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Melanie: Campaigner
2007-01-24 23:07:01
© Greenpeace/Beltra Melanie - Camp a ign er USA Hi, I'm Melanie Duchin. I'm a campaigner for Greenpeace in our office in Anchorage, Alaska. When I was asked back in August if I'd be interested in being on board the Esperanza for this expedition, I almost fell off my chair. It took half a nanosecond before I said, "YES!". I've been with Greenpeace for almost 19 years and have watched Southern Ocean Expeditions from afar, always wowed by the footage and humbled by the bravery of the people who put their bodies between the whales and the harpoons. I know it will be gruesome, difficult and highly emotional to watch the whale hunt in person, but I know that it's an important part of why I am on board: to bear witness and be the eyes and ears for the global public who can't make it to this remote part of the planet to see what the Japanese government is doing in the Southern Ocean. Another important reason for being a part of this expedition is because the next meeti...
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Karli - Expedition Leader
2007-01-24 23:07:01
© Greenpeace/Beltra Karli - Expedition Leader Japan Hi, my name is Karli and I'm the expedition leader onboard the Esperanza for this campaign in the Southern Ocean. I'm from a small place at the northernmost tip of New Zealand, called Golden Bay (someone told me recently that they thought everyone should be from a place with a name like that). At the entrance to the Bay is a sandspit, where sometimes whole pods of whales get stranded. That was always a time when the whole community would get together with buckets, gumboots, wetsuits, whatever - and try to save the whales by re-floating them with the next high tide. I remember going by bus from our little country school to the windswept beach to help with the efforts. It was always sad when some of those whales could not be saved ­ but it's not as heartbreaking as when people go out to deliberately hunt whales in one of the most untouched parts of our planet. Growing up so close to the ocean means it has always be...
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Last night anywhere near land
2007-01-24 23:07:01
By Dave, on the Esperanza It's another warm, clammy night here, in the campaign office of the Esperanza. There's no one here, but us chickens - Sara and I, glued to our laptops. You'd think we'd be out savouring the delights of urban life, but no, tonight, that's not our path. We've too much to do. Tomorrow morning is our pre-voyage press conference - and then we're scheduled to depart at 1600 tomorrow, New Zealand Time, with all our crew, supplies and equipment on board. We'll be heading down the east coast of the North Island, heading for the Southern Ocean through the roaring forties, furious fifties and the screaming sixties. It's down in the wild Southern Ocean that we'll find the whaling fleet, and we'll be making sure they don't go home with a full quota of dead minke or fin whales. The adventure is just about to begin... you can take part too. Keep watching the Ocean Defenders blog and sign up to our crew on whales.greenpeace.org
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Iceland's sustainable whaling? Yeah, right!
2007-01-23 05:04:02
In late 2006 a single whaler, given a commercial license by the Iceland ic government, hunted and killed seven fin whales. This caused huge public and political controversy, both in Iceland an internationally. Now, some of our activists in Iceland have been hard at work, discovering whopping 200 tonnes of meat and blubber from endangered fin whales still in storage - awaiting tests for chemical contamination. An adult fin whale can weigh up to
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The Preparation continues on board the Esperanza, and Edmund Hillary speaks
2007-01-22 17:03:03
Hernan giving a presentation about IGO Posted by Dave, on the Esperanza Well, the last Open Boat is done, and the Esperanza has temporarily moved to another part of Auckland harbour, continuing the ongoing preparations for our expedition to the Southern Ocean. Nearly all the crew have arrived, and everyone is getting to know each other, and some of us even managed to grab a few hours off from thinking about ships and whales and environmentalism. Just a few hours, mind. Last night, Greenpeace New Zealand held a party so that local staff and activists could get to know the crew of the Espy, and today, Hernan did a presentation in the Greenpeace office about the IGO project. It's been a busy few days! Meanwhile, Mount Everest hero Sir Edmund Hill ary has been at Scott base in the Antarctic for what he says his last time. While there, he took the time to criticise the Japanese government, who he said do not "seem to have accepted that these creatures, wonderful creatures that they...
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By John Bowler, in New Zealand Today?s blog is not about the
2007-01-15 22:53:01
By John Bowler, in New Zealand Today ?s blog is not about the Esperanza or the whale campaign or how the Open Boat went today (for you information it was great, 500+ visitors and the sun shone brightly). Although I really enjoyed it again today my head (and my heart) was elsewhere. I have been with Greenpeace for 20 years and during that time have travelled widely, but I have never been to New Zealand before. Yes, this is my first time in Auckland and so I had to check out Marsden Warf just about one kilometre away from Princes Warf where the Esperanza proudly sits.
