Although the Grey Whale hit the waves pretty hard at times, Maaike’s smooth manoeuvring made the voyage less uncomfortable than it could have been.

Over the radio we again explained our demands and asked the vessel to change course and head further out to keep a safe distance to the vulnerable Lofoten coast. The crew of the Weichselstern was at first reluctant to follow our demands. They were reasonable and could understand our concerns, but they always follow this route as the regulations still allow them to do – at only 12 nautical miles off the coast. Nonetheless - after about an hour of negotiations - they agreed to move further out, and we could head back to the Esperanza. The Weichselstern ended the conversation by wishing us good luck with our campaign!

We will keep patrolling the area, so stay tuned.