Meet the crew of The Steve Irwin
Siddharth ChakravartyI’ve been at sea since 2001. I spent 10 years of my life working on commercial tankers before I felt it was the time to move on. I realised that I had to do more than merely eke out a living ferrying cargo on the oceans and started looking for scientific expeditions and research vessels to crew on. Read more...
Alistair AllanI joined Sea Shepherd because it is one of the only organisations in the world that is actually saving lives and the ocean. Having been on the ships since 2011 I still believe that saving lives is what Sea Shepherd does best and my reason for joining still stands strong. Read more...
Brian RaceMy name is Brian Race and I originated from Syracuse, NY USA. I joined The Steve Irwin in August of 2009 and since then have had the great opportunity to be a part of the movement to protect our world's oceans. In this time I have witnessed the unfortunate truth, that our oceans are in peril... Read more...
Bruce HawkenHi, I am Bruce Hawken from Melbourne, Australia. I am the second officer of the watch on The Steve Irwin for Operation Relentless. I manage one of the three rotating bridge teams that are responsible for the navigation and safe passage of the ship 24 hours a day. This is my second Antarctic campaign. Read more...
Cam HollandOperation Relentless is my fourth Antarctic anti-whaling campaign. With the combination of our fleet of ships, passionate crew, shore-based support and evolving tactics we will have the whalers on the run relentlessly. Read more...
Cassandra SmithThis will be my third Antarctic campaign on board The Steve Irwin. Previously, I was on Operation Divine Wind and Operation No Compromise as Quartermaster. I have spent most of my life living by the ocean and have always been deeply passionate about the conservation and protection of all marine life and our oceans. Read more...
Chad HalsteadMost of my life I have searched for ways to give back to the environment and protect the things I love. I have always loved the idea of leaving a place just a little better than the way I found it. We have the ability to make a difference in the world around us through both tiny and large actions... Read more...
Eliza MuirheadI started out as a volunteer for Sea Shepherd in 2008. When I began learning about the way in which animals are treated and the environmental concerns that face our planet, I decided to dedicate my life's work to the documentation and communication of these issues to the world. Read more...
Eric Burris (E.B.)There are over seven billion people on our planet. Many of them are impoverished and desperate. A good portion of the remainder is affluent and desperate for more. This is creating tremendous pressure on many of Earth’s ecosystems. Read more...
Eva HidalgoThe oceans suffer as much from those who exploit it as from those who stand by and watch it happen. It is imperative that we act. That is why I joined Sea Shepherd back in 2010, the only organization that, actively protects the ocean and all its creatures. Read more...
Gerry NelI grew up on a farm in South Africa and recall asking my dad as a young boy, “Dad, what happens to all that black exhaust smoke from the tractor, where does it go?” I guess that was my first environmental awareness… Read more...
Haans SiverI have spent most of my life helping the voiceless but it wasn’t until 2009 when I discovered the slaughter of the dolphins in Taiji that my path really unfolded. At the time I was a nightclub owner. After doing many months of research I realised there are more problems out there than anyone can imagine. Read more...
Ian Coll RafelI was born in 1985 in the Catalan Pyrenees. I have been a volunteer with Sea Shepherd since the summer of 2010, and a crewmember of The Steve Irwin since June 2013. I grew up in the mountains at 1250 metres above sea level, in close contact with nature and was educated to respect and protect the environment. Read more...
John NaylorI was trained in the Royal Air Force from age 17 to 23, then worked in Africa, Australia, Canada and the Middle East for 40 years in oil and gas, famine relief and de-mining. My mother developed Alzheimers ten years ago and the last three years of her life I was her full time carer. Read more...
Kelly HigginsI have been a Sea Shepherd supporter since the 1990s, when I became involved in activism. I grew up caring about all the great issues facing the world – advocating for social justice, protecting the environment, and defending the lives of animals. As a teenager, my compassion turned into action, both local and global. Read more...
Laura DakinIn January of 2005 when I was just 21, I joined Captain Paul Watson and the crew of The Farley Mowat in Bermuda, to confront the barbarous harp seal killers off the east coast of Canada. During the years following as a Sea Shepherd I learned, just how screwed up the state of Earth’s Ocean really is. Read more...
Maddy MadisonI'm 44 years old and from a small town near the North Sea in Germany. This is my second Antarctic campaign with Sea Shepherd and I'm participating as a Quartermaster on The Steve Irwin. I became aware of Sea Shepherd when I saw the well-known television series Whale Wars and was impressed by the volunteers. Read more...
Mal HollandIn a time of material wealth beyond need, it seems we humans suffer from a scarceness of emotional wealth, brought to us directly, by a fatal disinterest in the biosphere that has formed us. Our disconnection with the natural world in favour of a sedentary life, of television, fashion and boredom would be our undoing. Read more...