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Greenpeace NZ Oceans CampaignerJo McVeaghBy John Bowler, in
2007-01-14 22:52:01
Greenpeace NZ Oceans Campa ign erJo McVeaghBy John Bowler, in New Zealand It?s now five days since the Esperanza arrived in Auckland. During this time we have been busy with crew going and coming, repairs and maintenance, and the arrival of equipment for the upcoming Southern Ocean voyage. It has been a busy five days, full of hard work, long hours and constant discussions over the strategy and tactics to be employed to stop whaling in the sanctuary.
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The Esperanza sings
2007-01-11 10:49:01
The Espy arrives...By Sara, at Princes Wharf in AucklandAfter 15 years working in television news, I now know why I spent all my time IN FRONT of the camera and not behind it - because I am a rubbish camera woman. The lovely surprise for you all was going to be great footage of the wonderful songs the team here in Auckland had rehearsed for the ship and the equally fabulous musical response the crew had been practicing for days... But the tape needs "a little work" on it before it is presentable and frankly might never see the light of day. So to compensate here's what you would have seen, but in a way that even I can manage - written down!
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2006: The Year in Pictures
2007-01-02 22:43:03
By Helena on the Esperanza, and Adele struggling after too much champagne in Stockholm As another year passes by, and I try to catch up with it, Helena has been chatting with the crew about their involvement in Defending Our Oceans. For many this is the second or even third leg of the trip. There are a number of crew who are heading back down to the Southern Ocean, but some will be disembarking in New Zealand. 2006 was an amazing year. Having sailed across oceans and working on a number of campaigns; whaling, pirate fishing, tuna ranching, pollution, oil spills, marine debris and destructive coastal development. Here are some stunning pictures to reflect on the year behind us?and inspire some resolutions for the year ahead.        
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Behind the scenes: John Bowler
2006-12-30 22:42:02
What DOO I doo? By John BowlerSanta John onboard the Arctic Sunrise in 1999© Cunningham/Greenpeace Introducing another of our less public but very important Ocean Defenders, Irishman John Bowler. Not only was John the leader of our Southern Ocean Expedition back in 1999/2000 as well as 2005/6, but he was one of the people responsible for convincing Bono to don a radiation suit (and apparently ruin his boots) to protest against the building of a second reactor at Sellafield nuclear plant. Here's John's account of the last year Defending Our Oceans... By now you all know about DOO (Defending Our Oceans) and the many people involved in the project especially those who have been on board one of the Greenpeace ships over the past year. But what doo I doo? What has been my role in this amazing year-long expedition.
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Having a wonderful Christmas without Harrods and Wal-Mart
2006-12-27 10:39:03
By Christ ian, onboard the Esperanza Crew opening their 'ship made' presents Out here, in the South Pacific, as far away from anything as you can get, there are no shopping malls, mega stores or cute little Christmas shops. Here, in the best Christmas spirit, we taketh what we haveth, and make do. And do well. It works like this: About a week before Christmas we all pull a piece of paper from a hat. On this paper there is a name, and that is the person you make a Christmas gift to. All of this is very secret and hush hush, so we lock our cabins and sneak around at night (sometimes freaking each other out), putting things together.
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Christmas a world away
2006-12-25 22:38:03
By Shane, back at Greenpeace HQShane's Chris t mas 2005The Esperanza crew is currently celebrating Christmas, and we thought we'd leave them in peace to digest their dinner. Much to the amazement of some of our guests, we here at Team Sweden called Captain Pete last night to wish him Merry Christmas (even though he's ignoring it) and the onboard crew sounded safe and well. We'll have updates from them tomorrow. Meanwhile, last year's expedition leader Shane has sent me his reflections on where he was a year ago. -- Adele As we passed over the winter solstice and headed in to Christmas, I paused to think about how different it was last year. On 21 December 2005, I was in the Southern Ocean on the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, and we had just found the Japanese whaling fleet. Their deck was lined with the carcasses of whales that had been harpooned before we arrived. Over the next two days, we confronted the whalers, putting ourselves and our small boats in front of the ha...
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Behind the scenes: Rose Young
2006-12-24 10:36:01
Rose on the Rainbow WarriorBy Adele, at the Greenpeace outpost on a small Swedish island It?s been a whole year Defending Our Oceans, and while we?re transiting to New Zealand (calm before the storm, I suppose!) we thought it would be nice for you to meet some of our deskbound warriors who comprise the Defending our Oceans: Behind the Scene s team. First cab off the rank is possibly the world?s coolest grandmother (to no less than seven grandchildren), Rose Young .
