Well it's the end of the road, or maybe "end of the shipping lane" would be more appropriate. Together, we've been from Capetown to Hawaii, the Southern Ocean to West Africa, the Azores to the Philippines. We've seen oil spills, toxic pollution, pirates and fishy tuna fishermen. Together we've pressured corporations, governments, banks and the UN itself.

We have shaken the corporate foundations of Japanese Fisheries Agency whaling, confronted the financiers of Lafayette Mine, put bottom trawling on the agenda at the UN, sent thousands of messages to the Icelandic government about commercial whaling, and much much more. We've outlined the need for a global network of marine reserves, and called for stricter enforcement of laws against overfishing.

Ocean Defenders, we salute you!

We'd like to thank you for truly being with us on this amazing journey. Thank you for taking action, sending hundreds of thousands of emails, leaving comments and ideas on our blog, talking to us in the forum, sending your artwork to Art4Oceans and your pictures to Flickr, creating an Ocean Defender myspace page with over 6000 "friends" before we even thought of it (thanks Dougie!), visiting our ships, writing to newspapers, downloading Blame Canada! ringtones, linking to us from your websites and blogs, watching the webcam, and telling your friends and family about the crisis facing our oceans.

The journey might be over, but our work isn't. We will keep working around the world to ensure the health of the world's oceans and the plants, animals and people that depend on them - read on to see how you can too.

Thanks again and all the best,
Adele,
Defending Our Oceans Web Coordinator,
(for Rose, Shane, Sara, Kate, Cristina, Andrew and Team DOO

What happens now?

This blog will be archived and we'll have a whales blog as we head to Tokyo and then to the International Whaling Commission. The Defending Our Oceans website will have the latest oceans news, but will be gradually folded back into our ongoing oceans work - so, although the expedition is over, we will still be Defending Our Oceans.

But wait - we still need your help!

You don't have to stop taking action! You will soon start receiving emails from your local Greenpeace office. If you don't have one you will be placed on our international list. You can also choose to join our International (English language) mailing list here.

And we hope you will all join us on the Defending Whales community website. We have a lot of work to do before the next International Whaling Commission meeting (at the end of May), and could really use your help.

The Esperanza arriving in Sydney this morning
© Greenpeace/Beltra

We're currently alongside in Sydney, Australia, having returned from a drama-filled 42 days at in the Southern Ocean. And there's no rest yet, at least not from the task of putting an end to whaling. After a brief 48-hour stopover to refuel, resupply and recrew, the Esperanza will be off again, this time heading directly for Japan!

As I'm putting this blog together, a press conference is taking places on the quayside. Aussie rockstar (remember Midnight Oil?) and Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage Peter Garrett joined to give his take on the Australian government's lack of action on the protecting Southern Ocean whales.

Arriving into Sydney
© Greenpeace/Beltra

Hi folks - after a 7,000 mile voyage, lots of unexpected situations, and 42 days at sea, we're currently alongside in White Bay, Sydney. Earlier, we sailed in past the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Right now, we've got a ship-full of customs and immigration officials, so we haven't yet put foot on terra firma.

No more days of ice
© Greenpeace/Beltra

It's our last night at sea. Sakyo, Karli, Regine and I are sitting in the campaign office, banging away on our keyboards. It's dark outside, and it's hot inside. It feels like only a few days ago that I was sitting here with thermal gear, reading to walk out on an icy deck. Now, I'm sitting here sweating, and Zeger and Cat have come in from the bridge because of the jasmine fragrance that's wafting around the ship - Regine is the culprit, apparently it's the shampoo she just used, the scent is hanging on the air. Karli, inspired by Regine, has bailed, but I realise there's little point in cooling off under the shower till I'm finished at the keyboard - so here I am.

In February, the Japanese government held a meeting in Tokyo to "normalise the IWC. As we reported, it seemed that "normalise" means "business as usual" – in this case, keep catching whales. Denmark was one of the countries participating in the meeting. Because of statements made by the Danish commissioner, the Danish Foreign Affairs Minister is under pressure.

In the near future the minister has to explain the Danish IWC position to parliament - a debate that is desperately needed.

To keep up the pressure we urgently ask you to send an email to the Danish minister for foreign affairs, Per Stig Møller.

Keep the pressure on Denmark! »

The last three weeks have not only been about a vessel and a crew in distress. The tragedy in the Southern Ocean has shown how vulnerable the Antarctic environment is. It has been an alarm bell for every one and a warning of what might be if the whaling fleet returns
Watch Ocean Defenders TV »

Viktor's birthday cake
© Greenpeace/Beltra

Hello from the Tasman Sea. As predicted - we're now out of the roaring forties, and into warm, easier seas. It's actually hot on the Esperanza today - for the first time since we left Auckland in January, people have been actually commenting on the heat (but not complaining!). The sun was shining today, and the rough seas are disappearing - no more thunderous banging of the anchor as the ship pitches. After the hatches being battened down for the last week, it seemed odd to be free to stroll down to the heli-hanger without worrying about the cold, or the sea conditions.

