Neptune’s Navy

The Sea Shepherd Fleet

Since 1977, a number of vessels have served in the Sea Shepherd fleet to protect marine wildlife in direct-action campaigns around the world. Click the links below to learn more about our current vessels used to defend, conserve and protect the ocean.

- Ocean Warrior

- Age of Union (formerly M/Y Sam Simon) 

- Sea Eagle

- Conrad

- Selkie

- Emanuel Bronner

- Bob Barker (retired)

Our vessels

  • R/V Martin Sheen
  • M/V Emanuel Bronner
  • M/Y Triton
  • M/Y Sea Eagle
  • M/Y Age of Union
  • M/Y Ocean Warrior
  • M/V Allankay
  • M/Y Jairo Mora Sandoval
  • M/Y Conrad
Operator
Launched
Weight
Length
Speed
Max Crew
Campaigns

Ocean Warrior

Overview

In 2015, at the annual Goed Geld Gala (Good Money Gala) hosted by the Dutch Postcode Lottery in Amsterdam, Sea Shepherd Global was awarded €8.3 million for a “Dream Project” vessel built to "Stop Illegal Fishing in the Southern Ocean".

 

It was constructed by Dutch shipbuilder Damen in the port of Antalya, Turkey, and christened Ocean Warrior in September 2016. Its maiden voyage was Operation Nemesis, Sea Shepherd’s 11th Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign, in 2016/2017.

 

The M/Y Ocean Warrior is Sea Shepherd’s first custom-built ship, and the fastest in the fleet, reaching speeds over 25 knots.

Technical Information
  • Type Patrol vessel
  • Launched 2016
  • Weight 454GT
  • Length 54m
  • Speed 25+ knots
  • Max Crew 16

Age of Union

Overview

The Age of Union, previously known as the Sam Simon, was named after our partners at the Age of Union Alliance, following a very significant pledge of support at the very beginning of 2022.

 

The vessel first joined the Sea Shepherd fleet under the name Sam Simon, after the Hollywood producer and animal rights advocate who served on Sea Shepherd’s Board of Advisors until his passing in 2015. His generous donation made it possible to purchase the former Japanese vessel in 2012, when it joined its first Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign that December, Operation Zero Tolerance.

 

The Sam Simon, originally named the Seifu Maru, was a Meteorological Observation Ship for the Japanese whaling fleet.

Technical Information
  • Type Research/survey vessel
  • Launched 1993
  • Weight 720GT
  • Length 56m
  • Speed 11 knots
  • Max Crew 35

Sea Eagle

Overview

In 2021, the Sea Eagle was purchased through funding from Allianz SE, Allianz Technology, and Allianz Italy as part of Sea Shepherd’s new two-year partnership with Allianz to address the issue of plastic marine debris polluting the ocean.

 

The vessel is a former French pilot boat that carries two small boats. Having been built for the Atlantic Ocean, the ship is capable of navigating the roughest seas.

Technical Information
  • Type Pilot vessel
  • Launched 1986
  • Weight 318GT
  • Length 34.95m
  • Speed 12 knots
  • Max Crew 19

Conrad

Overview

The Conrad is a 17-meter catamaran donated by Jane Patterson and Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni (the latter a member of Sea Shepherd Global and US Board of Advisors and Sea Shepherd Italia’s Council of the Wise) in 2020. 

 

Equipped with a RHIB fast boat, the Conrad has been used on OperatIon Siso: our campaign to protect Italy’s Mediterranean waters from illegal fishing. 

Technical Information
  • Type Catamaran
  • Launched 2020 (by Sea Shepherd)
  • Weight 30 GT
  • Length 17m
  • Speed 17 knots
  • Max Crew 4

Selkie

Overview

Sea Shepherd's first landing craft was named by Captain Paul Watson after the Selkies (seal folk) from Celtic and Norse mythology.

 

Commissioned by the Ministry of Defence in 1984 and completed in 1985 at the Souter shipyard at Cowes (Isle of Wight, UK), the Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) Mk.4 was designed to operate from the Royal Navy's amphibious warships HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid. Decommissioned in 2012 then fully re-built in 2016 with further modifications in recent years, LCVP Selkie opens up more possibilities for Sea Shepherd UK's campaigns than traditional boats and RIBs with the ability to land on almost any beach, embark a load of 5500 kg and then retract back to the sea.

 

LCVP Selkie will now be tasked on coastal patrol work, diver deployment, ghostnet recovery, and marine debris retrievals from otherwise inaccessible areas of the UK's coastline and islands.

Technical Information
  • Type Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel
  • Launched 1985
  • Weight 11GT
  • Length 14m
  • Speed 20+ knots
  • Max Crew 8

Emanuel Bronner

Overview

The Emanuel Bronner is a small ship owned and operated by Sea Shepherd as a Baltic Sea conservation patrol vessel. Unveiled in 2017, the ship was donated by philanthropist Michael Bronner and named after his grandfather, Emanuel Bronner. The vessel is responsible for helping to protect the endangered harbor porpoise in the Baltic Sea. 

Technical Information
  • Type Patrol vessel
  • Launched 1970
  • Weight 9 GT
  • Length 11.65 m
  • Speed 20 kn
  • Max Crew 4

Bob Barker (Retired)

Overview

Thanks to a $5 million contribution from the legendary American game show host Bob Barker, in 2009 Sea Shepherd secretly purchased and refitted a former Norwegian whaler in Africa. The ice-strengthened chaser boat quietly departed from Mauritius on December 18th for its first mission against the Japanese whaling fleet, Operation Waltzing Matilda.

 

The Bob Barker originally operated as a whaling ship until 1962, and later confronted Sea Shepherd during its life as a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel.

Technical Information
  • Type Long-range ice class research vessel
  • Launched 1950
  • Weight 488GT
  • Length 52.2m
  • Speed 15+ knots
  • Max Crew 36

Steve Irwin (Retired)

Overview

Purchased in 2007, Sea Shepherd's former flagship vessel was previously operated by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. It was initially named Robert Hunter after the Canadian co-founder of Greenpeace who died in 2005.

 

Its first expedition was the 2006/2007 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign Operation Leviathan.

 

The ship was renamed Steve Irwin in December 2007 in honor of the late Australian conservationist and Sea Shepherd supporter. 

Technical Information
  • Type Island class patrol vessel
  • Launched 1975
  • Weight 1017GT
  • Length 59.5m
  • Speed 15 knots
  • Max Crew 42

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