Blogs / Frank Liew / R.I.P. ADY GIL.

R.I.P. ADY GIL.
January 6, 2010

Today, the NZ registered trimaran Ady Gil, part of the anti-whaling Sea Sheperd Conservation Society was allegedly rammed and sunk by the Shonan Maru No.2, a security vessel from a Japanese whaling fleet in the Commonwealth Bay off the Adelie Coast of Antarctica. The $1.5million vessel was donated by an anonymous (Hollywood?) benefactor from Los Angeles, and was equipped with kevlar reinforced armor, radar absorbing stealth paint, and cool Thunder-In-Paradise-type weapons such as "photonic disrupter" lasers and LRAD sonic blasters to disrupt the allegedly illegal whaling fleet. (peep the photog!)

Whaling has always been a very touchy subject with New Zealanders, with the Japanese claiming "Cetacean research"; in other words, their cultural and historical 'right' to fish a (questionable) quota of whales every year.

It's funny, in all my trips to Nippon, I've never heard anybody say "gee, I really feel like a whale steak today." In fact, I've only ever seen it on a menu once, and I don't think anybody who is under 60 years old even likes it. I think it was in the Shin-Marunouchi building in Ginza. Tucked away next to the chicken sashimi (no, really).

Whichever side of the argument you're on, there's one thing you can admit - at least the Ady Gil looked pretty badass... although I wished they used a different typeface for the ship's name.

(Images credited to this guy's flickr.)

RIP Ady Gil.

---------------

edit:

There seems to be a raging debate amongst plenty of blogs and sites about the particulars of the incident as it unfolded yesterday. Here are the two main videos in question -

(Sea Sheperd's Bob Barker POV)

(Japanese Whalers POV)

Varying camera angles seem to show different stories and there is a healthy debate raging about who did what.

Perhaps you can be the judge.

2 Responses

  1. Ady Gil News | Hot Web Trends on January 18, 2010
  2. Ady Gil | FTP2FTP News on February 4, 2010

14 Comments

  1. Posted by: Girlfawkes on January 6, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    Too bad that the Sea Shepherd crew planned from the beginning to destroy this ship in order to garner more media attention.

    "As expected, Watson made it clear that he intends to place the Gil in harms way — particularly as an “intercept and blocking” weapon against the Japanese fleet. Sounds like a risky game of “chicken” — but Ady Gil Captain Pete Bethune is ready for the challenge.”If they ever hit us with an explosive harpoon it’ll be massive damage,” he told Ecorazzi during the summer. “But certainly we’ll do our best to get in their way. If they hit us it will always be their guy that pulled the trigger — but hopefully things won’t come to that.”

    The tactics that these morons are employing are terroristic and very dangerous. The only stunning thing will be if someone isn't killed as a result of these fame seeking whores. Another view of the destruction of the Adi Gil appears to show the Maru steering into their path. This may be true, but the Gil's crew was attempting to keelhaul the Maru (by their own admission), which can have deadly consequences for everyone. Maritime law falls by the wayside in cases of terrorism and piracy. The Maru had every right to defend itself.

    Children who play with fire shouldn't be surprised when they burn their fingers.

  2. Posted by: JonP on January 6, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    Is that the same boat as the one that sailed around the world?

  3. Posted by: frank on January 6, 2010 at 8:31 pm

    Good riddance to bad news

  4. Posted by: cbxer55 on January 7, 2010 at 12:33 am

    Yes, it is the former Earthrace, along with its somewhat questionable captain.
    What a shame to have it go in this fashion. It should have never been sold that anonymous donor (Ady Gil) from hollyweird. Now look where it has ended up.

  5. Posted by: PEACE+AK on January 7, 2010 at 6:27 am

    Despite the questionable seamanship displayed and that annoying fat guy who's always on the telly at least they're standing up to the SLAUGHTER of whales in Australian waters. Not Japanese waters. No matter what you say those jap whale hunting fleets are slaughtering hundreds of whales and cubs under false pretence, they're lying about their so-called research. Like you need to use explosive harpoons for 'research'. SURE.

    Diplomatic efforts by Australia and New Zealand have proven futile against japanese arrogance so what option do these people have left, other than 2 sit there and watch them slaughter hundreds (680 last year) of whales for no-one's benefit but their own?

    at least they have the guts to stand up for what they believe.

  6. Posted by: matt on January 7, 2010 at 1:06 pm

    Would you rather them not use a explosive harpoon and it take the whale 100x longer to die? I havent choosen a side on this accident yet but based on previous encounters Im very skeptical about the Sea Shepards antics (faking a attack by a sniper on the captain) plus if your going to move in front of a ship hoping to get hit... expect to get hit

  7. Posted by: PEACE+AK on January 7, 2010 at 4:42 pm

    I'd rather prefer they not be there with no harpoons in the first place mate.

    Speaking of seamanship. I'm not defending anybody here, but I thought you had to give way to starboard. If I remember from sailing starboard side always has right of way. Perhaps they both overestimated each other in an effort 2 scare each other. Jap whaling boats have also previously rammed peaceful Greenpeace boats in the southern seas too, so overall this comes as no surprise, added with Sea Shepherd's notorious tactics.

    Now they're talking about sending the aussie navy down to police both sides.

