Sea Shepherd welcomes Laura Dekker in Galapagos

by Sea Shepherd/Sail-World Cruising on 8 May 2011 Laura Dekker, 15-year-old cruising sailor on her way across her second ocean, has connected with the Sea Shepherd Organisation, a breakaway group from Greenpeace, during her stopover in the Galapagos.

Sea Shepherd are most famous/infamous for their attacks on Japanese whaling vessels in the Southern Ocean and crossing Somali pirate waters disguised as a military ship, but in Galapagos it's the fragile situation of the world's sharks that mostly concern the conservation group.

When Laura set off from the Netherlands last summer aged just 14, she was already proudly flying the Sea Shepherd flag in a bid to create awareness for the perilous condition of our world’s oceans.

She is now at anchor in Academy Bay on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos after successfully crossing the Atlantic Ocean and entering the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal.

Captain Alex Cornelissen, Sea Shepherd Galapagos Director, welcomed Laura to the islands and thanked her for her support.

'The Sea Shepherd flag has been flying off her mast since the departure from the Netherlands last August. For Sea Shepherd it is a great way to become better known in the ports along Laura’s voyage' Alex said.

'I’m doing this because the oceans need our help and I want to promote the work of Sea Shepherd,' Laura explained.

Laura is enjoying the wonders of Galapagos while charging her batteries for the long crossing to the Marquesas and Australia. The Sea Shepherd Galapagos team will help her in any way possible during her stay in the enchanted islands.

Posing with the campaign flag No Compromise onboard of her ship Guppy, Alex said 'we are proud to have such a good ambassador in Laura.'

Laura is now preparing to make the crossing of the longest leg in her journey, from Galapagos to the Marquesas, a distance of around 3,000 nautical miles.

To follow Laura's round-world voyage in English, http://www.lauradekker.nl/English/Home.html!click_here.