Surfers For Cetaceans led by Dave Rastovich is in the Madeira Islands off the coast of Portugal covering the 61st International Whaling Commission, surfing with locals, , and spreading the good will message of defending marine mammals and the waters we share with them. We are also documenting the success of local whalers turning their bloody trade in for the more sustainable and lucrative whale watching industry. The photos and captions below tell the story as it is going on today. Keep your eyes on the horizon and an ear to the wind for our next update from this crazy beautiful surf zone and infuriating meeting….

Madeira surfshot Photo
After two Days in Madeira Islands, S4C have been involved in a multitude of
 events around the island since we arrived. Madeira is a surfing hotspot
for European surfers and although we are here for the commission our first
 mission was to get in the water and wash off thirty something hours of
 flying from Australia. Three foot peelers below vertical cliffs, and cannon
 ball rocks falling from above ramped up the small surf into an intense
 experience. Core members of the local surfing community are guiding our
 trip here and are stoked to be hanging with our group surfing, painting
murals, protesting whaling and enjoying the challenge and excitement of
 surf travel with a selfless purpose.

Rosa Pires Photo
Today a couple of us visited the local marine parks and wildlife authorities to learn about Madeira’s environmental status and some of the laws in place to protect it’s rich biodiversity. ‘’ through local community support of marine sanctuary zones we have seen marine animal populations increase and even overcome their fear of human interaction. Monk seal populations are recovering from the negative impact of commercial fishing and are now being spotted all over Madeira for the first time in many years. I am convinced that if people have a healthy respect for nature we can all restore balance and harmony to eco systems that have suffered by mans destructive activities’’, said Rosa Pires from the Parks and Wildlife. She has just started surfing and reminded me of similar success stories from California, Australia and New Zealand where sanctuary and ‘no kill’ zones have returned a balance to eco systems and inspired locals to respect and preserve their natural resources.


IWC meeting Photo
While we were hearing from Rosa some of the S4C team were at the IWC
 meeting with our mates from Sea Shepherd who usually scare the s#*t out of
 Japanese delegates at the meeting by just peacefully hanging around and are
 usually tailed by police and armed guards everywhere they go. Captain Paul
 alerted the media to Sea Shepherds plan of going down to the southern
 ocean again this coming whaling season under the campaign name Operation
 Waltzing Matilda.

SSCS CREW Photo
Attending the commission today we got word that the very sensitive issue
 of Greenland killing ten endangered humpback whales would be on the agenda
within the next twenty four hours and that Australia would outrageously support Greenland’s desire for that kill. Australia is a nation that protects and adores their humpback population that has slowly recovered from being almost wiped out by whaling. We are hoping that this rumor isn’t true and that Peter Garrett will act on behalf of the Australian people and not support the killing of endangered humpback whales anywhere in the world. Hopefully the rumor has as little substance as most of the political rhetoric that is spoken at the IWC and the killing of endangered whales will not be allowed in any of the oceans.