Blogging off

This'll be my final log entry before the Rainbow Warrior leaves Iceland.
Sunday morning we'll try again to do some whale-watching with the
journalists (although the weather looks unpromising). In the afternoon,
the ship departs.

Time now to look on what this tour's achieved:

I think all of us have enjoyed our time in Iceland. The warmth of the
welcome in many places exceeded our expectations. Nowhere was that truer
than in Ísafjördur.

The beautiful weather in many ports added to the beautiful scenery.

We found the Icelandic people to be genuine and honest and, for the most
part, willing to engage with us. We think we've helped dispel a lot of
the 'myths' about Greenpeace with this tour, and we *know* we have made
some fantastic contacts, gained some keen supporters, and made some
wonderful new friends. Sorry if I'm gushing.

The media in Iceland have portrayed us very positively (again, we
probably didn't all expect that they would), and we have heard from many
important allies and colleagues in Iceland that they think this tour has
helped them, helped change some opinion, and more importantly helped
generate the debate on the whaling issue *within* Iceland that is so
sorely needed.

The Rainbow Warrior leaves Iceland today. But Greenpeace is not leaving
Iceland. This tour has marked the start of this campaign in Iceland and
we will continue to build on it in the months to come.

Globally we have had huge support for the 'pledge' with thousands of
Greenpeace supporters sending a positive message to Iceland, showing
that the future in Iceland lies in nature-based tourism. Whale-watching,
not whale-hunting.

I myself leave Iceland tomorrow. I look forward to coming back, by which
time I hope whaling will have been consigned to the past.

So, as they say in Iceland, "tak" for reading, and "bless" for now...

-- Willie