The organization's ruse functioned remarkably well

Mar 6, 2012 09:06 GMT  ·  By

After leading the Japanese whalers to believe that the Bob Barker and Steve Irwin will meet for resupply, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society finally discovered the rest of the whaling fleet, including the main factory ship.

The Bob Barker made contact at 2200 AEST on March 5, telling SSCS leader Paul Watson “Eureka, Paul, we have the Nisshin Maru in our sights!” Two of the vessels in the fleet, a whaling ship and a security boat, are currently a great distance away, having chased the Steve Irwin for several days.

The Nisshin Maru factory ship is accompanied by three harpoon boats. They were found inside the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone, a little way off the Antarctic Coast, at 64º59' South and 130º51' East, the activist organization reports.

The crew of the Bob Barker says that the factory ship is nowhere nearly as fast enough as their vessel, meaning that it will not be able to outrun the SSCS ship again. “We have her in our sights and she will not be able to outrun us,” said Bob Barker third mate, Vincent Burke.