Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog
It's half past eight at night, and we've just left Bergen. It's still shorts and t-shirt weather on the deck of the Arctic Sunrise, and many of the crew are out enjoying the scenery as we pass snow-capped mountains en route back to the North Sea.
It was only yesterday that I, together with my colleagues, crossed that sea on a ferry to join the ship. This will be my first proper time sailing on the Sunrise (although I was onboard recently in Faslane when we blocked the nuclear submarine base, and Portia got her weekend of Glaswegian hospitality). This is also my first time onboard as lead campaigner and I'm hoping the weather remains kind, for the sake of the campaign and my stomach.
It's odd to think that in a few short years the concept of making large scale marine reserves has moved on so far. To most of the public it's a no-brainer - of course you should protect some areas of the sea, we do the same on land. But the most interesting converts are the politicians, and we now have a real opportunity to make marine reserves happen. So let's make sure we do.
My first impressions getting onboard are of a fantastic crew, some I know, and many I've only just met. Very diverse, but all very enthusiastic. You never step on the same Greenpeace ship twice, and it really is the people involved who make the difference.
So here's to a great second leg of the campaign - we'll keep you posted.