Michelle MossfieldI spent the early years of my adult existence with my head planted in the sand. My senses were overloaded with the many distractions that today's world offers. I worked. I consumed. I indulged, and did it all again. Everyday. I was a good, little hedonist in the making, but my insides were screaming out to me. Something was wrong. Read more...
Nick ReesThe ocean has always been one of my favourite places. From summer holidays and cold winter waves to diving and enjoying some of the worlds’ most incredible underwater reef ecosystems, there’s been a running theme - things aren’t as they should be. The rubbish that is collecting on beaches and in gyres, the fishing lines and nets... Read more...
Pablo WatsonI first joined the crew of The Bob Barker in early 2010, and have been on The Steve Irwin since 2011. I joined the crew out of a need to protect innocence and wilderness. As a young man, I have grown witness to the obscenities of my own species, the way the human race has sought to destroy the wild places I cherish. Read more...
Patrick DeckersI was born in the Netherlands, where I work as an orthopedic surgeon. This is my first visit to Australia and my first campaign for Sea Shepherd. In my home country I am an onshore volunteer and longtime supporter of Sea Shepherd. Read more...
Pia KlempThe complexity and beauty of life, plant or animal, deeply fascinates me. I worked as a dive instructor around some of the most amazing reefs, loving the ocean more with every dive. At the same time it became evident to me how pollution is destroying the underwater habitats... Read more...
Priya CooperI first heard about the work of Sea Shepherd in protecting the world’s oceans whilst I was at high school in the town of Byron Bay, Australia. Learning about the illegal slaughter of the very same whales that I would watch, completely mesmerised, breach and gambol off the cape of Byron had an extremely resounding effect on me. Read more...
Sonja HyppänenI'm a 30 years old freelance journalist from Finland. This is my third year aboard The Steve Irwin. I work in the deck department and drive the ship's crane. I learned my sea skills aboard a tall ship and I'm happy to use them here to help the planet, its oceans and wildlife. Read more...
Steve WardI am honoured to be a part of Operation Relentless. After the Sydney tour of The Sam Simon in September, I was deeply inspired and signed up as volunteer engineer. Apart from a cruise to Alaska's inside passage this will be my first real sea voyage, but I come prepared... Read more...
Tim WattersI grew up with a fascination of whales, and the first time that I saw the images of a masked group of people in a small boat interfering and putting a stop to the activities of whale killers, I decided that I needed to find out more about this movement. Read more...
Timothy EvettsI have been volunteering with Sea Shepherd since 2010, initially as an onshore volunteer and now heading into my third campaign as a crewmember aboard The Steve Irwin. I have a background in both environmental and animal rights activism, two things which are frequently and closely intertwined. Read more...
Veronika KristofI have unconditional respect for whales, dolphins, and seals. My rage against the unforgivable actions of the whalers, dolphin killers, and seal hunters sparked me to become involved and keeps me working for Sea Shepherd. My effort protecting marine mammals is not just limited to my time on campaigns. Read more...
Alana TompsonAs a vegan animal rights activist I have a great respect and sense of equanimity towards all other beings that share our planet. Through my film degree I have utilised my film and photographic work as a tool for spreading awareness about animal rights. Read more...
Ashleigh AllamI have always loved the ocean and its diverse and precious ecosystem, but growing up in Kansas made it difficult to pursue my passion for the oceans. When I first learned of Sea Shepherd, I immediately knew I wanted to take part in its mission to end poaching. Read more...
Cam ReesOperation Relentless will be my second campaign to the pristine waters of Antarctica. I was proud to be a part of Sea Shepherd’s most successful campaign to date, Operation Zero Tolerance during 2012-2013, as Engineer and small boat crew on the The Bob Barker. During Zero Tolerance, Read more...
Gavin GarrisonOperation Relentless will be my second Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign; I served on The Brigitte Bardot during Operation Zero Tolerance. I became involved with Sea Shepherd in 2010 during the BP oil spill, where I worked closely with Sea Shepherd volunteers and board members... Read more...
Jake ParkerGrowing up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney I have always been connected to the ocean. I was always in the water whether I was body boarding or free diving. I learnt how to scuba dive when I was 16 and my passion and love for the underwater world exploded as did my knowledge of the dangers that the oceans are facing. Read more...
Joseph McQuadeOperation Relentless will be my second Sea Shepherd campaign as a camera operator; I was onboard The Sam Simon during Operation Zero Tolerance. I will be heading back to Antarctica for this campaign onboard The Steve Irwin and I look forward to once again documenting the Sea Shepherds... Read more...
Sam EdmondsGrowing up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, I have always been in tune with the ocean and its inhabitants. Experiences with whales, dolphins and sharks gave me an understanding that the other species with which we share this planet and its resources should be nurtured and respected. Read more...
