A year long voyage:
One year. Four oceans. A million Ocean Defenders. This is our response to the growing crisis our oceans face. We are now on the final leg of our most ambitious ship expedition ever, to respond to the threats and highlight the wonders of our marine world. It's been an amazing journey so far; and we're taking you with us! Watch this space for more updates from the crew.
The Esperanza is currently in the Southern Ocean where it will confront and expose the scourge of so-called "scientific whaling" by the Japan government. As well as bearing witness to the killing of whales, the crew will be putting themselves between the harpoons and the whales - to save as many as possible.
31 days, eight different places, ten marine reserves, 67 fishing boats in the flotilla against Lafayette Mine, one whaleshark, more than 250 000 liters of oil spilling from a sunken tanker - the Philippines have been a stakkato of events for the Esperanza. We witnessed all life in the ocean between disaster in Guimaras and paradise in Apo Island. We were welcomed by the local population with flower garlands, songs, dance, poems - and shouted at and spit in the face by the staff of Lafayette Mine. The Esperanza has moved the Philippines and the Philippines have moved us.
Have a look at the highlights between Manila and Cebu:
As we have reached Cebu, our final port of the Philippines, it is time to look back. Three very intensive weeks lie behind us, full of events and impressions, some negative, some positive, a lot of them very touching. What will we remember the most of our work in this beautiful country? We have made a little poll.
When I was a little girl I asked my father why they called me Esperanza. And he said that Esperanza means hope, and that when I was born I was the hope of the family. So when I grew up I started using my name for that: I hoped to become a lawyer, to get married to a good and loving husband and to have beautiful children. And then I hoped to help improving the quality of life of all Filipinos.
Imagine a little island, green hills, palm tress on the beach, some small huts, one school, two restaurants, outrigger boats carrying tourists for a dive into an underwater paradise... well, that's Apo Island marine reserve where we arrived today. It's not to be taken for granted that Apo Island looks like this today. It's the achievement of its people. In 1982 they declared their island a marine reserve. As it was not official until 1995 they undertook the survey by themselves for years. I had the opportunity to talk to a local fisherman who used destructive methods when he was young. Jerry Mendez (39) is now a Sea Ranger and protecting the ocean.
I am an Ocean Defender to learn, to find out how I can do my part. I love the earth, I love the place that I live in. The main reason why I became an ocean defender are my kids. I have two daughters and I would like them to enjoy some day the things I am enjoying now. I want to learn scuba diving with them and see what is there to see. When there is nothing left there would be no reason to learn scuba diving.
To hold a banner. That is what they told Remon and me yesterday during the meeting. We are both very enthusiastic about the underwater world and love to dive, but we had never yet held a banner in the liquid. Without really knowing what to expect we agreed, of course. At land it is not a big deal to hold a banner, so what would be so difficult underwater then? However, it turned out that it wasnt so easy as we expected!
Today was one of the most beautiful days af our entire trip in the Philippines. We arrived in Dauin, municipal in the south of the Philippines that runs nine community managed marine reserves. It was a glimpse of how life in harmony with nature can be. We anchored some 500 meters from the shore and already from the ship we could see a crowd of people waiting on the beach.
Being on a ship on the high seas can be hard. Stuck together with so many people, the same faces every day... But sometimes it can also be romantic: Here is the true story of deckhand Miguel from Mexico and second mate Nadia from Canada who met on the Esperanza last summer and are now again sailing together into the sunset...
After all the marine pollution problems we have witnessed in the past two weeks we are now bound for the solutions. Meeting the people of the Philippines that are trying to make a difference and protect their ocean for future generations. Our first station today was Donsol, an area of whale shark ecotourism that is threatened by the Lafayette mine.
Assistant engineer Rania tells more about the welcome ceremony and the amazing food in her blog (see below). What impressed me the most was a boy from the village, 12 years old, who sang for us a traditional song about his beautiful homeland. Listen to Gilbert Lopez from Donsol singing "Dakilang lahi"!
Finally I will get to spend a sunday ashore away from the ship. I woke up at 8.30 AM, which is a very early hour to wake up at on a sunday morning! I went out on the poop deck to see that everyone was in a rush to go ashore. We were taken ashore to the town of Donsol on board traditional fishermen boats. The minute I set foot on the beach I just closed my eyes and wished they would forget me here in Donsol. I must have wished that out loud because after I opened my eyes, Heike was staring at me and laughing
You are here with us in Donsol since time immememorial...
You have played with my grandparents, my parents, my brothers and sisters and friends...
Your are big... But, you are harmless, sometimes... my grandfather got mad at you coz you accidentally got into his fish pens, yet he never hurt you.
Many times my father scolded you, coz, you are interrupting his trip to the sea and his propeller broke coz you are there in the pathways not his own but yours,
You have wounds and get hurt because of this, but you never cried and complained.
When I had just switched on my computer this morning, Danny rushed into the campaign office: "Shark alarm! Are you coming?" A whale shark had been spotted in Legazpi bay, just about two kilometers from us! Normally they don't come that far in, so we took the opportunity, quickly packed our snorkling gear and hopped into the car. The point were the shark was seen happened to be right beside the house of Legazpi's mayor Noel Rusel. We got into the boats and onto the sea. And then - we waited.
