Anti-whaling ship renamed the Steve Irwin

An anti-whaling ship has been renamed after the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin as it sets off to intercept Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was given permission to use Irwin's name by his widow Terri Irwin, who was in Melbourne as the ship's 52-member crew prepared to set sail on a two-month protest operation. Previously named Robert Hunter, Sea Shepherd's former Scottish fisheries patrol vessel is now Steve Irwin. It will attempt to intercept a Japanese whaling fleet which for the Southern Ocean a fortnight ago. The Steve Irwin will sail from Melbourne at 3pm (AEDT) , embarking on a $500,000 campaign dubbed Operation Migaloo - named after an endangered albino humpback.

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