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Leaving the Northern Hemisphere
2006-12-23 10:35:01
King & Queen Neptune, as portrayed earlier in the expedition.© Greenpeace/GleizesBy Helena, onboard the Esperanza The blue skies and puffy clouds are back, the light ocean breeze implies we have now passed through the ITCZ ? intertropical convergence zone, or for the more melodramatic amongst us, the ?Doldrums?. This is a belt around the globe near the equator where the north and south tradewinds meet and get a little confused, it appears the only way is up or cancelling each other out, resulting in frustrating sailing conditions and depressed sailors. ( It was named the doldrums as sailors often had to wait for days on end for a breeze to blow them back into the tradewinds, getting hot and bothered in the meantime). Tomorrow we actually cross the Line.
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Paul Watson
2006-12-23 10:35:01
By Shane, at Greenpeace HQ Years ago a man called Paul Watson used to work for Greenpeace. He now runs an organisation called Sea Shepherd. He frequently makes less than flattering remarks about Greenpeace and the people who work for the organisation. Recently he asked if we would collaborate with him in the Southern Ocean. We said no. Some of you want to know why, so for the sake of transparency, here is the letter that explains our reasons. Once you have read it, I suggest you do what I did - forget about it and carry on working to stop whales being hunted in the Southern Ocean. Shane Rattenbury Oceans Team Leader (We'd welcome your comments to this post at the Greenpeace Forum.)

Rainy Day, bring out the videos
2006-12-19 22:32:06
If you have visited the webcam in the last few days you will have noticed a sudden change in the weather today. Instead of the usual blue skies, today is grey and it's raining. On rainy days like this I just want to read books watch videos. And it just so happens that the clever media team at Greenpeace have put together a new video, ?Defending our oceans: the story so far? . I love the whistling and whirring sounds the rain is bringing. As I look out the porthole I try to imagine what the view would have been like one year ago, when this ship and her crew braved the Southern Ocean. I ask my cabin mate Caterina what it was like, with her hands (she is Italian after all) in front of the porthole she demonstrates how the horizon would appear, rise, disappear, then come back down again. I then imagine the wind howling not whistling, and the waves thumping not splashing.
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What not to get Captain Pete for Christmas
2006-12-19 22:32:06
The lucky recipient© The New York TimesBy Adele, in the Stockholm office A bizarre Chris t mas story... since we're heading to the Southern Ocean, we have been reading up on whales. While our whales guru John Frizell and our webbie Helena put together some in-depth whale facts for you, here's a little story about an unexpected Christmas present, and what has to be my absolute favourite quote of the entire year: "We don't keep a certified whale-vomit expert on staff." Ok it's funny, but it also goes to show how amazing these creatures really are.
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The power of a T-shirt
2006-12-18 04:30:04
One of the joys of being onboard are the different stories you hear. It's almost one week since we left Puerto Vallarta and, where Christian had a interesting adventure. I thought we'd share it with you on this quiet Sunday. Seemingly small things, like e.g. the t-shirt you choose to wear, can have enormous consequences. The Greenpeace t-shirt I chose to wear on our last day in Mexico in Puerto Vallarta led to this uncanny chain of events.
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Pete ponders the pacifc
2006-12-17 16:29:03
By Pete , onboard the Esperanza Captain Pete - maintaining the art of celestial navigation We are now a few days into the trip and beginning to settle into the familiar shipboard routines. The numbers on board are somewhat reduced and this leaves us all more space and so the atmosphere tends to be a little more laid back. Watches, deck work, routine maintenance in the engine room, and meals with fresh vegetables and fruit from Mexico.
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Nolan - 3rd engineer
2006-12-17 10:28:03
Nolan - 2nd Engine er New Zealand Why are you on this expedition? Because I work on this ship, and this is the campaign it's assigned to. What are you looking forward to most in this campaign? To make a difference to the attitudes of the 'faceless ones' and Governments behind the senseless wholesale plunder of our oceans. How/why did you get involved with Greenpeace? I first worked on Greenpeace in the 1985 on the Antarctic Campaign, although at the time my real interest was in stopping the atomic testing at Moruroa. I have drifted in and out sporadically ever since. What personal connection do you have to the ocean (if any?) I am a seaman. The sea is my home. It's the place I inhabit for more than half a year each year - I don't wish my home to become a desert from exploitation and greed. What made you become a marine engineer? I couldn't get a deck cadetship at the time, and so I took on engineering at sea instead - no regrets. Anything else you'd like to say? ...
