Dave - communications officer
© Greenpeace/Jiri Rezac
Ireland
Hi folks - I'm back on the Esperanza, returning to the Southern Ocean for the second time this year. Yes, it was only last February that we were down below 66 degrees south, on the last leg of the Defending our Oceans voyage. On that occasion, the Esperanza ended up escorting the Japanese whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru out of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, after it had drifted without power in the Ross Sea, because of a fire on board.
We're following the Nisshin Maru and the rest of the Japanese whaling fleet as it returns to the Southern Ocean again for the 2007-2008 season, with plans to kill 935 minke whales, 50 endangered fins, and 50 threatened humpbacks, all in the name of so-called scientific research. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - whaling in the 21st century is an anachronism that needs to be ended, once and for all.
I've been sailing for Greenpeace for three and a half years now, and this is my seventh expedition. Previous trips included investigating bottom trawling in the Tasman Sea and the Atlantic, and pirate fishing off West Africa. I usually sail as web editor - this time I'm looking after communications, which is a fancy way of saying that I'll be dealing with the media while on board.
I love being at sea - and always dreamed of visiting Antarctic waters, so it's beyond a dream to be visiting them again so soon - twice in a year! There's a serene beauty to the Antarctic - even if land isn't sighted, you still return home with a landscape in your mind, even though that 'land' is made up of water - fresh water trapped in icebergs and salt water in sea ice. Unfortunately, we will probably bear witness to scenes not so pleasant the slaughter of whales for commercial gain. Whales can't be allowed to die in their thousands for needless, discredited "research".
We'll be doing what we can to disrupt the harpoons of the whaling fleet, but we need your support back on land too, so please stay with us on this long expedition. We'll be demonstrating that it's possible to do real research on whales, without killing them, like satellite tracking them in the Southern Ocean.
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Comments
Hi...I am following your work from Enniscorthy Vocational College, Co Wexford in Ireland. It was great to hear you Dave on RTE primetime radio yesterday. Perhaps if you are in Enniscorthy sometime you would visit and talk to some of my students.Your work is inspirational. Thank you, éadaoin
Posted by: éadaoin | November 20, 2007 2:04 PM
HI Dave
IWDG should be posting a fairly strong letter on www.iwdg.ie tomorrow regarding JARPA II program. Assuming it's ok with you, we'll be adding a link to your blog. We're mentioning the fact that you are an IWDG member. Let us know if you've any problem with this. There is currently great debate within IWDG about what we should be doing at home, which is great, as we've admitidly in the past taken a fairly cautious view on the whaling issue. But the taking of fin and humpbacks seems to have awoken the beast within all of us. The RTE news and radio items the other day came across really well.
Keep up the good work and drop us a line if there is anything you want quickly posted on www.iwdg.ie
Padraig Whooley
IWDG Sightings Co-ordinator
Posted by: Padraig Whooley | November 20, 2007 8:10 PM
Hi Dave
Im watching you from Waterford here in Ireland on the webcam and blog .I wish you the best of luck and hope you stay safe we are very proud of all of you here and we will bear witness over the next few weeks.Ive written to the japanese embassy and implore every one to do likewise.All the very best of luck.Steve
Posted by: steve canavan | December 8, 2007 10:51 PM
Hi Dave
Watching the reports & blogs
and still canvassing more suppport for the anti-whaling
lobby where and whenever I can. Hitting the forums etc.
Keep yourselves safe whilst
keeping our humpbacks, fin and minkes out of the Japanese maw.
Posted by: chrissy | December 13, 2007 4:58 PM
Dave your email on your web site is not working. I am working to raise awareness in Ireland on the whaling situation as it now stands. I would really appreciate a few words if you could email me back. I am a private individual and do not belong to any group etc. Please see website for more.
I seem to have started something that I am over my head in and you obviously have a lot of skills.
Best Wishes
Susan Anthony
Posted by: Susan Anthony | December 31, 2007 8:13 PM
Dave,
Doing a piece on you here for the Irish Echo in Sydney - you might drop us a line for the next edition and let us know how things are going?
Would you be pulling into Sydney at any stage soon?
Would love to do a phone interview if possible with yourself, Dave 2 and Sara?
Keep up the good work,
Markham
Posted by: Markham | January 14, 2008 5:39 AM
Happy Birthday Sailor! Miss you!
Posted by: heather | January 22, 2008 6:46 PM