  8. Posted by: PhilBee, Nz on January 7, 2010 at 5:03 pm

    Whether either side's actions were right or wrong, the Japanese have given Sea Shepherd INSTANT LEGITIMACY by the ramming - just as the French gave Greenpeace when they blew up the Rainbow Warrior with limpet mines in Auckland Harbour.
    There is so much emotion attached to whales, whaling, protest action, the David vs Goliath clashes and "hot-dogging" by ships that the Japanese have unwittingly 'hoisted themselves on their own petards'.
    ADY GIL was stationery. The whaler swerved hard to starboard to threaten it. I suspect the Jap skipper got closer than anticipated and could not avoid a collision. That said, the water cannons continued to strike the ADY GIL when it was striken and, by the SS account, the Japanese did not respond to a Mayday call - thus breaking yet another international maritime law.
    If this DOES get taken to the Hague, both sides will be in trouble but I'd say the Japanese will come off MUCH worse. Before that though, both Australia and New Zealand are beginning maritime investigations.

    PhilBee, NZ
    http://www.yardyyardyyardy.blogspot.com

  9. Posted by: JB on January 7, 2010 at 8:01 pm

    These guys ought to be shot with an exploding harpoon. What F***tards. Repeated ramming attempts throughout there seasons, chemical warfare, and now risking permanently blinding people with high powered lasers!!! I only wish navies were allowed to enter the area these whalers were... They should be blown out of the water for their stupidity...

  10. Posted by: kiwi hard on January 7, 2010 at 8:51 pm

    It seems like the majority american members on this site don't quite understand the whaling issue.

    These guys aren't just tree hugging hippies wearing hemp shoes that need a good smack around the ears and a real job. They're just sick and tired of decades of this inhumane, illegal whale hunt that the japanese describe as research but in fact sell them as a commercial practice in japan. Don't believe it, just go to the fish markets in japan. They openly practice it but they rub this in our faces. It's not research, it's not hunting for feed, it's not hunting for any genuine need, it's poaching at best. On top of this they are hunting in foreign waters, not their own! Even their own people and the general population do not support whaling, only their fanatical far-right politicians.

    "Commercial whaling has been globally banned since 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Japan's whaling program that it calls scientific and claims is legal under IWC rules, provides for a self-imposed quota of up to 440 minke whale stocks annually, and every second year it concentrates this effort on the waters of eastern Antarctica."

    As aggressive as the Sea Shepherds are, the japanese whalers are also guilty of intimidating protest ships and also ramming them too in previous instances. At least the SS boats aren't using bullets or bombs to get their point across. Just interfering.

    Im far from an environmental activist but even I can see that it's wrong. It's just as bad as clubbing baby seals.

    If a foreign country comes into USA territory and hunts the bald headed eagle for "research" despite laws banning them from doing so, and then throws a big fuss when they are told to f**k off, what wud you do?

    That's right, just bomb them all to planet hell and ask questions later.

  11. Posted by: Milan on January 8, 2010 at 5:03 am

    Hi,

    I wanted to comment as well on this topic but kiwi hard made the point already.

    If you want more information about how stupid the japanese gouvernment is on fishing check the docu The Cove. http://www.thecovemovie.com/

    Or you just can run to the hipster store and get that fresh new nikes made by children.
    A little bit more awernes makes this world a better place!

  12. Posted by: Andy Gill on January 8, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    How can a fast, light vessle be hit by a big, slow one? By being in front of it deliberately, perhaps.
    And how come activists get furious over a few hundred whales being killed, while say 70000 moose are hunted each year in Sweden alone? Maybe anti-whaling is sexier than anti-hunting on land? Do you think the animals on land suffer less when they are wounded but not killed? And bullfighting... Best not to mention. Fundraising for pirates is easier than most fundraising too, isn't it? My opinion

  13. Posted by: darrin long on July 20, 2010 at 8:52 am

    The sea shepards are a bunch of inept idiots. If you put them all together, you wouldn't have an ounce of common sense. I'm all for preservation, leaving the forests alone, the animals, not just the whales, they are no better than any other animal. But, HUMANS are suffering all over the world, being killed, starving, abuse of all kinds. As long as this is happening to one human then damn the animals. Get you priorities in order. sea shepard crew, you've brought this on yourselves. You can't get on television that's going to be seen all over the world, and come off like a bunch of clowns.

  14. Posted by: WhatISee on July 30, 2010 at 10:32 pm

    What I see is a intentional coarse change in the whaling ship. I also see the Ady Gils engines running at idol. In general, most ocean going vessels uses the engines to generate the electrical power. To cool the engines water is pumped from the surrounding body of water, through the engine, and returned to that body of water. The water return is what most are interpreting as though the engines were engaged, they were not (at least in the beginning of the video). They may have been engaged just before the collision. I see this as a intentional aggressive act by the whaling vessel however, I don't think they wanted to hit the aby gil. They may have been trying to maneuver close enough to pelt them with their water cannons and screwed the maneuver up causing the collision. The whaling vessel had plenty of time to avoid or maneuver away from the Ady Gil. I don't like eco terrorist and I consider the sea Sheppard's and the Japanese whaling fleet as eco- terrorists. Both adversaries should be sunk.

Leave a Reply