Outdoors, action and adventure

Sea Shepherd anti-whaling vessel damaged by rogue wave

Somewhere in Antarctic waters,  Japanese whalers are cheering their good fortune as Mother Nature has knocked one of the enemy's three ships out of its fight against the killing of whales.

The Brigitte Bardot, a scout boat for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was struck by a rogue wave in heavy seas as it pursued the whaling factory ship, Nisshin Maru.

According to Sea Shepherd, the vessel suffered a cracked hull and damaged pontoon. It will be escorted to Fremantle,  Australia, by Capt. Paul Watson aboard the Steve Irwin. There were no injuries to any of the 10 Brigitte Bardot crew members.

This temporarily leaves only one Sea Shepherd boat, the Bob Barker, to attempt to stay with the whaling fleet as the fleet bounds toward the hunting grounds.

In the accompanying Sky News video report, Watson said the Steve Irwin will return to the Antarctic after the escort mission and rejoin a campaign the group calls "Operation Divine Wind."

"It's not going to stop our attempt, but it is a setback because it takes out one of our boats," Watson told the Associated Press.

Japan annually targets more than 900 whales in what it refers to as scientific missions, thus skirting a long-standing international moratorium on commercial whaling. The wording in the moratorium allows for lethal research.

This is Sea Shepherd's eighth campaign against the effort. Last season the whalers were forced to quit early, far short of their quota, because of Sea Shepherd's harassment efforts. This season one of the Japanese harpoon boats is carrying members of the Japan Coastguard.

These hunts are expensive and Japan has been criticized not only for continuing to hunt whales, but for funding the extra security with money earmarked for relief in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunamis last March.

Japanese whalers, with beefed-up security, are off to the hunt

The Japanese whaling fleet has left for the Antarctic, its ranks reportedly bolstered by Coast Guard officers in an attempt to ensure a successful hunt amid what promises to be more determined opposition by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

So begins another Whale Wars saga, which will heat after both sides have reached the whaling grounds and confrontations begin.

How effective will Japan's secret security measures become? Will this be the season somebody gets killed or seriously injured?

A member of the Japan Coast Guard recently told the Japan Times, "We have decided to beef up security as never before."

Will Sea Shepherd, then, be as successful as it was last season, when it forced Japanese whalers to quit early after filling only one-fifth of their  kill quota of 900-plus minke whales? And are Sea Shepherd members really prepared to die, or face the prospect of death, in order save whales?

There was brief optimism among anti-whaling nations that Japan would quit its so-called scientific expeditions after last season. They're extremely costly, the science is questionable and demand for whale meat in Japan has steadily declined over the years.

Some believe, however, that Japan is continuing to hunt minke and fin whales, using a lethal research loophole in the wording of an international moratorium on commercial whaling, simply because it refuses to capitulate to Sea Shepherd pressure.

Whaling interests in Japan also believe the minke whale population is robust enough to justify killing 900 of them each year, plus a handful of endangered fin whales. (Minke whales are not endangered.)

Japan has sent three ships, led by the 720-ton Yushin Maru, to the whaling region, which includes the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The ships reportedly are carrying Coast Guard officials for only the third time since 1987, when the moratorium was put in effect. (Japan's Fishery Agency has remained secretive about specific details of this expedition.)

Sea Shepherd also is sending three ships, all of them painted black, and 88 crew members in a campaign it calls "Operation Divine Wind."

Because of beefed-up security measures, it could be the most dangerous of eight Sea Shepherd campaigns against the Antarctic whaling effort.

Capt. Paul Watson, the Sea Shepherd leader, spoke up for his crew of volunteers on the group's website:

"The men and women of my crews, past and present, have given themselves in a great enterprise to defend life, to defend the whales, and all of them for the rest of their lives will be able to look back with pride at what they have done, the adventure of it, the nobility of it, and the success and satisfaction of knowing that because they intervened – thousands of whales were spared the vicious and horrific death from the merciless harpoons of the Japanese whaling fleet."

Sea Shepherd is making final preparations in Fremantle and Hobart, Australia.

