Anti-whaling vessel damaged by wave
A conservationist group's boat that was chasing a Japanese whaling vessel off Antarctica was seriously damaged by a giant wave today - a major setback in the group's ongoing and sometimes violent battle with Japan's whaling fleet, the activists said.
The wave cracked the hull and severely damaged one of the pontoons on the Brigitte Bardot, a scout vessel for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which is chasing the whaling fleet in the hopes of interrupting Japan's annual hunt.
None of the boat's 10 crew were hurt, and the vessel was in no danger of sinking in the icy waters, Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said.
"It's not going to stop our attempt, but it is a setback because it takes out one of our boats," Mr Watson said by phone from his vessel, the Steve Irwin.
The Brigitte Bardot was chasing the Japanese ship Nisshin Maru in 20-foot swells when the rogue wave smashed into the port side of the vessel, cracking the hull, Mr Watson said. The pontoon was in danger of breaking off, but the boat was not taking on any water, he said.
"The captain there assures me that everything will be fine by the time we reach them," Mr Watson said.
The Steve Irwin, named after the late Australian crocodile hunter, was making its way through rough seas toward the Brigitte Bardot and was about 12 hours away, Mr Watson said.
Once there, the Steve Irwin will escort the stricken boat 1,500 miles to Fremantle, Western Australia, for repairs, and immediately return to the waters off Antarctica to continue chasing the whalers.
Meanwhile, the group's third vessel, the Bob Barker, was left to hunt the whaling fleet by itself.
Popular Stories
Man describes face-eating attack
Second strong earthquake hits Italy...
Cairo protests turn violent
Updated: Huge quake strikes off...
Disco legend Donna Summer dead from...
Sea Shepherd's Captain Watson...
North Korea's rocket crashes into...
Al-Megrahi is dead
Hollande declares victory in French...
In Discussion
Pope slams rebels over celibacy and...
Hollande declares victory in French...
Al-Megrahi is dead
North Korea's rocket crashes into...
Man describes face-eating attack
Breivik trial opens - shooter 'does...
Hollande wins first round of French...
Libya, Italy concerned about renewed...
Worker jumps into tank of acid to...
7 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
L Briffa
Dec 29th 2011, 16:29
Falzon: Just by being a member of several conservationist societies does not mean that you are actually doing anything....there is a difference between enrolling yourself within a group or taking actions against what you believe is wrong. So i would find a solution to stop cruelty or hunting of these animals under threat before giving titles such as 'terrorists' to people who have managed to stop whaling campaigns with 3 vessels. You wont stop hunting or the massacre of "kind of cute" animals/species by commenting on the times of Malta page.
j falzon
Dec 29th 2011, 11:24
Why do these 'conservationists' only target species such as whales, panda, dolphins ie. animals that are generally large and kind of cute? What about the hundreds of thousands of other animals under threat? Also, if we are fishing the seas for all kinds of fish, wouldn't there be less sustenance for whales thus resulting in a surplus there as well? I admire conservationists. I too am a member of several conservationist societies but I believe the Sea Shepherd's are just terrorists. The pen is mightier than the sword but they don't believe that it seems.
Mr Daniel Jones
Dec 29th 2011, 16:00
Sea Shepherd was involved in the reporting and confrontation of alleged illegal fishing of Blue fin tuna in the Mediterranean. The Blue fin whilst not cute is certainly endangered.
Sea Shepherd is also involved in lobbying. It seems that only certain people in Malta and Japan view Sea Shepherd's work as wrong. Probably those with a vested interest in wiping out a species for profit. Sad really.
Edward Camilleri
Dec 29th 2011, 16:56
Calling Sea Shepher's crew terrorists show howanti-conservationist you are Mr. Falzon. These people are risking their life to protect mighty creatures with whatever they can. The terrorists are the whale hunters, because these whales are protected and it is ILLEGAL to hunt them.
It is so unfair to do nothing but to call others terrorists because they are trying to protect such creatures is beyond immagination.
Pule' Carmel
Dec 29th 2011, 11:13
The Agi Gill and the Brigitte Bardot who suffered damage in this plight to save the whales may have been long distance fast travellers , but I believe they were being misused by the Sea Shepard Conservation Society.
The Agi Gill and the Brigitte Badot were cutting across the bows of the Japanese whale ships and it was during this manouvre that the Agi Gill was ploughed down under the bows of the whales where the Agi Gill was split in half almost and later sank down to eternity.
No trimaran or catamaran are meant to face heavey waves as when the hulls are travelling diagonal to the wafefront the hull is subjected to the greatest stresses and no material can stand it. The best hulls for high waves are the old types of sailers with a semispherical hull and pointed ends preferably with ballast underneath the fully enclosed hull, this hull will rock a little and climb the wave rather than penetrate it as the Agi Gill and the Brigitte Bardot were designed to do to set records circumnavigating the Earth.
Some information.
The MV Agi Gill was in fact Earth Race which passed Malta during its circumnavigation but did not call here.
MV Brigitte Bardot (formerly Gojira and Ocean 7 Adventurer) is a unique high-tech 35 m (115 ft) stabilized monohull twin diesel engine powered vessel designed by Nigel Irens. Construction of the Adventurer began in June 1997 and she was launched on 16 March 1998. The official naming ceremony took place on 3 April 1998 in London's West India Dock.
IN my opinion both are too weak to handle the whalers if they are to face each other, they outpace them in speed and endurance and range , but that is what they were designed for, not to fight the whalers arduing who had the right of way , Starboard or Port side and so on. The Japanese do not use ethics when then are catching whales. Stiil the Australian crew think they are on the sporting field with both contenders using some sort of ethics.
It is such a pity that the Agi Gill was sunk and the Brigitte Bardot damages for I really liked thier design.
But wavepiercers are not meant to fight whalers
Iincidentally we could do with such a fast craft to ply from Malta Valletta and Marsaxlokk to Mgarr Gozo, It would be very economical and could do the jurney in under one hour for passengers. I believe we need this.
David Caruana
Dec 29th 2011, 11:26
And I always thought it was the Ady Gill not Agi Gill
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2009/10/20/sea-shepherd-unveils-the-ady-gil-290
Pule' Carmel
Dec 29th 2011, 14:25
THank you Sir, YOu are absolutely correct. My memory is failing and I should check.
It is such a pity this Ady Gill had to finish sank as it was. The films are all on You Yube and I remember seeing it being built and so many people polishing it.
Some years ago I was licky to see and talk to the crew of Spirit of Cardiff which called on Malta when she was going around circumnavigating the world. The call in Malta was not very pleasant as there were no lights on the Tuna nets and the Spirit of Cardiff finished up in the net breaking her ourdrive system.
Brave crew those who go around the world in such small craft. In Malta we should make the sea more popular with our schools and so many adventures to be takled by students to prepare for life ahead.
Incidentally I do believe that the Brigitte Bardot was also the Cable and Wireless Adventure trimaran. I have to check on this. It did the circumnavigating in 70 days while the ady Gill in about 50 I believe. The spirit of Cardiff had problems with the inflatable tubing and the fibreglass lower hull as it took a batterring,Still they made it on one engine Mitsubishi and one outdrive, brave people!