Earthrace Prepping JetSki From Hell To Fight Japanese Whalers

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by Michael dEstries September 28, 2009
Categories: Causes.

evadar

Yet another weapon in the fight against the Japanese whalers this December has been revealed. Earthrace skipper Pete Bethune posted a photo of his team painting black a SeaDoo, nicknamed the “E.Vadar”, capable of reaching 70mph and 260HP. “It’ll be a key tactical weapon for us,” he wrote in an email.

I’ve taken a ride on this exact model — and somewhere between 35mph-45mph, you start to have serious issues hanging on. Granted, even at those speeds, the Sea Shepherd won’t have difficulty making circles around the Japanese — but they’ve got to be wary of those water cannons. Getting knocked off a SeaDoo on a lake in the summertime is one thing. Doing it in the treacherous freezing waters of Antarctica is quite another.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • http://www.navalero.com Pablo Joost

    That’s very interesting device… I hope that help to seashepherd campaing…

  • Brendan

    I can just see them using this to get in real close and start cutting ropes and all sorts of good stuff!!! Should be pretty exciting watching them use this :-)

    • vicky mcfadden

      seriously, oh I hope they cut the ropes!

  • Lorena

    GO GET EM GUYS! Sea Shepherd All the way!

  • Spock

    Suicidal nimrods.

  • WhaleWhores

    The Japanes are going to “waterpick” their teeth with the water cannons. The “Seatards” will be in recovery mode before the first days sun has set.

  • Seriously

    really? japanes? did you not graduate school yet? Is that “Good Enough Degree” getting you anywhere yet? or are you just learning how to leave pointless, idiotic comments on the internet?

    and spock, I’d like to see you do something other than, complaining on this website. get off you ass and save them, yourself.

    • WhaleWhores

      Pretty funny there Seatard you correct my spelling and forget to Capitalize Japanese (A proper noun)! I see your degree in dipstickery has shot you to the stratosphere Mr UnEinstein.

      Save the Whale for Me! I’ll eat that puppy with a side of seal.

      I think your #1 also. Here pick a finger!;)

  • deena

    These guys are heroes. I’m so thankful they are helping the whales.

  • Matt Williams

    Falling in off one of those and your dead in minutes… hmmmmm. Nice but tricky.

  • chris

    the sea SHEEPerds are at it again with D&D dragon master at the helm. Maybe his little monkey peter will do something! i cannot wait till one of those wankers falls off the seadoo in the middle of a operation. For his sake hopefully it won’t happen when they are up close to a ship b/c then he might be the first effective prop fowl and become whale food!!!! i will be surprised if this gets posted b/c it isn’t anti-whaling….but hopefully it will and you will agree freedom on speech and opinion is another great thing about a free civilization!!

  • http://wiki.com uuuuhgggg

    One more way for the SSCS to embarass themselves on TV. Go violence! Yeah Acid! Hooray ramming and water cannons! Does someone really have to die of hypothermia for them to see that violence+violence+antarctic = death.. I mean.. can’t a 3rd grader tell you that?

    • jason

      The acid is technically real acid, however so is lemon juice. The acid the Sea Shepherds throw is rancid butter (a very good stink bomb), which is less corrosive and harmful than sea water. And as for the risk of death, they know they can die when they sign up and none of them think otherwise. Also, in over 30 years SSCS has lost no one and has not had one serious injury. The Japanese whalers have lost at least three people in six years.

  • John

    I’m not sure that I really understand what they plan to do with this.
    The ropes are too big to just run up with a seadoo and cut. I’m not sure that a craft that small is really going to be a threat for a ship.

    I really like Whale Wars but I have to say… I think the show actually hurts the sea shepard more than it helps because it gives away information to the enemy. Don’t think for a minute that those in charge of the whaling ships aren’t watching every episode and figuring out in detail what hinders their efforts. We have no idea what is going on onboard the whaling ships. And I’m not talking about realtime… I’m talking about watching and understanding that they can’t launch their small boats while being chased at high speeds. They can’t throw things onto the big ship from the small boats. That keying a mic messes up the shepards communications. That their ship isn’t ice rated. etc.

