Tours of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's M/V Brigitte Bardot

Hi friends, Zipy here, and mae, do I have some news for you! On January 5th, 2019, I had the pleasure of taking a tour on Sea Shepherd's M/V Brigitte Bardot! That's right, they came all the way here to Quepos, Costa Rica to share their adventures and magnificent ship with us.

That ship is amazing! It is built for speed and accuracy for sure, but before I get there, let me explain a little about what my friends at Sea Shepherd do. The full name is the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society or SSCS for short. They are a non-profit organization created to protect marine wildlife. My nautical brothers and sisters could certainly use the help because unfortunately there are a lot of people out there causing them some great harm, not unlike what is happening to my rainforest friends. It is crucial that all of us critters, yes you too, stick together for the survival of the planet, you know? The people who volunteer with SSCS certainly do!

The mission of SSCS is to protect the oceans wildlife and biodiversity by halting the slaughter and destruction of its habitants and habitats. They do copious research, documenting, and when necessary, direct-action tactics and responses to shed light on illegal activities. Sometimes this even means confronting those doing harm, which sounds quite intimidating to me, but I am certainly glad that there are people brave enough to do it.

Sometimes they bend and break the equipment of the illegal fishing industries by cutting through nets or bending the hooks so they can’t harm any animals. Other times, the actions are a bit more extreme. Everything they do, they have done with great research and consideration.

Ok, friends, the moment you have been waiting for! We toured the amazing M/V Brigitte Bardot, named after the actress and animal rights activist, currently working on Operation Mamacocha. First, we went to Marina Pez Vela in order to meet Captain Chris and First Mate Simon! Both were so down to Earth with a great sense of humor. I enjoyed talking with them so much and hearing about their adventures. They were also selling some amazing merchandise to help subsidize their campaigns. If you haven’t seen the cool stuff they have to offer, definitely check it out or consider making a donation to help my new friends be environmental stewardesses.

Next, the volunteers, Rebecca, Robbie, Alma, and Christian were amazing tour guides who offered tours in various languages, even Slothian! The boat itself is designed to circumvent the world and is designed for speed. As you can see, the unique design is reminiscent of a spaceship. I can imagine the wind blowing through my fur as I sail to environmental justice. Each volunteer is signed up for three months. Do you think my parents will let me go? I can apply directly on their webpage, or maybe I can just sneak into one of their suitcases. Don’t worry little ocean buddies, Zipy is on his way!

The boat itself can sleep up to 10 crew members, currently, there are 7. This includes the captain, engineers, crew, and chef who cooks an entirely vegan cuisine. I have been eating vegan my whole life. You should try it out!  The rooms are sectioned off by gender with a small space for each crew member to sleep and store their belongings. Man, I love to sleep . . . yawwwwwn . . . Excuse me, what was I  saying? Oh yeah . . . the crew members do need to be careful when the sea is rocking because those bunk beds can lead to some unintended injuries! I don’t know why they don’t just wrap their claws around a post, silly humans.

The crew has an incredible drone that they take with them to do recon. I want to fly on one . . . errrrr, fly one . . . ok both! However, they have had some angry fishermen shoot them down before. The technology on these bad boys is extremely advanced with amazing cameras and even night vision. This helps the crew decide in which direction they need to take their mission. Do you think mom will buy me one for my birthday? Can you ask her for me?

What an incredible day it was onboard the M/V Brigitte Bardot! I am extremely grateful for Marina Pez Vela for the opportunity, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for their great work, and to the knowledgeable crew of the M/V Brigitte Bardot for inviting us to see their home and work! 

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