A relatively calm moment in the Tasman Sea
© Greenpeace/Beltra

By the time you read this, chances are the Esperanza will have left the Roaring Forties. It's some days since we left the Furious Fifties behind. It's got to be said, those old sailor men weren't mucking around when the coined those names, referring to the Southern lines of latitude. Let's hope the thirties are timid. This is my third time sailing in the Tasman Sea with Greenpeace - both previous trips have been on the Rainbow Warrior - and my current crewmate, Logi. So far, he and I have failed to convince anyone that it was really quite calm on both of our trips - both of which took place in winter!

Force 10 in the Tasman
© Greenpeace/Beltra

Well, that's the general consensus on board the Esperanza, as we battle through yet another storm. We thought we had seen off the worst of the Southern Ocean, or as Frank said "the Southern Ocean had taken its last bite out of us" when the sheer power of the waves blew one of our portholes to pieces, in the middle of the night.

It was the storm before the calm, or at least we thought. Yesterday the morning came bright, sunny and FLAT. Deadlights up, portholes flung wide, fresh air and the long-forgotten smell of Earth greeted us all. We pointed inanely at the land in vests, shorts and sandals making stupid "oooh, land!" comments (well, I was!). It looked like it was going to be a good day, AND it was a Sunday so we didn't even have to work.

Southern Ocean Moon
© Greenpeace/Beltra

Well, it's goodbye to the coldness and wildness of the Southern Ocean. Gone are the thermals and heavy jackets. Sandals and t-shirts are starting to reappear on board the Esperanza, and the Oocean is almost flat. The evenings are getting shorter - we actually have proper nights again. Emilie just made an announcement over the intercom, "beautiful moon rising on the starboard side!"

Last night, as you'll have seen from the conversation between Andrew and I, the scene was a little different. So different, in fact, that earlier in the day, Penny and Pep had toured all the cabins on the main deck, ensuring that the deadlights - the brass covers for the portholes - were sealed down. It was a good idea...

The damaged Japanese whaling factory ship, the Nisshin Maru wasn't the only thing making recent news in the Ross Sea. New Zealand skipper John Bennett, longlining for toothfish in the Ross Sea, managed to hook his second colossal squid there too, on February 22nd. Now wait a moment... most people have heard of the giant squid, but whenever the colossal squid is mentioned, a sceptical eyebrow is raised. "What's next?" is the question, "the Really Ginormous Squid?"

The Esperanza has a 24/7 internet connection, which (judging from my instant message chat with Dave today) even works in really rough weather. It's a little bizarre and a little cool to by text messaging with someone on their way through some of the most legendarily rough ocean on Earth

Anyway, seems things have gone wobbly, and Dave is having a rough time. The Esperanza is built to take this stuff, and the crew is more than capable of seeing her through it. But things can't be fun on board.

Here's our chat from earlier (IM names have been changed to protect the arguably innocent):

[10:08] Dave: hey andrew
[10:09] Andrew: good morning (more or less)
[10:09] Dave: good evening then!
[10:09] Dave: I'm in the middle of trying to edit a blog for today
[10:09] Dave: but the weather has been f_cking rotten all day
[10:09] Dave: which is making sitting at the computer kinda impossible
[10:09] Andrew: heh heh
[10:10] Dave: so if you or adele have anything else to stick up feel free!
[10:10] Andrew: pretty comfy where Im sitting
[10:10] Dave: gonna post something in a while if i can
[10:10] Andrew: I'll take a look in a while and post something if yours doesnt make it
[10:10] Dave: i'm currently jammed, standing up between the wall and the office table

Antarctic Seals
© Greenpeace/Beltra

This is a little something Celeste wrote a few days ago, about her experiences of the Ross Sea last weekend...

Saturday goes down as one of the most phenomenal days of my life. As you know, the pack ice was moving towards us at an incredible rate and when we awoke on Saturday morning there it was. Captain Frank and his competent mates decided to take the ship through the ice. It makes the largest crunching and grinding noises that you can ever believe and actually also knocks the ship around a bit. It is also just so incredibly beautiful to look at - forget the bergs - it's the pack ice that I love.

Esperanza in the ice pack 60°
© Greenpeace/Beltra

The Esperanza is still rolling in rough weather - there's a few queasy folk and more than one bleary eye this morning. We're still heading north, and the whaling fleet are still near us.

The air and sea temperature is starting to warm up, and after spending several weeks in Antarctic waters, it's a little ironic that I'm going to tell you about International Polar Year. Especially considering we're now 600 miles north of the Antarctic Circle.

Today marks the beginning of IYP, a "large scientific programme focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009". The year is two years "long" in order to cover both Antarctic and Arctic. The idea is to have a collaborative, international effort combining the efforts of countries around the world in sharing costs to coordinate scientific experiments.