Background Information
The Confrontation
During Sea Shepherd’s 2009-2010 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign: Operation Waltzing Matilda, Captain Pete Bethune was volunteering his services as skipper of the Ady Gil. On January 6, 2010, the much larger and more maneuverable Japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru No. 2 deliberately rammed and split the Ady Gil in two, then hosed its crew members down with water cannons as they scrambled for safety amongst the wreckage.
The Rescue
As the Ady Gil began to take on water, the Shonan Maru No. 2 ignored Sea Shepherd’s multiple requests for assistance. Fortunately, another Sea Shepherd vessel, the Bob Barker, was nearby and was able to rescue the Ady Gil crew members. After repeated attempts by the Bob Barker to salvage and tow the remains of the Ady Gil to a nearby French base, and after removal of all remaining fuel and pollutants on board, the Ady Gil was ultimately deemed unsalvageable and sunk to a watery grave.
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