The mean-looking Ady Gil is the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's newest weapon in their ongoing battle against Japanese whalers.
The trimaran - previously known as Earthrace - recently set the world powerboat record for circumnavigation.
Wave piercer: The ship can submarine up to 23 feet underwater and runs on renewable biodiesel fuel
The Ady Gil is capable of up to 50 knots and will be used to block harpoon ships from illegally slaughtering whales
Described as a ‘wave piercer’ which can submarine up to 23 feet underwater, the craft completed the round-the-world trip using 100 per cent renewable biodiesel fuel, with a net zero carbon footprint.
The 24,000 nautical mile journey took just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, smashing the previous record by over two weeks.
Now the newly-renamed vessel has been unveiled as the Sea Shepherd's new weapon in the organisation's sixth campaign against whaling, Operation Waltzing Mathilda, which will launch from Australia early next month.
The boat was relaunched in LA last month.
The Ady Gil looks like the Batmobile, right
The craft, which is capable of up to 50 knots, will be used to intercept and physically block harpoon ships from illegally slaughtering whales.
In preparation for its journey, a ton of Kevlar armour has been added to the Ady Gil to limit damage caused by the Antarctic ice – technically making it bullet proof too.
Captain Paul Watson, who is the Sea Shepherd President and Founder, told the Globe and Mail: ‘It looks like the kind of boat Batman would drive.'
The underside of the boat is armed with two giant propellers capable of hitting speeds of 50 knots
Captain Paul Watson is joined by ardent environmentalist and Hollywood actress Daryl Hannah prior to his anti-whaling missing last year
Skirmishes have broken out between Japanese whalers and the group in the past, more often involving stink bombs than bullets.
But Sea Shepherd is upping the ante with the Ady Gil.
It will be joined by the group’s flagship, Steve Irwin (which is capable of 19 knots), as they head to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
‘We’re very excited that the Ady Gil will be joining the Steve Irwin in Antarctica this campaign,' Captain Watson said.
‘With these two ships, we will mount the most ambitious and aggressive effort to date to obstruct the slaughter of the whales in the Southern Ocean.’
Chuck Swift, deputy CEO, said: ‘The Ady Gil gives us the speed necessary to catch and stay with the Japanese whaling fleet.
‘We are very optimistic that with these two ships, and some other surprises, we will shut down whaling in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.’
Watson added: ‘Our objective is to literally sink the Japanese fleet – economically. To bankrupt them, and we’re doing pretty well on that.
‘They haven’t made a profit in three years.’
The Ady Gil and the Steve Irwin are the two remaining ships in the Sea Shepherd Society’s fleet. A third vessel – the Farley Mowat – was sent to protest against Canadian seal hunting last year and was seized by officials.
Sister ship: The Steve Irwin will be joining the Ady Gil on its Operation Waltzing Matilda mission
