New Internationalist: Defending Our Oceans | Home | International Polar Year

I wish you all a safe journey home and a well deserved rest once there. When this expedition ends I will certainly miss reading the blogs written by people to whom I somehow feel a connection to. I admire the work all of you do and your dedication to the causes you defend.
Sentirei saudades de todos voces.
Adriana.

Congratulations and a safe journey to you all.

Yes, safe travels home to both ships.

Yes!!!

http://www.icrwhale.org/070228Release.htm

Now it' s finally official, hundreds of whales are safe! Are you heading for Melbourne? Maybe you can meet Sea Shepherd and talk about how you can "work together" by finding the fleet in december and then both take action against the whalers in your own way. That could be positive for the whales! But although it seems a great idea to me, I guess you don't...
Thanks for your daily updates of the NM. No updates with photos and videos of dying whales, but only from the beauty of the area. No sounds from whales dying in great fear, but sounds from beautiful orcas and whales instead!
I hope you'll be back again, when de NM is repaired (which I don't hope...) and the whaling starts again. Hope you'll be back with the Esperanza and the Arctic Sunrise in december!
We have to put pressure to Japan, hoping they finally admit the hunt is commercial and the whole world says no to it! Then it can really stop!

Regards,
Ellen from Holland.

Very well done. I've enjoyed reading about you're adventures this last month or so. Safe journey home.

i can only echo whats been said, and i too will miss reading of your journey every day. well done on your achievments, and a safe journey guys!

Sincere congratualtions and many thanks for everything you do.

Hi Dave, ...Adrianna, ...and all,
Somehow I can't help but feel the way you do Adrianna, ...and I suppose how many of us feel this morning. While I rejoice at the fleet picking up speed at 60°, ...there is a saddness too, ...for I'll be missing all your comments here. It almost has become a family here hasn't it. I know in my heart though, and can take comfort knowing, ...that while the names of expeditions may change, Greenpeace is not going away anytime soon, ...but with your help, will continue to move forward. You all here, ...on the Esperanza, in offices, and those that have followed this journey, ...have surely made a difference, ...brought Love and Light to a very dark corner of our minds, and our world. The world is a better place today because you chose to care. ...and in the end, the voices of those that advocate cruelty and suffering were silenced. Thank you all for this testimony of Love, and for the memories I will treasure always. You are all Warriors of the Rainbow...

Just saw the news -- well done, and a safe trip home.

I was elated to see on BBC World that the Japanese government has announced that whaling in the Antarctic shall be discontinued "due to pressure from environmental groups and a fire on board one of its whaling ships".
At last, they've finally come to their senses!
Let's hope they've learned a lesson here.
A collective cheer for the whales! Survival is their victory! And a collective cheer for the crew of the Esperanza!
Can't wait to watch the Humpbacks come by Bermuda on their way south next month.

safe home boys and girls

I really admire you for all you've done and congratulate you on your success. May you safely reach Australia -- thank you.

...all these new cute faces. Well Ok then, ...you ASCII'd for it.
I guess I'm just deaf, dumb, and blind ‡o( ...not to see all this before. I'm surprised :o() ..and think I could be a little sharper :>) ..But even though I know I'm not so smart :o) ..I shouldn't frown all day :>( ...Maybe if I were from another planet :Ð) ...I'd have better perspective, ...nah some things never change :o| ...alas, if I only had a nose for money, or some common sense :¢) ...p.s. these work a little better with a font that's not so condensed, ...and hope you don't mind this little bit of sillyness here. Some people have nothing better to do with their time, ...right?

Hi Ellen - no, we're heading for Sydney!

My joy upon hearing the news that the whaling fleet is indeed heading north and ending its season was tempered by the news that Japan had succeeded in killing 505 minke and 3 finbacks, according to Reuters, quoting the JFA. I still don't understand why GP was "missing-in-action" that whole time. As different as Sea Shepherd and GP are, they can at least co-ordinate their search patterns so as to maximize their chances of FINDING the fleet, so this debacle won't occur again should the Japanese killers return later this year as I suspect they will.

Regarding the shortened season, JFA official Takahide Naruko said: "We have been research whaling for 20 years, but this is the first time we have had to cut the expedition short," he told reporters in Tokyo. "It is very unfortunate."
"We don't think this will have a major effect on the price of whale meat," he added.
He further stated that they still have not ruled out that Sea Shepherd somehow caused the fire.

"We don't think there was any direct connection," Naruko said when asked about possible links between Sea Shepherd's activities and the fire aboard the Nisshin Maru. "On the other hand, we can't say for certain that there was none."

Too bad...
No, I think the people in Sydney will be very glad to welcome you! The Aussies love whales, so the welcome will be memorable I guess!
I'm very glad the whales are safe for now, although it's sad one man died.
But will you be back in december if Japan decides to slaughter whales again? I hope so. Three ships out there to save the whales is better than one!
Have a safe journey and again: thanks for the updates. Japan knows who Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are again!

Hi Eric - we weren't missing in action. We left Auckland on 26th January, and had only arrived in the search area when all the distress calls started happening! This has been explained elsewhere on the blog, as are the reasons for not working with Sea Shepherd.

I suspect it's a relief for the fleet captains as well, I can't imagine the pressure the captain of the N.M. would have been under from Tokyo to stay there and make it look like everything was well. From the comments made ny the Japanese crew, I couldn't help feeling they knew who the main problem was- and it wasn't Greenpeace...

"Three ships are better than one..." That depends. A ship that sails on the winds of violence brings no justice to anyone. This subject is moot and shouldn't even be here anymore, ...and personally, I don't appreciate these transparent back door tactics and premeditated deceptions. But just so you know, ...Grateful Child applauds the Greenpeace decision not to work with the Sea Shepard group. There's already been enough misguided association, as some news services have called Sea Shepard, 'an offshoot of Greenpeace'. And yes, I think it has crossed the minds of many of us, ...I really don't know if the SS had anything to do with the fire on board the NM or not. But if they did, ...that's something they will have to life with for the rest of their lives, ...having murdered a human being. This is just the kind of thing that sooner or later results from these kinds of irresponsible and violent actions. It's not like Greepeace doesn't work with others, like the IFAW, and Doctor Without Borders (MSF), ...and even to come to the aid of the crew of the Nisshin Maru. As I said once before, ...if Captain Watson would renounce, and agree to end all forms of violent and life threatening protest, perhaps there could be some common ground. Believe in Love, ...it is the strongest force on this earth. Enough already...

I am glad to hear that for the most part it ended well. I wish for you all a safe trip home. Take care and I look forward to still continuing this effort with you as I am sure this is not the last we will hear about whaling. Thank you for your efforts.

Ram a ship, ...start a fire, ...not much difference. Hypothetical... Suppose the Sea Shepard did start the fire.

Grateful Child, this posting is off topic, and is already sparking more Greenpeace/Sea Shepherd debates. I've reposted it on the forums »

Sorry Dave, but I have to give a reaction, hope you'll forgive me...

Ok, folks, I have to move this debate to the forum

Dave, thanks for posting my reaction anyway! Ontopic now: I have no idea of the oceans and geography, can you still see the fleet and how long will it take you to be on land?
Take care, without further injuries,
Ellen.

Hi Ellen, we broke away from the fleet some days ago, we're currently en route to Sydney. We'll post updates when we know our ETA.

i think is very good this happened, not only the are saving the whales but they are seeting an example for the rest of countries who need to save animals that live in their territory and are on way to disapper.

Hi Meli - the Southern Ocean isn't Japanese territory! Some of it is governed under the Antarctic Treaty, to which Japan is a signatory...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean#International_agreements
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System