The Brigitte Bardot Arrives in Williamstown

Captain Luis Pinho and his crew arrived in Williamstown, Victoria safely, after a four-day voyage from Fremantle, Western Australia where the Brigitte Bardot had undergone three months of repairs.

The Brigitte Bardot suffered a broken pontoon from a rogue wave during a storm in the Southern Ocean last December and had to be escorted 1500 miles to Fremantle by Sea Shepherd’s flagship, Steve Irwin. It was a setback that removed our fast scout and interceptor vessel from Operation Divine Wind, Sea Shepherd’s whale defense campaign in the Southern Ocean.  The Sea Shepherd campaign resulted in the Japanese whaling fleet taking only 26% of their planned kills as compared to 17% the year before when the Brigitte Bardot, then named the Gojira, had effectively hunted down and found the outlaw whale factory ship Nisshin Maru.

Captain Watson has taken measures to ensure our scout ship will not be vulnerable to future loss and there will be two fast scout vessels for the next campaign to the Southern Ocean along with the ships Bob Barker and Steve Irwin. 

The Brigitte Bardot is now moored at Seawerks Dock in Williamstown, Victoria along with the Steve Irwin. The Bob Barker is in Hobart and will move to Sydney in June. The Brigitte Bardot will depart in mid-June for the South Pacific to undertake a campaign against shark finning.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society plans to depart for Antarctica in December with a four-ship fleet.

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