Australia and New Zealand have condemned Japan's whaling effort but have no plans to send an observation vessel to the remote and icy whaling area.

Whether a search-and-rescue effort will be required on the part of Australia, which is closest to the whaling area, is another question soon to be answered.

-- Image of the Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker is courtesy of Sea Shepherd

Kelly Slater beats Owen Wright to claim edge in new rivalry

Pro surfing finally boasts a fun rivalry again, featuring 10-time world champion Kelly Slater and second-year ASP World Tour competitor Owen Wright. Living legend versus rising star. U.S. versus Australia.

Slater won the first of the three finals in Tahiti. Wright got even in New York. And on Wednesday afternoon it was Slater claiming the rubber match with a  high score on the last ride of the day to win the Hurley Pro at fabled Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif.

Slater, 39, pulled ahead by earning a 9.00 out of a possible 10 on the final wave to prevail by a best-two-scores margin of 17.50 to 16.74, and with the dramatic victory he proved yet again that he's not quite ready to relinquish his dominance in a sport he has ruled for two-plus decades.

Conditions were ideal, with three- to four-feet waves and no wind. Both surfers unleashed aerials, vertical top turns and savage tail-slides, which pleased the judges and a large crowd that lined the remote, cobblestone beach.

Wright needed an 8.31 to take the lead when the last set rolled in, with 1:50 remaining. He earned an 8.87 on the first wave of the set, but behind him was Slater, carving up a slightly larger wave. Slater earned the 9.00 to win just before time expired.

“Owen is tough and he’s been surfing great," said Slater, who won his fifth World Tour contest at Lower Trestles. "There really are no weak points to his surfing and he’s going to be a standout in every spot. A lot of the guys tried to get him this week and I got lucky in that last exchange."

The victory, Slater's third this season, gave the Floridian a commanding lead in the race for the world title, with four competitions remaining.

The 21-year-old Wright, however, solidified his second-place spot in the rankings and made yet another statement to the rest of the tour that he should be considered the heir apparent to Slater, and the top Aussie on a roster top-heavy with Aussie talent.

"I’ve been enjoying the rivalry," Wright said. "We’ve had some great heats and the last three finals have been great. I’m glad the sets came through at the end. It was a bit of a dud final but I’m glad that last exchange came though at the end. It made it exciting."

Next up is the Quiksilver Pro France, Oct. 4-13.

-- Image showing Kelly Slater enjoying some air time in Wednesday's Hurley Pro final is courtesy of © ASP/ Kirstin

Tiger sharks devour large whale carcass off Australia (video)

Part of a shark's role in the marine environment is that of scavenger, and in the accompanying video several large tiger sharks can be seen devouring the carcass of what's believed to be a humpback whale on Wednesday in Queensland, Australia.

 

Because of the bleached color of the whale's flesh, some thought it might be the Migaloo, a famous white humpback commonly seen off North Queensland. But it turns out the bleaching was caused by the sun. The whale, perhaps a sub-adult measuring about 30 feet, is believed to have washed ashore on Palm Island inside Onion Bay about a week ago.

The Townsville Bulletin reports that there have been as many as 10 tiger sharks feeding on the whale at a given time. The last known sighting of Migaloo was July 26 near Cape Flattery, northwest of Cairns.

-- Video is courtesy of the Townsville Bulletin

Yao Ming stands tall in campaign against shark finning

Yao Ming once again is standing tall in the campaign to halt the brutal and environmentally damaging practice of shark finning.

The Shanghai-born NBA star was in San Francisco last week to film another public service announcement on behalf of sharks; this time in support of Assembly Bill 376, which would ban the sale, possession and distribution of shark fins in California.

 

Though most people in the state favor the proposed ban, according to a recent poll, some in the Chinese American community believe it represents an attack on the Chinese culture. (Shark fins are used as the main ingredient in shark-fin soup, which has long been considered a delicacy in China and Chinese and Asian communities. California is a major point of U.S. entry for fins.)

