RICHARD FREEMAN: Sonic Assasins

The battle to save Antartica’s whales from the Japanese whaling fleet is becoming almost science fictional. By February 5th the valiant crew of the Steve Irwin of the Sea Shepard foundation had successfully foiled all attempts to slaughter whales by heading off the harpoon ships with inflatable boats whilst being filmed by helicopter.

The whaling ship Nisshin Maru aimed a sonic weapon known as Long Range Acoustical Device (LRAD) at helicopter pilot Chris Aultman of California and Animal Planet cameraman Ashley Dunn of Tasmania.

"At first it was just a loud noise," said Aultman. "Then they turned up the volume and we could feel it in our legs and chest." Aultman retreated out of range of the device, but was shocked they used it. "It was extremely irresponsible for the whalers to aim that device at the helicopter," said Captain Paul Watson. "They were doing nothing but filming and presented absolutely no threat to the ships. They demonstrated absolutely no regard for human life."

The LRAD was then aimed at the small boats and the Steve Irwin. This sonic attack was followed by the Nisshin Maru apparently turning into the Steve Irwin, and allegedly attempting to actually ram it at full speed. Captain Paul Watson ordered the small boats to act like fighter planes in a dogfight.

The small boats retaliated by threatening to foul the props of the harpoon vessel. Steve Roest, of the UK, was injured when he became disoriented, dizzy and was knocked down, cutting open his head. Ship's doctor David Miller from Perth sutured the wound with five stitches. Captain Paul Watson received rope burns when he fired a speed line in front of the Yushin Maru to force them to retreat from an attempt to cross the bow with a fouling line.

"The attacks by the three ships became so aggressive we had to fire flares and speed lines over their head to force them to back off," said Captain Watson.

The small boats also retaliated with rotten butter bombs. The Steve Irwin retrieved both boats and the helicopter by going in tight circles with the three harpoon vessels circling on the outside blasting the crew with LRAD's and towing fouling lines. Finally, the harpoon boats fled with the Steve Irwin pursuing them into the Ross Sea.