Greenpeace webcam: you, too, can spot the Nisshin Maru
Late last night, the word went out that we had found the fleet. On board the Espy, the Bridge bristled with binoculars as the crew sought to catch a glimpse through the fog and snow. And judging from the webstats, an awful lot of us Virtual Crewmembers and Cyber Salty Dogs went barrelling toward our own version of the bridge -- the live Esperanza Webcam, where a tiny smudge on the horizon said that once again, against all odds, we had found the Japanese whaling fleet in the vast expanse of the Southern Ocean.
For me, sitting warm and dry in my home in Amsterdam, I was able to experience some of the vicarious excitement of the hunt. I loaded up the webcam page. There. Up on the horizon off the starboard bow. There was our quarry, the Nisshin Maru.
Konichiwa, boys.
This morning it's still on screen.
This will be the first year in which Greenpeace goes into conflict with the whalers with live webcams. At the moment, onboard webby Irene Berg has got us kitted out with a mast cam for that way-up view, a bridge cam which can show us the crew on watch or the view ahead, and a wing cam, currently pointing astern to give a glimpse of the catcher vessel Yushin Maru Number 1 behind us. Our onboard technician, Gionny, has been busily testing an even more exciting little gizmo that may give us live streaming video from the zodiacs this year.
But for now, have a look at those webcams. You, after all, as my fellow Grateful Dead fans will attest, are the eyes of the world. And we want the eyes of the world on what happens down there in the Southern Ocean. Not only does the sham of Japanese research whaling deserve scrutiny. But the actions of our adversaries do as well. In the past, the Japanese fleet has rammed us, come along side and shoved us, and then squawked to the press that they had been rammed by Greenpeace. Never. We are out there to defend the whales, not attack the whalers: non-violence is a sacred value, and we take safety at sea, especially in the frigid Arctic waters, very seriously indeed. Our webcams show we have nothing to hide, and we'll let the witnesses of this conflict decide who is right and who is wrong, and whose side they're on.
So join us in bearing witness. Keep an eye on those whalers. Get up-to-the-minute updates from Irene's Great Whale Trail expedition blog. And when you've seen enough, take action: demand Japan stop the build of a new factory ship and lets wipe this nightmare from the world's vision forever.
Comments
Bravo to you and your crew. I am an avid watcher of the day to day and try to educate land-locked Canadians through my art.
Posted by: laurie calder | January 12, 2008 9:29 PM
So, you have found the Japanese whale murderers. What are you going to do? Inform the Australian government....? Inform Sea Shepherd? Are you going to stop this agony this time? Or just going to make more pictures? As ever........., waiting for the final extinction ?I know you are doing more than taking pictures. But extinction is going on faster and faster.....
Posted by: roel | January 13, 2008 1:54 AM
please send your location out to sea shepherd, work together
Posted by: richard rodibaugh | January 13, 2008 6:10 AM
Oh yes, I read about it on BBC news - it's all over the radio! The chances of running into the Japanese whaling ship are so slim... you activists are very brave, protecting the whales like that. I heard that it was actually the Sea Shepherd that was ramming you guys - it's hard to tell, isn't it? You guys should film everything as evidence.
I wrote an article about it at my blog Follow the Age if you'd like to take a look :)
http://followtheage.blogspot.com/2008/01/greenpeace-tries-to-stop-japanese.html
Posted by: Julia | January 13, 2008 1:49 PM
If you want to know why we are not collaborating with Sea Shepherd - This is our bottom line:
"Greenpeace doesn't work with Sea Shepherd. Greenpeace has a long history and core principle of non-violence, and we will continue to maintain that principle in all our actions. We know that Sea Shepherd also consider themselves non-violent and consider ramming other ships at sea to be non-violent, but we do not agree with their definition of non-violence. The sea, particularly in the Antarctic, is a difficult and harsh environment and although we will continue to take calculated risks ourselves to protect whales, we will not place the lives of others at risk. We are here to defend the whales, not attack the whalers."
Anything perceived as violence towards the whalers, or the Japanese people, will be grabbed on by the pro-whaling, nationalist lobby in Japan, and used as evidence of "eco-terrorism" and "western imperialism" etc.