"That sort of thing is one of the dozens of little things people use to erode someone's cultural identity," Charlie Chin, a spokesman for the Chinese Historical Society, told ABC News in San Francisco.

Such reasoning might seem absurd to those who consider that up to 70 million sharks are killed globally each year for their fins, and that fins are gathered by slicing them from live captive sharks, which are tossed overboard to sink and perish on the ocean floor.

Said Paul Fong, who co-authored AB 376: "A culture giving up soup is minor compared to the major disaster that could happen to our environment if sharks leave the ocean."

As top-level predators, sharks play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy and balanced marine ecosystem. Many scientists believe the present rate of slaughter is unsustainable.

The will be Yao's second PSA in support of the group Wild Aid's efforts to raise awareness about the pitfalls of shark finning.

Kelly Slater shows world title No. 11 is his for the taking

Kelly Slater made it clear by winning the season-opening Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast that an 11th ASP World Tour title is his if he wants to compete in all of the next 10 events (see video of Slater versus Taj Burrow in the final).

 

People can say what they want about this being the year Burrow, who is looking sharp and lost to Slater in the final of the Australian event, gets his first title.

They can point out that Jordy Smith, who last year finished ranked second behind Slater and made the semifinals of the Quiksilver Pro, is poised for another title run and could overtake Slater.

All of that could happen, but Slater made it clear, by posting his 46th World Tour victory, that being 39 is no handicap and that being No. 1 just comes more easily to him than it does to others on the World Tour roster.

However, after winning a 10th world title last year, and with absolutely nothing left to prove, the big question is whether Slater will stay motivated or even stay on the tour throughout the remainder of the year. He hasn't answered that question yet, but the answer should become apparent over the next few months.

-- Pete Thomas

Twitter: @Pete_Thomas

Whalers criticized in Japan for quitting season early

Japanese whalers headed home from the Southern Ocean after quitting early this season because of harassment from activists, might not like their homecoming reception.

ABC News in Australia quotes Masayuki Komatsu, a former delegate to the International Whaling Commission, as calling the whalers' position "cowardly."

The whalers' so-called scientific whaling missions, conducted annually in Antarctic waters, are run by the Institute of Cetacean Research through the Fisheries Agency.

The decision to quite early, after killing only 174 minke whales and two fin whales (the annual quota is 900-plus), was made because of relentless harassment from members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

The ABC story also quotes restaurateur Michio Kono, whose specialties are whale steaks, stew and sashimi, as saying, "I think the government is full of cowards. Whale meat is delicious and healthy. It's part of our culture. This decision is pitiful."

Kono's statement is not accurate. Whale meat contains high levels of mercury and fewer people in Japan are buying it, judging from growing stockpiles in freezers around the country.

It's unclear whether Japan will carry out another Southern Ocean whale hunt next season.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Australian Customs Service file photo

Twitter: @Pete_Thomas

Surfing champion Kelly Slater vague about plans for 2011

Kelly Slater, who last year won a remarkable 10th world surfing title, will compete in the season-opening Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, which begins as early as this weekend in Australia.

Beyond that, however, your guess might be as good as his as to whether he'll strive for an 11th title or retire from competitive surfing after the first of 11 competitions in 2011, or whether he'll retire somewhere in the middle of the schedule. (No other ASP World Tour surfer has won more than four titles.)

"Either a great way to go out or to start another campaign -- I can't honestly answer that right now," Slater said. "I've thought about doing a farewell aloha tour and saying bye to the tour, and I've thought about retiring after this event for real."

Slater, who recently turned 39, has had nothing to prove for so long that his heart has not always been into competing on the highest level. But when his motivation has been evident, he has been dominant.

There seems to be plenty to motivate the Floridian superstar for  the season-opener, most likely to be held at fabled Snapper Rocks. Slater, who is sponsored by Quiksilver, has not won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast since 2008, and he'll compete after being honored Thursday night for his dominant performance in 2010.

