Japanese whalers ram another Sea Shepherd vessel, but leave whale sanctuary

11/02/2010 11:49:36 Second Sea Shepherd Vessel rammed. Courtesy of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
February 2010. Just weeks after the sinking of the Sea Shepherds ship, Ady Gil, one of the Japanese whaling ships, the Yushin Maru 3 has rammed the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker, penetrating its hull. The collision occurred 180 miles off Cape Darnley in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The Bob Barker had been actively blocking the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, the Japanese whaling fleet's factory ship when the collision occurred. Four harpoon ships, the Yushin Maru 1, 2, and 3 and Shonan Maru 2, were circling and making passes to the stern and bow of the Sea Shepherd vessel, and then the Yushin Maru 3 rammed the Bob Barker, creating a 3-foot long 4-inch deep gash in the mid starboard side of the Sea Shepherd vessel above the waterline.

No injuries
No crew was injured during the collision. The Bob Barker continues to block the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, preventing the transfer of slaughtered whales and effectively shutting down illegal whaling operations. The crew of the Bob Barker noticed that the Yushin Maru 3 stopped moving in the water shortly after the impact, and appeared to be falling behind as the Bob Barker maintained its position on the stern of the Nisshin Maru. It's possible the Yushin Maru 3 damaged itself in the collision.

YourBob Barker damage from the dollision. Credit Lincoln Shaw.

Japanese Whaling Fleet leaves the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary - Sea Shepherd continue to follow
Having been intercepted and harassed by the Sea Shepherd ships, the Japanese whaling ships have headed north out of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The Sea Shepherd ships Steve Irwin and Bob Barker continue to chase the Japanese whaling fleet.

Captain Paul Watson Said, "They have not killed a single whale since February 5th. We intend to turn four whaling free days into weeks."

"We intend to keep on their tail and to prevent any whaling operations for as long as our fuel reserves last and that should be for another few weeks at least," Said Bob Barker captain Chuck Swift.