MY_Ocean_Warrior is a Damen Stan Patrol Vessel operated by Sea Shepherd. This vessel is newly built its first campaign was Operation Nemesis. As of 2018 the Ocean Warrior has replaced the Steve Irwin as Sea Shepherd's flagship.
History[]
Ocean Warrior was launched in September of 2016 from the shipyards of Damen Group in Antalya Turkey. The ship was built using donations offered by the Dutch Postcard Lottery. The ship features new systems and a state-of-the-art engine room with four Lycoming diesel engines supplied by two large fuel tanks on both sides. The ship features an open deck so Sea Shepherd's fleet of helicopters can land on its surface. The ship also features key buffers on both sides to protect it from collisions and they are also used for docking. One of the main features of the Ocean Warrior is a 3600 gallon water cannon which is used to repel pirates and the Japanese Whalers who may attempt to board.
For 32 years Sea Shepherd has had no way to keep up with the Nisshin Maru and the Harpoon Boats who are always faster than them. Not anymore! In 2015 Paul Watson announced that Sea Shepherd was going to acquire a new vessel that is 6 knots faster then the Harpoon Boats and the Nisshin Maru.
As of November 23, 2016 Ocean Warrior is docked in Melbourne Australia awaiting the upcoming campaign known as Operation Nemesis with the goal of shutting down ICR's operations for good.
Operation Nemesis[]
Ocean Warrior has departed from Melbourne and is in route to the Southern Ocean to stop the Japanese Whaling Fleet. The Steve Irwin is right behind it. The reason these two vessels are being deployed first is Sea Shepherd needs get its fleet of helicopters down there to start searching for the fleet.
On the evening of December 22, 2016 the Ocean Warrior has engaged the Yushin Maru No. 2 in battle.
After losing the Yushin Maru No. 2 the Ocean Warrior is running dangerously low on fuel and has returned to Melbourne to restock and supply. The ship has now departed Melbourne and is on its way back to the Southern Ocean to find Nisshin Maru and assist the Steve Irwin and bringing this vessel down for good.
With winter coming to Antarctica and the whaling season over the ship's have departed for Perth and Melbourne. Operation Nemesis has been a success and in weeks ICR will release their kills which will be posted once they are given.
Ocean Warrior has docked in Perth concluding Operation Nemesis and ending the campaign. Before she was sent home Ocean Warrior found Nisshin Maru and fallowed the blood trail to the vessels but Nisshin Maru escaped. With March approaching ICR has called off the hunt and are heading back to Japan the quota will be released in the next of couple weeks.
The Japanese met their quota this year and managed to poach all 333 whales.
Operation Apex Harmony[]
The Ocean Warrior is in Timor Leste tracking down a fleet of fishermen whose chosen catch is shark. To date The Ocean Warrior has arrested 15 vessels belonging to Hong Long Fisheries and confiscated 15 boatloads of shark. Prior to the campaign the Sea Shepherd security ship Yoshka arrested the factory ship Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 in Galapagos and arrested the crew; who are now in jail, and the vessel sold for scrap. The Ocean Warrior also found driftnets, and illegal fishing gear and confiscated it.
Recently Ocean Warrior arrested the Hong Dong Fleet as well bringing the total number of ships arrested to 18.
Operation Jodari[]
Ocean Warrior is in Tanzania helping MATTS protect the coastline from poachers. Ocean Warrior is helping them do everything from catching drug smugglers and human traffickers, catching gun launderers, catching poachers, checking fishing licenses, and MATTS' core mission since 2010 catching dynamite fishers.
Overhaul[]
Some time between 2018 and 2020 Ocean Warrior ended its campaign in Africa and went to Singapore for an overhaul. New improvements are to install a hanger and add more storage on the ship for future campaigns. Because of COVID 19 Ocean Warrior is still laid up in Singapore pending release and should be back on campaign soon. On November 9, 2020 Ocean Warrior was finally released from Singapore it will head to Sea Shepherd's operations base in Melbourne where outfitting will be completed before it heads back on patrol.
Operation Peru[]
In 2021 The MY Ocean Warrior was sent to Peru where it worked with the local coast guard to arrest vessels illegally fishing in Peruvian waters. Currently, the Ocean Warrior is docked in Panama waiting to transit Panama Canal.
Operation Distant Waters[]
The Ocean Warrior is now in Galapagos tracking down the Chinese Fishing Fleet who are targeting squid and shark. Sea Shepherd has ran into these guys before and Captain Peter Hammerstandt who is captaining this campaign has arrested half these vessels in Africa during the last decade. The goal is to light up their bridges by night and hit them with water cannons by day and send their location to Interpol and place them under arrest. Sea Shepherd hopes to drive these vessel out of Galapagos to protect the wildlife that call this area home.
On the first day of the mission Sea Shepherd arrested the Lu Rong Yu 881 its sister ship the Lu Rong Yu 889 and the Lu Rong Yu 988 was arrested in 2017 during Operation Sola Stella and it was Peter himself who placed both captains in cuffs. Other ships busted were those that Peter and Sea Shepherd went after during Operation Albacore and all of them are in the Rouges Gallery. Several of these vessels were faking their radar signatures and the Chinese vessels are known to use jamming equipment on their ships.
On Day 7 of the mission they arrested Chang Tai 802 this vessel is wanted for doing Shanghai slavery which means they hire people and force them to work on a boat and never make port as long as the vessel is at sea. Sea Shepherd threw bottles over to the ship and the crew sent back their numbers and their families called law enforcement.
On Day 19 of the campaign Sea Shepherd arrested the Hua Li 18 and its sister ship Hua Li 8 Sea Shepherd arrested them before in South Africa during Operation Albacore the same campaign that got the Bandit 6 impounded in Cabo.
On the final day of the campaign Sea Shepherd arrested a tanker who was refueling these vessels and sending their catch back to the source of this illegal fishing North Korea confirming that the Chinese Fishing Fleet is not only working for the Chinese Black Market they are working for the Korean government who does this all the time.
Sea Shepherd will continue to monitor these vessels and make arrest and will bring them to justice and shut this industry down.