Plus, if this is going to be his last World Tour contest, he'll undoubtedly want to go out with a victory, finally leaving the top tier of the tour to longtime Australian rivals and up-and-comers such as South Africa's Jordy Smith (a fourth-year pro who was second to Slater in the standings last season) and Dane Reynolds, also a fourth-year campaigner, who tied for fourth last season.

Reynolds, unfortunately, will miss the season-opener after recently undergoing knee surgery. The Quiksilver Pro could begin as early as Saturday and will be completed before March 10.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of Kelly Slater courtesy of © ASP / CESTARI
 

Kelly Slater set to begin quest for world surfing title No. 11

The world's top surfers will kick off a new season beginning as early as Saturday with the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro men's and women's events on Australia's Gold Coast. And yes, Kelly Slater is in the men's lineup and apparently will launch a quest to win an eleventh ASP World Tour championship.

Beforehand, on Thursday night, Slater and Stephanie Gilmore will be honored during the ASP World Surfing Awards for their dominant performances in 2010.

Slater, as just about everyone knows, clinched his 10th world title last season, a feat that probably will never be matched on the men's tour. At 39, Slater is the second-oldest competitor on the tour (Taylor Knox is four months older) and time will tell how devoted he is to claiming yet another title. It probably will depend on how well he surfs during the first few contests.

Gilmore last season won her fourth title in as many years on the Women's World Tour. She's only 23 and stands a good chance to win 10 or more titles in her career. There are 11 men's events and seven women's events on the 2011 schedule.

-- Pete Thomas

Image of Stephanie Gilmore and Kelly Slater is courtesy of the ASP

Has Japan's whaling program really gone belly-up?

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is understandably proud to have forced an early end to Japan's whaling effort this season in the Antarctic, and to have played a role, perhaps, in bringing an end to whaling in the region.

It's also understandable that the many critics of Sea Shepherd and Paul Watson, the group's controversial leader, have fallen silent during the past week.

That's because Sea Shepherd's relentless harassment  -- all those stink bombs, prop-fouling ropes and near other disruptive measures -- has, in fact, made a difference.

Though it's naive to believe Japanese whalers have harpooned their last leviathan, it seems that the nation's so-called "research" whaling program is either near death or seriously diminished.

That's probably due more to economic realities and increasing international opposition than fears of facing Sea Shepherd activists at sea. However, the Sea Shepherd presence -- this was the group's seventh consecutive harassment campaign -- has reduced the number of whales being killed, especially during the past two campaigns, providing for Japan's Fisheries Agency a smaller return on its investment.

Watson, in an interview Sunday night on "Fish Talk Radio" in Southern California, said Sea Shepherd's objective all along has been to "bankrupt" the Japanese whaling program, and that "it looks like we've finally succeeded."

Japan has used a "lethal research" loophole in the wording of a longstanding International Whaling Commission ban on commercial whaling to justify its hunts. The program, which is funded by government subsidies and the sale of whale meat, is deeply in debt.

Japanese whalers annually target about 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales, despite a shrinking demand for whale meat domestically. They succeeded in killing only 174 minke whales and two fin whales this season. They killed 506 whales last season.

Fisheries Agency officials have acknowledged that the whaling ships are not fast enough to outrun Sea Shepherd boats. According to the online newspaper, Yomiuri Daily, officials with Japan's  Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry recently discussed the possibility of ending research whaling in the Antarctic. But the same story quoted Minister Michihiko Kano as saying, "We can't say anything definite about that."

A high-ranking ministry official, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that options under consideration include the continuation of research whaling, but with a Japan Coast Guard escort; building new vessels that are faster than Sea Shepherd's; replacing research whaling with commercial whaling; continuing with the current program; and ending the program.

The first two options are too costly and not practical. The third would involve coming to an accord with the IWC so that some level of commercial whaling could legally be carried out. The fourth is not practical given the Sea Shepherd factor. The fifth, of course, is what most people outside of Japan are hoping for. 

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out over the next year or so.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Sea Shepherd crew members gather at the bow of the Bob Barker during this season's Southern Ocean campaign against Japanese whaling. Credit: Sam Sielen / Sea Shepherd