Read Sara's blog from the Esperanza last year.
Posted by: Lisa | January 14, 2008 3:56 PM
I noticed that the mast cam shows more roll. Please would someone educate us on the oceanography, weather etc. of your location in the Southern Ocean.
Posted by: Bryan Kilgallin | January 15, 2008 2:27 AM
Hi guys... i just read an article in an aussie paper site where sea shepherd is taking credit for finding the whaling fleet and saying they gave greenpeace the coordinates.... its so sad this infighting between conservationists even though i can see Greenpeace point about non violent action... where as sea shepherd take "other" actions... heres the news link if anyone is interested... http://news.theage.com.au/sea-shepherd-ship-catches-japan-whalers/20080115-1m38.html
Posted by: Steve | January 15, 2008 11:07 AM
Oh and Take care out there you guys.......the world is watching
Posted by: Steve | January 15, 2008 11:08 AM
You're doing a fantastic job! I log on every day to see whats going on and was thrilled to see that you'd found them. Keep your beady eyes on them we don't want anymore deaths! Good luck! Wish I was out there too. Peace be with you all.
Posted by: Rachael Penni | January 15, 2008 9:16 PM
If you could contaminate the whale carcass with something unpalatable(by a spray or dart?)or even pretend it is a poisonous contamination,you would effectively cause commercial problems for the Japanese!Hit the hip pocket!
Posted by: christine | January 16, 2008 1:23 AM
Whale hunters need to be stopped and this is a great way to do it name and shame the ones who think can take innocent creatures life. Go greenpeace we can save the world!
Posted by: Robyn | January 17, 2008 10:16 AM
Hmmm. Now we have three webcams looking fore. Well, that's OK, I guess... but what's up now? Will the N.M. return to the grounds and support the catcher boat whalekillers again? Are you going to head back to refuel soon? I sure hope you have put a big hole in those sailors' bonus for whalemeat this year.
Keep up the good work. All the pro-whale activity and worldwide publicity, even with the weird anti-whaling and pro-boarding tactics of a certain other activist ship out there in the Southern ocean Sanctuary, will eventually save the cetacea.
Posted by: Annette | January 18, 2008 5:11 AM
Stop being hippies and give the location of the japanese fleet to the Steve Irwin so they can do some real protesting
Posted by: Bob | January 19, 2008 5:36 PM
What kind of games are you playing at down in Antarctica? Your refusal to cooperate with Sea Shepherd is asinine and costing the lives of whales. How can you be so petty when their lives are in danger? I've heard you say that the Greenpeace support base does not wish to cooperate with Sea Shepherd yet on your website I have never read one visitor comment affirming this claim. To the contrary, there are many comments encouraging just the opposite - full cooperation. Get on it. And yes, Sea Shepherd has rammed ships on the open ocean, but what's more important to you? A human-made machine or the lives of whales? Flesh should always trump steel.
You claim Sea Shepherd is violent but name one instance where someone has been injured. Name one that has occured in over thirty years of direct action. Just one.
You can't.
And what a comfortable position of privelege Greenpeace acts from! Safe on ships or in boardrooms, you don't have to worry about fleets of ships harrying you and yours, torturously murdering you with explosive tipped harpoons. No, from your position of safety you have the audacity not to lend aid to others who wish to intervene and save lives. Who do you think you are? Who are you to act in this way? To limit aid to the whales?
And how far does this 'bear witness' mentality extend? To your own safety and well being? I doubt it. If Greenpeace executives were being attacked on the street, would they prefer that passersby just stop and watch lest attempting to intervene would require a little bit of force and maybe rip the attackers' clothes?
I am utterly disgusted right now. Unless things change I will no longer contribute to Greenpeace.
There is no time. Whales are dying NOW.
Posted by: Daniel Villa | January 19, 2008 5:56 PM
Why don't Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd unite for the sake of the whales they are suppose to be protecting and take turns in following the Japanese whalers while the other goes back to port to re-fuel? Surely this is all about protecting the whales and not scoring points off each other and leaving the whales unprotected and defenseless against the Japanese killers?
Posted by: Lesley Fullman | February 7, 2008 6:45 PM