The action is going smoothly

The two activists chained to the anchor of the contaminated ship are in for the long haul. A boat from the Mexican navy is slowly circling, observing the action.

The two activists, one from Argentina and one from Mexico, are set to stay where they are for quite a while. They have set up a makeshift hammock to sleep if necessary, and are otherwise using something called a 'bosun's chair' - a little seat suspended from the chain.

The crew is relaxed, and chatting from the deck with the two, who are about four metres above the water. We have told them repeatedly that this is a non-violent action - we pose no threat to their safety, or the safety of the ship. We have delivered some background documents to the crew, to make sure they understand why we are stopping their shipment.

We have requested that the ship return to the United States with the cargo. The captain has kept with his previous statements: his opinion is that there is nothing wrong with the shipment, and to speak to the shipping agent.

A small (~20 foot) boat from the Mexican navy is currently circling the Ikan Altamira and the Arctic Sunrise, to observe the action. They have not contacted us yet.

Listen to audio updates from activists on the ship here