From the Antarctic comes this email from Sea Shepherd volunteer, Ben Potts. Ben was one of two activists who boarded the Yishin Maru, the harpoon boat, last summer in Antarctica and detained for 3 days.
 

This year the Japanese whalers have reduced their quota of Minkes to 750 from 935. The Humpbacks that travel up and down the East and West coasts of Australia have been given a reprieve this year but 50 endangered Fin whales are on the hit list. On Friday [19/12] Sea Shepherd’s vessel “Steve Irwin” intercepted the Japanese whaling fleet in Australian waters in Antarctica. This year they are alone, no Greenpeace, no Australian customs vessel.
 

Heya Red,

Sorry this reply is so late but since i sent the last message things got quite hectic with helicopter operations and general duties as we started searching for the Japanese. The boats were roaring around and the chopper patrolling out over the horizon. Been learning a great deal about aircraft maintaince and learning to spot irregularities in the airframe and engine though daily visual inspections.
 
We found Japanese whalers yesterday in the fog and ice, closing in on them with the radar, quite a shock for both crews as the outline of ship emergd from the fog. One the sinister long raised bow of a fast harpoon boat, the other the menacing black fortress of the Irwin. The harpoon ship was the Yushin Maru No.2, the very one Giles and I boarded in January. They were so close I was waving to all me old friends and telling them to book me another room!! They were smilling as they unveiled this huge net designed to keep us from boarding. They then speed off, we sent the delta boat after them but the weather turned pretty nasty with 50 knot winds, sleet and huge swells with ice - bloody horrible actually. The poor boat crew were getting thumped so they were recalled.
 
We are now constantly shuddering as ice bergs bounce off the bow and scrap their way down the side of the ship with a terriable grating groan - no holes yet though!! Perhaps this is the frozen version of up shit creek! Seen some amazing sights, pods of Fin whales, Adeile penguins and beautiful all white snow petrals. The decks are covered in snow and you don't last long outside before fingers and face are numb. Lucky the galley girls have been cooking up a storm, lots of cakes, biscuits and freshly baked bread, making good use of the $6000 worth of food from Santos.
 

Have a great Christy

Regards

Pottsy
 

More info: www.seashepherd.org
 

More whale info. www.oceania.org  and www.greenpeace.org.au