In early November, Sea Shepherd launched its ninth and most aggressive attempt to halt Japan's annual Antarctic whaling expedition, but for the first time, the controversial conservation group is sending four ships and planning to intercept the whalers near Japanese waters.
Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson will also join this year's campaign aboard the Steve Irwin, the hardline group's flagship vessel. Watson has been in hiding since July after jumping bail in Germany, where he was awaiting extradition to Costa Rica.
The group hopes to use the Steve Irwin, another large ship called the Bob Barker and the smaller trimaran Brigitte Bardot, as well as a helicopter and drones, to stop the whalers before they reach the Antarctic Ocean, preventing them from catching any whales.