Tuesday August 25, 2009, 7:23 am
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society officially announced Operation Waltzing Matilda the 6th Sea Shepherd campaign to defend the whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary from Japanese poachers.

About 30 members of the media attended the press conference despite the hotel manager insisting that the meeting had to be low profile and held in the back of the lobby hidden by the bar.

This is a research project, said Captain Paul Watson. Weve decided to demonstrate our solidarity with the Japanese, Australian, and New Zealand Research projects. Our primary objective is to research non-lethal means for defending whales. Of course this may include research into Japanese ships hull plate thickness, vessel stress tests, and paint chip analysis, as well as observation of whaler behavior in response to olfactory stimulation.

To illustrate the research theme of the Sea Shepherd campaign, Sea Shepherd Netherlands Director Laurens de Groot and Sea Shepherd UK Director Steve Roest donned inflatable boats marked research and armed themselves with Styrofoam harpoons to chase IWC delegates. In their attempt to get delegate tissue samples for research purposes, they had difficulty finding elusive Japanese whalers. However, Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett innocently stumbled into the path of the harpoons and because Australia is apparently voting to support the slaughter of Humpbacks in Greenland, he was considered a legitimate target.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will be returning to the Southern Ocean in December for the 6th Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign. This year Sea Shepherd will be sending two ships to the Southern Ocean, the upgraded and fully repaired Steve Irwin and potentially the fast interceptor vessel Earthrace.

On board will be an Animal Planet film crew to document the 3rd season of Whale Wars.

We are taking the most powerful anti-whaling weapon at our disposal: a film crew, said Laurens de Groot, a Sea Shepherd Netherlands Director. The cameras are more powerful than cannons and our ammunition is the naked truth about illegal whaling. We intend to keep the focus on Japanese crimes and we intend to sink the Japanese whaling fleet economically.

An international crew of volunteers will crew the ships to the Southern Ocean but this years campaign will have an Australian face. For this reason the name Operation Waltzing Matilda has been chosen. This is the unofficial national anthem of Australia. Translated from Aussie it means "hiking with a bedroll or pack."

Australians are the most passionate whale defenders on the planet, said Captain Watson. Operation Waltzing Matilda will reflect our gratitude to Australia for the incredible support we have received from the people of this wonderful nation since 2005. The Steve Irwin will depart in December from Western Australia with the majority of the crew being Australians.

Kylie Herd, a Sea Shepherd crewmember from Perth attending the IWC Conference in Madeira said, Our logo this year is modeled on the art that adorned the fighter planes of the legendary Flying Tigers who fought the Japanese Imperial forces in China. The colors of the Aboriginal and Australian flags have been incorporated into the design with the pirate kangaroo holding Neptunes trident of justice. We intend to waltz down to the Southern Ocean to dance dangerously with the Japanese whaling fleet and we intend to unroll a Matilda full of defensive tactics for the whales against the Japanese whale poachers.

Whale Defense Campaign: Operation Waltzing Matilda is scheduled to depart for the Southern Ocean on December 1st, 2009.

As usual, Sea Shepherd has some new surprises for the Japanese pirate whalers this year and the whalers will surely have some surprises for Sea Shepherd. The confrontations are escalating as the whalers lose more and more money each year. The Sea Shepherd crew intends to persist and will never retreat from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary until the last harpoon has been silenced and the word sanctuary is understood once and for all. There is no retreat for Sea Shepherd from the whale wars, there is only victory or defeat for the whales, and we do not intend see the whales defeated, nor do we intend to let these blubber chewing murdering barbarian butchers win.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 7:56 am
You go Captain Watson and Sea Shepherd. I love Waltzing Matilda. I am with them 100%. Thanks Claudia.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 8:16 am
This touches my heart deeply. Claudia , because my cousin was one of the original Flying Tigers -- that shows how old I am. But I like it to be She Shepherd's Logo for this action because the Flying Tigers were founded to fight the Japanese too.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 8:23 am
Thanks Claudia, Paul and his crew are the best!!! All my love and support to these brave souls..........

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 10:25 am
You know that I am a huge supporter. I wrote to Capt. watson telling him you recruited me and now I'm totally in:-) Of course watching his show had some to do with it as well.
All heros!!
Tx you so much Claudia for this post.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 10:42 am
thanks claudia paul watson and his crew have my total support

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 12:11 pm
Thanks so much, Claudia

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 5:48 pm
"Our primary objective is to research non-lethal means for defending whales. Of course this may include research into Japanese ships hull plate thickness, vessel stress tests, and paint chip analysis, as well as observation of whaler behavior in response to olfactory stimulation." - Capt. P. Watson

Paul is a funny guy. Best of luck and may the wind be at your back.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 8:58 pm
Awesome Way to go Capt Watson and the Sea Shepherd crew, hummm plate thickness hummm can opener
I also had a thought about a better way to launch stink bombs onto the decks of the whalers. They need to
devise a mortar tube that's spring loaded, this would fire a stink bomb about 40 to 60 m and lob it onto the decks
I'm suprised that no one has thought of this! ( I was in the artillery for 7 yrs. and I have a deviant mind, hehehe)
good luck, god speed and good hunting (of the whale ship kind) Thanks Claudia

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 4:56 am
THIS IS TERRIFIC....THANKS CLAUDIA

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 5:30 am
Goog luck to all who are taking part in Operation Waltzing Matilda they are very brave and determined individuals.it's a great pity that despite the Australian peoples opposition to the Japanese whaler's their government chooses to ignore public opinion.Let the people vote in a new government at the next election and get rid of their bloody simpering weak apologies of Kowtowing politicians.

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 6:11 am
These are people that really are devoted to saving the ocean

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 7:10 pm
There should be Sea Shepards and Wildlife Stewards everywhere!

Thursday August 27, 2009, 12:10 am
It breaks my heart to see the whales being captured and killed. Too sad that beautiful living whales are reduced to meat. The captain and crews of Sea Shepherd and Earthrace are heroes and heroines for the whales! And looks like Earthrace can go really fast.

Sunday August 30, 2009, 4:08 pm
Save the whales! Thanks Claudia.

Tuesday September 1, 2009, 9:30 am
Can't wait for the next season! Be safe Captain Watson and destroy the Japanese!