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Maaike - 2nd mate
2006-12-16 16:27:01
Maaike - 2nd Mate Hi, I'm Maaike. About ten years ago I joined Greenpeace Netherlands as a volunteer activist. I was studying biology. Basically I joined every action I could. Through the dutch action team I got on board of the ships as a volunteer deckhand and one thing lead to another. Now I sail as second mate on the Esperanza. My last trip was in 2005, during this trip we worked in the North Sea on the bycatch campaign, then against deep sea trawling in northern Atlantic. It's shocking to see how much bycatch goes over the side, from small crabs to dolphins, to creatures from the deep sea I've never seen before. After that trip I had a break from Greenpeace. I do that once in a while. I sailed as mate on a coaster (small cargo ship) delivering general cargo in north western Europe. I enjoy this kind of work, it gives me the chance to look from a distance at work I do for Greenpeace. Somehow that makes me more motivated on future trips; which is the reason I...

Paloma - Volunteer Deckhand
2006-12-16 04:26:03
From: Spain My name is Palo ma. I'm from Colmebar Viejo, a town in Madrid. I'm a volunteer deckhand. Here I work on deck, keeping the ship tidy, helping the people who have more experience and learning a lot of new things about the Esperanza. I normally work in the Greenpeace Spain office, with the Fresh Water and Oceans campaigns. I decided to be a supporter when I saw the images of ships throwing nuclear waste into the Atlantic, and almost hitting the Greenpeace activists!!!! In 1998 I became a volunteer in the Spanish office, working with the Supporters Department, putting letters in envelopes, checking data, and after a while I collaborated with the Forest and Wetlands campaigns. In 2001, I joined the campaign team. I asked for a 5 years leave on my job but now, I think I'm not going back there.... I will be working for Greenpeace for more time, I hope!!!
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Catch of the day!
2006-12-15 22:26:03
By Helena, onboard the Esperanza A prime specimen of adult towfish, freshly caughtand it really does look like...Paul gives me the heads up, followed by Penny then Natasha. It's happening. 'Smoko' [morning tea] is over and we are nearing the critical 500 miles. I am not going to miss out this time. I grab the Nikon, entrusted to me by the lovely folk at Greenpeace headquarters, and run out to the 'poop deck' [lower back deck]. The crew gathers, and preparations begin. Meanwhile, I manage to mess up the camera settings so all my pictures are coming out blue. Not good. In my excitable state and fear of missing the days big 'event' I abandon the Nikon and grab Christian's compact camera. After a few practice photos - this obviously being my lucky day - the batteries die.
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Caterina - Deckhand
2006-12-15 22:26:03
Deckhand (Esperanza) Italy Ciao, my name is Cat erina, but if you call me Cat I will answer anyway. I'm 33 years old and I come from Italy. I live in Sardinia, the beautiful island in the heart of the Mediterranean sea. I?m a deckhand and this is my fourth trip on a Greenpeace ship. The first two I was on board the Rainbow Warrior around Asia and South Pacific. The last one was on board the Esperanza for the first leg of the Defending our Ocean campaign in the Southern Ocean. Amazing trip! When I am at home I have a job as skipper of a beautiful vintage sailing yacht called ?Vstona?. I started to sail thanks to my dad when I was just a kid, I love sailing, the ocean is in my blood, but for me the best is when I go back to my place with my boyfriend, my friends and my dog. During the time I?ve been sailing around the world the ocean has allways given me a lot of good lessons, I?ve got a lot of respect for it. I sail with Greenpeace because I believe in actions and not in wor...
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Tom - Radio Operator
2006-12-15 04:24:04
First name: Tom Hometown: the world Nationality: Belgian or so they say Roll on ship: radio operator How/why did you get involved with Greenpeace? A friend asked me to come and help out in the ware-house in Belgium 9 years ago and after helping paint banners I worked in the ware-house as a volunteer for a couple of years and one thing led to another.... How did you get started working at sea? The oceans are one of our "last frontiers" we can't see them when we are on land but a lot of things are happening here and I wanted to help out. What do you love/hate about being at sea? Being at sea is freedom. Whats been your involvement in Defending our oceans campaign? I was on board of the Sunrise when we were not allowed to go into Saint-Kitts during the IWC meeting. The protest against the mining at Rapu-Rapu (the Philipines), working together with the local community and by using our name to help those people. Highlights Seeing the active volcano near Legazpi (Philipi...
