What is this ... I don't even... They had a skull and crossbones on their ship... Intentions are pretty damn obvious here - they deserved what they got.
After sailing for over 30 years, I've plenty of experience eyeballing oncoming power boats to determine their speed and aspect, and whether they are on a collision course. Upon viewing all three videos, I cannot agree with neal - the boat's prop wash gives every appearance of being in idle, and the changing angle of the Japanese boat from the videos all clearly indicates it is moving up to its starboard side (moving closer in toward and then onto the Ady Gil). This is not to say the Ady Gil was not acting provocatively already, but then, the initiator of close contact was the Japanese boat, which itself came deliberately into the immediate area of the Steve Irwin specifically to harass that ship and keep it away from the 'research' fleet, in the first place. As for harassment and provocation, responsibility goes equally to both sides. But as to the final collision, responsibility goes to the Japanese ship.
as co-owner of a rare and cherished off-shore power boat i am saddended and disapionted that the wonderful vessel-earthrace was put into such a vunerable position resulting in what i can only descibe as the total loss of the most charismatic and stunning craft built in many years!!
Guys. I do not believe japan should be whaling-especially when they have thousands of tons of whale meat in freezer compartments that no-one wants.The fact is that the protestor boat drive into the whaling ship - check out the prop wash on the boat,its in drive mode.You dont drive in front of a train and then blame the train for disintgrating your car for christs sake!!
Cyril,Many whales are still pretty close to being extinct, they're nowhere NEAR the numbers they were before industrial whaling started. That, combined with their low birth rates and slow maturation, make many of the great whales threatened, at the very least. Despite that, Japan still wants to expand whaling from minke to other, less common species, like fin whales. And to think Japan's whaling is governed solely by market forces is naive. Japan's government is heavily subsidizing the whaling industry, including giving the meat to schoolchildren and trying to cram the surplus meat into whatever market will take it. Hardly "free market" there. And finally, whales are highly intelligent, enough that they can recognize friend from foe even when in distress:http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_humpback_whale.htmJust because they don't blow off all their time arguing on the Internet doesn't make them dumb.
International maritime law states that small ships are required to stay away from larger ships and that any collisions are the fault of the smaller vessel for not giving way to a vessel which can barely maneuver and takes a long time to stop.No matter what you think about anything the mere fact that the smaller vessel was that close makes it their fault - period. End of goddamn story.The fact that they also had a SKULL AND CROSSBONES on their ship also means they deserve everything they get as far as i'm converned.
I wonder what it is those people try to achieve. Since they seem to fail at it. "so lets follow that whaler ship around, hur" Nothing is happening!
Seems hard to believe they wouldn't have been able to dodge the whaling ship... **** you dolphins and **** you whales!!
it was the do gooders fault they were lucky not to die ............NZ is hardly clean and green as we claim, its the tiny population that keeps NZ 'greenish' how about a 'sea shepherd' chasing all the boats raping the seas of anything else that isn't a whale? oh that right there is a quota (leave a few for next season)