Sometimes, being in countries like the Phillippines, doing actions or demonstrations, I get this sudden feeling of standing beside myself, watching myself and trying to tell what is going on to my friends and family back home in Germany.
And I have this feeling, no matter how much I talk and how many pictures I show, it will be hard for them to understand - not only with their brains, but also with their hearts. It was like this yesterday, when the crew of the Esperanza took part in that march against the mining here in Rapu Rapu.
10.30 A.M.: On the bridge preparing the climbing gear for my comrade
climber and myself, the usual kit and a banner. The plan is simple, go
to the dock of Lafayette mine, climb the conveyor belt and hang the banner under it...
There are 67 of them. Wooden outriggers in light blue, pink, green and yellow circle around the Esperanza, flags at their stern: "No to Lafayette! No to Marine Pollution!" Men and women are standing on the ships roofs, dancing, waving to us. We all watch from the poop deck, and no matter who you meet this morning of the Esperanza crew, everybody is smiling. We are leading a flotilla against the destructive Lafayette gold- and silvermine on the island of Rapu Rapu. And we all feel we are on the right side.
Now as it is getting a bit quieter after the work on the oil slick it is time for another part of our little series "mysteries of the engine room". This time something very exceptional is going on down there. The engineers have been talking about it for weeks. You heard comments like "tomorrow we will start it" or "we are getting there". As the first part of the opus was done, the whole crew - seldom privilege - was invited into the engine room. The codeword to get in was: "Wärtsilä"...
After delivering our cargo of relief goods last night, we arrived this morning at Taklong Island, the marine protected area affected by the oil slick to conduct a visual assessment of the oil slick. We drove one of the small inflatable boats along the coastline, noting the presence of oil.
The island is a beautiful place, hills of bamboo forests reaching down limestone escarpments. Everything you imagine of a tropical paradise. But a grim black line along the shoreline told us of the oil slicks menacing presence that extended along several kilometres of coast.
It took two hours to clean the oil from the inflatables this afternoon. Lots of
soap and muscle. But we got them clean - I have my doubts about the estuaries and beaches at La Paz in the Philippines. We have been out for two days now , documenting the spill, ferrying journalists and helping test locally made oil booms.
Today the oil was so much thicker than yesterday. The brown slick it was everywhere. On the beach, on the outriggers, on the locals feet and hands, in their back yards.
We left the port of IloIlo just before sunrise this morning and, even though there was no need for me to wake up early I got out of bed and went outside. A feeling of dread seems to surround us and, as people would say, it felt like the calm before the storm.
Around 2 hours after leaving port and as I was getting my camera and dive gear ready, Al told us that there were signs of oil on the port side of the Esperanza. I went out and saw the surface of the sea tainted by a multi-coloured slick producing all sorts of patterns.
I am 12 years old and I live in Citio Lusaran on the island of Guimaras. I am in Grade 6 now, my favourite subjects are mathematics and sports. In my spare time I go swimming and fishing. I learned to fish when I was seven years old. On friday 12 august I was on my way back from school along the beach when I found it all black. I didn't know what it was and thought it was just some mud the sea had brought in and that would go away quickly. But than I heard in the radio it was oil.
I am only counsellor since two months and now my community is facing the biggest catastrophe ever. As a counsellor it is my work to help the people to find solutions to their problems. That's how we always do it: We get together and talk, and then we draw a decision all together. But how are we going to face this?
When I heard about the sunken tanker on the radio I instantly feared for the marine reserve in Guimaras we are taking care of. I rang up my collegues to put a team together. I was espacially worried about one mangrove tree from the species rhizophoro lamanckii. It is a very rare species, there is only this single tree on the whole island! I have been taking care of it for years, it is really my baby. When I arrived here my worst fears turned reality: My mangrove tree was covered with oil. I started crying when I saw it.
My name is Rodolfo Galuna and I am 52 years old. I am a fisherman and live in the village of Citio Alman Sur in the south of Guimaras that was affected badly by the oil. I came here 12 years ago and built this house right on the shore. My wife Susana and I have six children, they all go to school, the eldest is in second grade high school. I have three boats. I built them myself, I need 15 days to make an outrigger boat.
"The arrival of the Esperanza means the same to us as the name of the ship: hope. You give us hope that we are able to overcome this disaster." It was this sentence we heard the most upon our arrival this afternoon in Iloilo, the nearest port to the island of Guimaras. I think all of us onboard had sensed that already. As we were approaching Iloilo we were all up on the front deck (except those busy of course). It was a bit like the silence before the storm: Everybody just watching the beautiful coastline, worried of how much damage we will witness in the next days.
We left port a few minutes ago heading towards Guimaras, the site of what is now considered the worst oil spill in Philippine history. It is my first time to be on the Esperanza and I have joined the Rainbow Warrior and the Arctic Sunrise several times.
