Worth the experience

12th February 2008 02:00:23 AM
Above: The Steve Irwin stopped Japanese whaling for 30 days, saving as many as 150 whales.

HEALESVILLE resident Ryan Kennedy last month experienced what many others will never experience in a lifetime.

Crashing through pack ice, seeing a humpback whale breeching out of the water up close and chasing and stopping Japanese whalers was something that Mr Kennedy never thought he would experience, until he was informed that the Steve Irwin vessel was docked at Victoria Harbour.

The vessel required help in repairing one of the main engines and Mr Kennedy offered his assistance for the weekend.

Soon after, Mr Kennedy was asked if he would join the crew as a first engineer.

“I had not heard about the Sea Shepherd organisation prior to this, and after I had received the OK from my family and Alex and Adam at work, I packed my bags and was sailing for Antarctica with only 24 hours’ notice,” Mr Kennedy said.

During the trip Mr Kennedy said that the ship encountered “various” engine problems.

“The engines were British Polar and had clocked up over 80,000 hours of sea time, so I guess it was not a surprise to be kept quite busy in the engine room,” Mr Kennedy said.

When the engines were running well, Mr Kennedy said there was plenty of time to get up on deck and view the sights and wildlife.

He said that the prolonged hours of sunlight, 23 hours of the day, made it difficult to maintain a sleeping pattern.

The Steve Irwin and its crew travelled past the magnetic South Pole to the far western side of Antarctica, and after crashing through pack ice for two days finally located the Japanese whaling vessels inside Australian waters.

“Once we located the whaling vessels we then pursued the fleet for over 1200 miles to the east but were unable to continue keeping the fleet on the run as our fuel supplies were running very low,” Mr Kennedy said.

“So we were soon on our way back to Melbourne after 30 days.”

Mr Kennedy said that he was amazed at the number of supporters that greeted the ship on its return. “Although my original goal was to do everything I could to ensure the vessel returned home safely, the fact that I was actively involved in stopping the Japanese from whaling for 30 days, which saved as many as 150 endangered whales, makes this trip personally rewarding,” Mr Kennedy said