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Marc - Boat Mechanic
2006-12-14 16:23:06
From: USA/Denmark This year marks my 20th year in Greenpeace. 20 years ago in October I started working for Greenpeace in Auckland New Zealand for the Antarctic campaigns. My first ship was the MV Greenpeace. Ken Ballard gave me an introduction and my first tour of the ship which was docked at that time on the viaduct in downtown Auckland. The first Rainbow Warrior was docked just beside us. Chris Robinson was cleaning her up. I found out later she was due to be scuttled in the Bay of islands, damaged beyond repair from the sabotage of the year before. I was new to Greenpeace new to the Southern Ocean and I must say my first days at sea were not pleasant. My first voyage was to the base camp on Ross Island in Antarctica to make a re-supply and drop off the new team and retrieve the overwinterers from the year before. Leaving New Zealand we sailed into the roaring 40's with a gale blowing right on our bow. Nolan Loveridge told me I looked as Green as a Kiwi as I struggled to ...
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Aye, me did not know that Gar!
2006-12-14 16:23:06
By Helena, onboard the Esperanza Ahoy! well you learn somethin' new e'ery day! I be dreaded pirate Raoul Arrr! Over the next few weeks, we want to bring you some amazing facts about the oceans - and, to keep the geek stuff entertaining, we also want to bring you some some amazing piratical exclamations -- and pirate folk, like Raoul here. Ah, the fair Esperanza, where every day is Talk Like A Pirate Day (or Knit Like a Pirate Day, if you're that way inclined). During the transit of the Esperanza from Mexico we will continue to work hard Defending Our Oceans, albeit in a quieter way than has been the case for most of this voyage.
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The Wanderer (and we don't mean Johnny Cash)
2006-12-14 16:23:06
© Nickelodeon. Plankton as envisioned in Spongebob Squarepantsby Helena, onboard the Esperanza and Adele, in the Stockholm office (blog jam!) The name plankton is derived from the Greek word ???????? ("planktos"), meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". We can certainly relate to these little drifters - both Helena and Adele being part of the great Australian diaspora. At least it's decidedly more romantic than Plankton, the bad guy in Spongebob Squarepants (1% evil, 99% hot gas). Which isn't too far off (except for the evil bit): plankton are tiny organisms that are too weak or small to actually swim - actually some are plants - so they just kind of drift with ocean currents, and end up as dinner. (Not very comforting for us Wand erers. Maybe we should work on the 1% evil). So, why are we telling you this? Well today The Esperanza launched the very technical CPR, otherwise known as the Continuous Plankton Recorder. Despite the fact that certain members of the Greenpeace ...
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Raoul - engineer
2006-12-14 16:23:06
From: Curaçao Have you been on a Greenpeace ship before? I’ve been working for Greenpeace for almost 2 years; I’ve sailed on the Arctic Sunrise 3 times, this is my second trip on the Esperanza. How or why did you get involved with Greenpeace? I was working in a drydock in Curaçao. The Arctic Sunrise came in. Her main engine needed overhauling, and I was asked to do the job. I fell in love with the ship, the first time I set foot on her. Luckily for me the crew liked my work, and I was offered a job. What was your best experience for Greenpeace so far? Being part of an action against a nuclear navy submarine base in Brest, France. The Arctic Sunrise was part of an anti-nuclear flotilla of boats outside the base; we broke off to cross an invisible line separating us from it. The rest of the flotilla cheered us on from the other side. The French navy tried to push us back with tugboats, and they had choppers above us – but we managed to launch an inflatable and get...
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Natasha - deckhand
2006-12-14 16:23:06
Nata sha - Deckhand From: Malta What's the moment the epitomises the reason you're here on a Greenpeace ship? Like for a lot of people who see Greenpeace actions on TV, I think it is the whaling campaign that got my into wanting to know more about Greenpeace in the first place but the reason why I am a activist is that I had enough of seeing Mother Earth being exploited and treated as a big dump site. What is the meaning of life? If anyone knows the answer to this please let me know. What's your favourite song? I have no particular song that I like. My choice of music reflect the mood that I am in. If you were marine animal, which one would you be? This is hard to decide. For me the two most cutest animals are marine animals, penguins and the marine iguanas from the Galapagos Islands. Essential survival item for spending time onboard a Greenpeace ship? Lots of chocolate
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