    • vicky mcfadden

      I agree with some of what you said. I think the Japs already knew they weren’t ice worthy. Pretty much all the other stuff they knew to, but the SS worked around it. This is going to be a new season and both sides will have new tricks up there sleeves and the SS will have two boats out this year plus a bunch of other stuff. It should be interesting to watch. I hope nobody gets hurt.

    • Ted

      I don’t really know what they plan to do with it, either. Although a SeaDoo of that calibre is quite zippy, that can’t be said in such rough waters. I don’t think I’ve seen a single episode that showed calm enough waters that would allow it to reach a decent speed. The Antarctic sea is quite rough, and I think the skiffs will have a better time of it in the waves. Also, can a SeaDoo survive an ice collision at 45 mph? Given the number of times the Steve Irwin has lost the skiffs in anything less than clear weather, I fear for the safety of the rider if he/she gets unseated in rough water or the SeaDoo sinks from an ice strike.

  • Scott C. Waring

    Hey, put me on one of those and I’ll distract those whalers! Question though. Can I attach two rocket launchers and two 60 caliber machine guns to it. LOL just kidding…to many Rambo movies.

  • http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=9FD18926170ED901&search_query=earthlings Whoever…

    First of all let me just ‘say’ I do not directly support any NGO.

    With that said, I would like to ask all of those who criticize Sea Shepherd and other organizations if you are doing anything to change the world for the better.

    Or are you just another bunch of cowards who only know (and very badly I might add) how to criticize others and spread hatred?

    At least those people are putting their lives on the line to fight for what they believe in!

    What about you cowards? It’s so easy to cowardly criticize someone behind a computer screen, isn’t it? Therefore, your bitter arguments, besides not being credible, are not even valid.

    Oh, and I’m not even going to get into the ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘free civilization’ issue – but let me jsut tell you that you have been extremely well brainwashed (just like most humans). You want to know something about ‘your’ free civilization?

    Let’s start with an issue which everyone has already heard everything (or not) about – the swine/A/H1N1 flu:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTOXkyaFv4

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PelTWCUmTsU

    Then we should find out the truth about the animal industry:

    http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=9FD18926170ED901&search_query=earthlings

    Finally, let’s move into darker waters:

    http://projectcamelot.org/

    If you carefully watch and read the contents that are on these sites, maybe you’ll start realizing that we’re very far from living in free civilizations…

    Unfortunately it’s people like you who contribute to the ignorance and ‘zombification’ of humanity…

    Sad, very sad indeed…

  • http://www.mycleansky.com Guy Lane

    We at My Clean Sky are very happy this year to be providing the carbon offset for the Earthrace. So that the net carbon footprint of their efforts to save the whales will be zero. Or is that carbon fin print!!

  • http://www.mycleansky.com Guy Lane

    See more here: http://www.mycleansky.com/?a=earthrace

    And don’t forget to get onboard for a cleaner sky.

  • vicky mcfadden

    Wow..as much as I hate to say it, sounds really dangerous…so dangerous I can’t wait to see the episodes and what happens…this is some great drama.

  • ogro

    BRAVO AMIGOS LETS GET IT ON SAFE THE WORLD

  • Magaptera Guardian

    I’m seriously pleased with this news. :’ D If only I wear a little older, I would take my place on the SS and would be on a SeaDoo in seconds, the adrenaline rush would be amazing, being the machine, animal, and water lover I am. I would love to climb onto those poor Whales to release them from my country’s ships. Although they are already shot, and many being too wounded to be saved, their deaths will matter more on the Sea Floor where animals that don’t eat for months at a time, will enjoy take the meat to better use, AND, it won’t harm them with the massive amounts of mercury and other toxins. It could even flourish species we’ve thought to be extinct that could just be in hiding, one never knows…. But I do know the Ocean is quickly turning to… Well…. Shit.

    And as it does, it affects Humanity as well. Nice job Humans, nice job.

    My wishes of luck out to you SS and Crew. Kick some ass!

    • Magaptera Guardian

      were* Pardon the Typos. – -;

  • Pingback: Sea Shepherd Activist Sneaks Onto Japanese Whaling Vessel « ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

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