The ship was built in Poland in 1984 and was one of 14 Russian fire fighting vessels. (The ship still bears the marks of her Russian past, such as Russian Cyrillic lettering on the control panels.) She was refitted and renamed the "Esperanza" in 2002, following a global competition among our online supporters (the "Cyberactivists") to nominate and then vote on her name. She was launched in Cape Town in a ceremony where she was blessed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

At 72 metres and with a top speed of 15 knots, the ship is ideal for fast and long range work. Her ice class status means we can also work in polar regions.

Travel with the Esperanza - Visit the webcam on the bow of the ship to see where she is right now!

The Crew

There are 19 multinational members of the crew, but up to 40 people can be on board including researchers, campaigners and scientists.

Ship Features

When the ship was refitted a number of improvements were made to make the ship environmentally friendly and technologically advanced. These include:

- The removal or safe containment of all asbestos

- Fitting a special fuel system to avoid spillage

- A heating system that recycles the waste energy produced by the engines

- TBT-free hull paint

- Ammonia-based refrigeration and air-conditioning rather than climate changing and ozone depleting Freon gas

- An economic propulsion mode which limits the emission of greenhouse gases

Since her launch, the Esperanza and her crew have had a special connection with our oceans. In 2005 alone, she was instrumental in many campaigns to defend ocean life including taking action against dolphin-killing pair trawlers in the English Channel, scientific research on The Mingulay reef complex off Scotland, action against bottom trawling in the North Atlantic, and promoting marine reserves in the North Sea.