Nisshin Maru and one of the harpoon boats entered thick pack ice after several hours of zigzagging through loose floe ice. The Gojira kept up skirting the ice edge, meeting the Nisshin Maru on the far side of each floe using her speed advantage.
The Nisshin Maru proceeded to the south towards an area of pack ice. It appeared as if the Gojira was about to lose the factory ship in the thick ice when the Bob Barker arrived just in time to take over the pursuit.
At 0400 hours, the Bob Barker placed itself immediately aft to the stern slipway of the Nisshin Maru to block any further attempts to offload dead whales. The Bob Barker is now easily pursuing the Nisshin Maru through thick pack ice with the Gojira continuing to skirt around the ice looking for harpoon vessels.
The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin departed from Wellington, New Zealand at 1800 hours on February 9th and is expected to meet up with the Sea Shepherd fleet and the Japanese whaling fleet in about five days.
The Bob Barker needs to hold position on the stern of the Nisshin Maru until the Steve Irwin can assist it. By blocking the stern slipway, the factory ship is unable to load dead whales from the harpoon vessels, allowing Sea Shepherd to effectively shut down their illegal whaling operations.
Some animals are more equal than others.
They're not, they are just big. I think human babies are worth protecting.
Those useful idiot hippies have probably aborted more babies than any number of whales they have "saved".
Goes real good with bell peppers with a side of hippies.
Ooops, that would be the Mitrofan Moskalenko. The other ships in the Ivan Rogov class are no longer in service, although they are in “preservation”.
I worked on Sea Shepherd III back in March 1998. We ended up coming down from Canada near St. John’s and Fairfax and came through the worst storm with 20-30 ft swells. Thought I was going to die. We were in one of the cabins and I hit my head and was bleeding. Slid thru vomit and blood several times before it got sticky and I started rolling and hitting the teak walls and furniture. Got grabbed by my hair and yanked on the bed. Remember blacking out and knowing with extreme sadness I would end up on the bed of the ocean. Came to 8 hrs later and crawled across the floor to the sink. Rinsed my mouth out with gritty water, stood up and went to check on the rest of the crew of about 20. Captain Paul Watson was calmly sititng in the Captain’s Chair, sipping a cup of coffee, steering the ship. Took us a week to sail down to Wilmington, NC. Saw a sea turtle the size of a VW beetle.
Sea Shepherd is doing a good thing. Hope they ram those bastards.
I’m just waiting for the report of dead hippies at sea. I wasted a couple hours of my life watching snippets of this show and to go out to sea completely unprepared and with idiotic plans like they have is just BEGGING for death. The sea is incredibly unforgiving and will try her damndest to kill you if you do not give her the respect she demands.
At some point someone is going to lose and eye! Just trying to be funny. Although eventually someone is going to be killed here. You cannot fool around with peoples livelihood and expect them to not do something about it.
Why are liibs so in love with whales?
An elephant is another example. Because of the ban on ivory and elephants are not being killed, elephants are overrunning human food fields in Africa and people are going hungry.
Another lib plan disaster.
You actually shipped with that band of tinhorn goons? Sister, you’re on the wrong site.
Scuttle the Sea Shepherd! Remember the Rainbow Warrior! Hang Paul Watson from the yardarm!
Exactly! These self-important a-holes got what they desreved on the Ady Gil. They are nothing more than pirates and should be treated as such.
...nor for those who grow and harvets that most foul substance, yellow squash!
;-)
If they’re so convinced that the Japanese ships are doing something illegal, then document it. Stand off, take pictures, get video, then turn it over to the Aussies or whatever international body handles whaling. I can’t, though, see how what the Japanese are doing is “illegal” when they’re in international waters, hunting a non-endangered species of whale (minke, I believe), within the limits of international treaties. “Oh my gosh the poor whale!” does not equal “illegal.” If they’re breaking a treaty, or in Australian waters, then yeah, document it by all means. There are ways to handle this that don’t involve putting both them and the Japanese in mortal danger.
This direct action stuff that Watson is doing with a half-trained crew of idealistic halfwits is going to end very badly. It’s a damn miracle that nobody died when the Ady Gil was rammed. I seriously doubt they will be that lucky again. The ocean has no mercy. I really wonder if Watson is secretly almost hoping he ends up with casualties at some point...what would be better for Sea Shepherd than young martyrs to the cause?
}:-)4
Nor for those who eat cows.
Nor for those who harvest bell peppers.
I hate the guy that takes the last spoonful of ice cream then leaves the box in the freezer.
These Greenpeace ships should face the same fate as the Rainbow Warrior: artificial coral reefs.
They would actually become useful then.
Got it.
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