Stand up for Ocean & Whale: Robert F. Kennedy Jr, people in Japan, world volunteers fr Australia, Canada, Germany, NZ, UK, US...

"Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit." - Baltasar Gracian
*update* March 7, 2013 -

*update* February 21, 2013 - Japan halts whale hunt after Japanese factory ship rammed Sea Shepherd ships one after another, and 4 times rammed/damaged their own supply tanker, S Korean Sun Laurel" Video - Nisshin Maru rams Bob Barker, Steve Irwin, and Sun Laurel (now oil spill in S Ocean - Antarctic Whale Santuary)

Feb. 20, 2013 “I don’t think we have ever had a more eventful few hours in the 9 years we have been opposing the whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and certainly there has never been a day when all of our ships were rammed one after another,” writes Paul Watson on Facebook. “It is also the first time we have ever been rammed by the Nissin Maru, and to top it all off, the Japanese factory ship four times rammed and damaged their own supply tanker, the Sun Laurel.”

We believe in science, which does not lead us to respect Nature less. Nature has Nature’s laws. Nature, Universe and Ocean have created myths and miracles, far beyond our comprehension... Thus far there is no way (and probably never will) to prove the immensely huge mammals, whales, are not Ocean God; equally weighed, there is no excuse that the Ocean Giant, whales, should be treated less than humans... - Editor

*Update* Feb. 12, 2013 Environmental Attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr, son of Bobby Kennedy and nephew of JFK, is representing Sea Shepherd in the US Supreme Court
Feb. 11 Lawyers for Sea Shepherd To Announce Landmark Legal Action Against Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research
Feb 12 Sea Shepherd files countersuing, and seeking $3 million dollars for Ady Gil rammed by Shonan Maru No. 2

*update* Anti-Whaling march in Tokyo Feb 9, 2013.

voluntees from Japan, 'citizen of the planet Earth', defending whales

meet Beck Straussner, volunteer, native of Hawaii, US

meet Gillian Graham, volunteer from UK

meet Olav Jost, volunteer from Frankfurt, Germany

meet Hillary Watson, volunteer from Canada

meet Bruce Hawken, volunteer from Australia

meet Eleanor Lister, volunteer from Jersey, UK

To understand people's passion for ocean, watch this video: Diving Dimakya from Sarosh Jacob on Vimeo

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Jan. 21, 2013 - Dr. Reese Halter, broadcaster and biologist: "The bloody ‘War Against Nature’ is set to rage: enough blood has been shed; in the 20th century humans slaughtered 1.5 million whales. Southern Ocean Sanctuary a Slaughterhouse." Four Japanese whale-killing, factory ships armed with coast guards and grenade-tipped harpoons are within hours of entering a demilitarized zone and the international Great Southern Ocean Sanctuary. The bloody "War Against Nature" is set to rage. In a world in which the environment is being marauded, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is standing up and upholding the law to protect the great whales in an international sanctuary. Enough blood has been shed; in the 20th century humans slaughtered 1.5 million whales.

Four Sea Shepherd boats -- Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, Sam Simon and Brigitte Bardot -- are being led this year by former Australian Greens leader and environmental champion Dr. Bob Brown and former Australian Senator and former Environment Minister Ian Campbell. They have taken over from Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson who is restricted by a U.S. Court of Appeals preventing him from going within 500 yards of whale-killing ships. The Aussie leaders and 120 crew representing 24 nations (including Japan) are on a bold mission -- Operation Zero Tolerance: Zero Cruelty: Zero Kills.

Jan. 27, 2013 - letter from Dr. Bob Brown, medical doctor, former Australian Senator and Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens, to the Crew of Whale Navy, to the Crew of Operation Zero Tolerance:

"Dear Captain Sid, and the crews of the Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, Sam Simon, and Brigitte Bardot - it is so good knowing that you are down there in the Southern Ocean amongst the whales to protect them. You represent a change in human thinking, regard and respect for our fellow species - and so ourselves - which parallels other changes in recent centuries like the emancipation of slaves, education for all children and recognition that we are related to all other life on Earth (and were not made separately).

The great slaughter of the whales of the last three centuries is over and it is the Japanese whalers that sail against the course of human history while you go with the fair wind of empathy from all the future of human thinking. The world wants you down there and wishes you all success.

Yet you inevitably face a formidable and violent fleet of whalers intent on bloodshed and driven by both money and power. Stoking their boilers is the perverse idea, which some people never grow out of, that they are closer to supremacy over nature if they kill other creatures bigger, faster or more mysterious than themselves, no matter how unthreatening, amiable or technologically innocent those creatures may be.

I wish you great success and am proud to be working with you. On this tiny, life-filled planet none of us is very far apart. Though you are beyond our visual horizon, your presence and life-saving work in the Antarctic is inspiring countless hearts with its audacity, it's morality and it's statement about how we may secure the safety if the whales and, by extension, the future of all life on Earth.
We await your news.
Best wishes,
Bob Brown"

Jan. 28, 2013 - Sea Shepherd Has Intercepted Japanese whale-killing, factory ships armed with coast guards and grenade-tipped harpoons before a single whale is killed. Last night while on patrol in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, Sea Shepherd Australia's fast interceptor vessel the SSS Brigitte Bardot intercepted the Harpoon kill ship, the Yushin Maru No. 3.

Brigitte Bardot Captain Jean Yves Terlain stated, "The Yushin Maru 3 was on a westerly course, indicating that the fleet has been in bad weather for the past several days. The latitude at which they were found was rather far north and given that the large concentrations of whales are found further south, closer to the Antarctic Continent, where there are high concentrations of krill as this would indicate that they have not yet begun whaling."

Operation Zero Tolerance Co-Campaign Leader Bob Brown was thrilled when he heard the news. "It is likely that we have intercepted these whale poachers before a single harpoon has been fired. Whale lovers of Australia and around the world will be elated that Sea Shepherd is down there, but still daunted that the whaling fleet is in the Whale Sanctuary."

Bob Barker Captain Peter Hammarstedt stated, "From past experiences, we know that the harpoon ships are never far from the factory ship, meaning the floating slaughterhouse, the Nisshin Maru must be close by."

Operation Zero Tolerance co-campaign Leader Jeff Hansen stated, "We are at the end of January and it looks like not a single whale has been killed. We now just need to hang in there and keep on these poachers. Sea Shepherd will do its part to uphold the Australian Federal Court ruling. We will not tolerate a single whale death inside the established whale sanctuary by these poachers."

The three remaining Sea Shepherd ships, the SSS Steve Irwin, SSS Bob Barker and SSS Sam Simon, remain on guard and on the hunt for the Cetacean Death Star, the Nisshin Maru, in defence of the whales.

Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson, has made the following comment: “As a US citizen, I will respect and comply with the ruling of the United States Ninth District Court and will not violate the temporary injunction granted to the Institute for Cetacean Research. I am aboard the Steve Irwin on Operation Zero Tolerance as an observer to document Japan's illegal butchering of whales. I have every faith in former Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown to lead Sea Shepherds’ ninth Antarctic whale defence campaign, Operation Zero Tolerance. I am equally as confident in the abilities and leadership of the captains of all four Sea Shepherd ships, because they have the passion and commitment to uphold the Australian Federal Court ruling prohibiting Japan's whale hunt."

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Photos courtesy of awesomestories.com, AP, onlyinamericablogging.blogspot.com and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society