A while ago I sat on the port side of the ship watching floating plastics and other garbage on the waters of Manila Bay, I could not help but feel anxious about what awaits us in the waters of Guimaras. It is depressing enough to see synthetic flotsam on the waters surface as well as taking pictures of corals and other marine life smothered by plastics and other garbage. However, I do not think I am quite prepared to witness an oil spill first hand after seeing several documentaries of other oil spills and pictures of this recent and ongoing disaster.
We are bound for the oilspill. At 8 o'clock we all had a briefing in the mess where we got the information that we are leaving at 3 pm for the island of Guimaras, 500 kilometers south of Manila. A sunken vessel is there spilling bunker fuel into the sea, threatening beaches, corals reefs, mangrove woods, even a marine reserve. We will transport material and experts and document the damage ashore and underwater. Everybody onboard is really enthusiastic we are going there to help the people!
Al Baker (42) is our logistics coordinator onboard and has some experience with oil spills. I have asked him how the Esperanza can support the help in Guimaras.
I promised to reveal today what is going to happen with the garbage we collected in Manila bay: Five Manilan artists are going to create ART out of it! Of course it will take some time. But one of them, painter and installator Ed Manaloh can already give us a glimpse of what he is planning with the garbage from Manila bay - and how art can help to protect the environment!
These pictures cannot leave anybody indifferent. A bay where you can hardly see the water because there is so much rubbish floating on it. Mangroves, strangled under torn plastic bags, some still struggling to survive. And in between a handfull of dedicated activists trying to make a difference... Greenpeace photographer Gavin Newman has captured how marine pollution has already destroyed what was once alive and beautiful. His slides are an appeal to stop this - and to start caring for our sea, because we need it.
Sitting on a pier in a small yacht harbour is lovely, isn't it? Well, not in the yacht harbour of Manila, unfortunately. Because instead of a fresh sea breeze there is a strange smell, a mixture of chemicals, garbage and rotten fruits. When we met this morning at the harbour with the local Greenpeace activists the problem was obvious before we could even see it: rubbish, rubbish and more rubbish, simply thrown into the water. To make clear this cannot just go on we wanted to do two hours of cleaning up - and bring the problem back to the shore.
How does a poop deck sound? Well, the one of the Esperanza is perfectly tuned for Philippinan gamelans: When the members of the band "Kontra Gapi" set their traditional instruments onto the steel floor of the poop deck this morning the whole Esperanza - just having been docked at 8 am - swung in an irresistible rythm. And that was what the bunch of young Manilan musicians came to: give us a nice welcome - and encourage everybody to get going, move their bodies and protect the biodiversity of the Philippines!
A serious-looking Hawksbill turtle staring at the observer, two friendly shining-orange clown fish swimming by, local fishermen bringing out their traditional "sudsud" nets in the evening dusk - the sea of the Philippines is a paradise you just want to dive in and never return to the surface. To show what we lose when we allow marine pollution to continue Greenpeace photographers have documented it in their slideshow "Underwater Beauty". The pictures urge us to try and protect this biodiversity for future generations. Have a look, dream - and act!
What brings reasonable people onto a 72 meter-long steel-vessel in the middle of the South China Sea, rolling from one side to the other every ten seconds, putting up with long hours, limited space, cleaning duties? All this often for less money than they could earn in other places, some for none at all - and still being proud of it, even sometimes having FUN? Well, there are as many stories as men and women on the Esperanza! I managed to get a few of them to answer one of the most important questions of their lives: How did you happen to become a Greenpeacer?
No matter where and when you meet her - our deckhand Mary Ann always has a nice word for you. "Sailing with Greenpeace is a dream that has become true", she says. The 28-year-old from Manila is an activist from the very beginning in the Philippines.
It was actually through Greenpeace that she rediscovered the beauty of her home country for herself. I have asked her why she thinks for the Philippinos caring about the oceans is in their best interest.
Today is a special day for our crew member Kate: It's her birthday! She doesn't want to tell me which one it is, but I reckon the public is entitled to the truth: She is turning 29, of course. Kate spent the day as every other onboard - between her work in the campaign office on the bridge deck and in the galley on the main deck.
Kate reveals to us why she doesn' mind at all celebrating her birthday on a rocking Greenpeace-ship, 215 nautical miles from the next pub...
On the road again! Punctually at 9 o'clock the lines of the Esperanza were loosened from the pier in Singapore. Captain Pete put the engine to full speed and took bearing northeast. 1364 nautical miles - 2526 kilometres across the south-chinese sea lie in front of us. We are heading for an area with some of the richest marine biodoversity in the world, an underwater Garden of Eden: the Philippines. But this paradise is threatened - by those who prefer counting coins instead of clownfishes.
The message was already on the main notice board two hours before: "Bunkering at 6 pm. No smoking on starboard side!" Last night the Esperanza got fuel for the next three months of her voyage, 300.000 liters. And it's not like fuelling a car - it's a science! Of course it were four important hours for our chief engineer Mannes. An overflow on deck or a fuelspill into the sea is the nightmare of every marine engineer, especially of one who is a dedicated environmentalist! So Mannes does not only take the normal safety measures - he makes 300 percent sure he does the right thing.
