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“We have been fired upon, rammed by ships...But I never thought of quitting.”
 This defines the life of the captain onboard the ship which goes to some of the most dangerous missions on waters. Siddharth Chakravarty, a <keyword id="359327" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sea-Shepherd">Sea Shepherd</keyword> captain joined the team in search of doing something worthwhile for the waters that he traversed for 10 long years. Though he puts his life at risks in almost every mission, fighting against powerful sea lords and even the government at times, he intends to keep doing this. 

	“I find a purpose here. I find that I bring a lot to work and there is a lot for me to do. I have only reached halfway. So I intend to keep doing this for a while,” said the captain.
 

	How is it to be captain Sea Shepherd? The captain, who has just been back from a one of its kind campaign against toothfishing in Antarctic waters, reveals this and a lot more about the rash Antarctic waters in chat with Business Insider.
 

	What are the highs and lows of being the <keyword id="3135360" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="captain-of-Sea-Shepherd">captain of Sea Shepherd</keyword>?
 

	The highs are that you get to be multiple things by being the captain. I been in seas before but being in Sea Shepherd allows you to be a captain, a spokesperson, be in the media, to lead a crew, plan a campaign and visit some of the most beautiful places. 
 

	The lows are that you are in a constant state of tense. The campaigns are not easy and relaxed. You are dealing with poachers who are exploiting international laws. You have got a crew to take care of. You have got weather, ice, navigation to take care of. There is hostility and aggresion on the sea. These are followed by criticism of the media.
 

	Oceans and seas are unpredictable forces of nature. Sometimes they are calm and other times they are relentless and harsh. But Sea Shepherd goes on with its missions. What are the risks involved on such missions?
 

	Antacrtica is traditionally known as being one of the most perilous stretches of water. So when we leave Australia and New Zealand and head south we have to cross bands of really rough weather and then we are down in the ice. The sea is relentless and you cannot stop it. I being the captain of the ship, it is constantly there on the back of my mind that I have to relent. I have to give in to its unpredictable nature. 
 

	Fighting criminality at the oceans comes with its risks and these are risks we are willing to take. The oceans are in peril and we believe that direct action is needed to bring about big change.
 

	How difficult it is to cooperate with different governments and gain their support?
 The <keyword id="3135362" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Japanese-whaling">Japanese whaling</keyword> campaign was heavily subsidised by the Japanese government. But in the <keyword id="3135361" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Operation-Icefish">Operation Icefish</keyword>, a campaign against toothfishing in the Antarctic waters, the Spanish poachers were being investigated by the Spanish government itself. 

	Sometimes we work in collaboration with the governments, we take their maritime police onboard. In other times, we go and directly enforce the laws because there are so many loopholes in the conservation laws. The big place where we really come in effective as the parallel police is the high seas which belong to no one and governance of the commons doesn’t work there.
 

	To save those places, somebody else has to go and enforce those laws.
 

	You always announce your campaigns beforehand. Doesn’t it pose security risks or risk your campaigns to fail? 
 

	Because we are civil society, we carry no weapons on board and the organisation that represents Sea Shepherd has mission statement to non-violently use direct action to carry these operations. In fact media is one of our strongest tools. We send messages to other countries to keep a lookout for these vessels.
 

	When we announce, we want the poachers to know that we are coming for them. The success of our campaign lies in the poaching operations being suspended. If by the initial information that we are coming they move, it is a victory anyway. If not, then we release risks. 
 I remember before the last campaign (Operation Icefish) when we were going and speaking to the legal fishing vessels to ask them what it would be like, all of them replied we were crazy to go after <keyword id="6355520" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Interpol">Interpol</keyword> listed (Thunder). They would be armed and our lives were at risks. 

	Since you fight against illegal trades and sometimes the government, have you ever been bribed or threatened to be silent and stop what you are doing?
 

	I haven’t faced it from my side yet, but sea shepherd had over the years had incidents where the ships are confronted by the locals when they are in dock. The Japanese coast guard came down upon us during Japanese whaling campaign. We have also been fired upon. We have been rammed by ships. We also had a mayday when the Japanese Big Factory ship came after us and rammed all three of our vessels and tried to capsize one.
 

	During these difficult times how difficult it is to manage the whole crew?
 

	It is a challenge definitely because as we sail with a lot of volunteers, people who come with lot of dedicated interests in the campaign and while that allows for an incredible support on the campaign things, there are days when things are not going right. I think with each campaign you grow as a leader, you grow to understand that people are people and there is a way to deal with them. Being at the helm of these campaigns requires a certain personal outlook to the campaign which inspires the crew and allows them to feed of your energy. Most of the times there are good days and they outweigh the bad ones.
 

	You do enjoy what you are doing now.
 

	Well perhaps enjoyment is not the right word. I am very interested in what I do. I find that I need to keep doing this because there is a lot to be done. I do find a purpose in my life.
 

	What has been the scariest experience?
 

	In the 2012-2013 Japanese whaling campaign, a big Japanese whaling ship came and hit us from the back. We had a helicopter at the back and a crew standing with water cannons, flooding their engine room. I had seen our sister vessel being almost capsized by the same ship two days later. We pushed through it. We pushed through a 160- 170 miles of ice through 3-4 days, trying to get to a place where whalers might be. There was a helicopter operation which happened in sub-zero temperature. So every time the helicopter is gone, they update after 3-4 minutes. During this time, you keep your finger crossed and hope that they haven’t caught a wind drift or nothing else has gone wrong with the helicopter. The whole crew is constantly trying to keep the engines operate at its best condition.
 

	What has been the most exciting part?
 

	I think for me coming back from a campaign with Sea Shepherd is always exciting because even though we were facing an opponent which is much bigger and stronger than us we had driven them out of their poaching grounds. Those are the moments you know you have lived out of the long hours of cold and the endless attention that follows throughout each campaign.
 

	You deal with illegal trades on waters. Some of them are subsidised and some on international waters where no law works. How do you handle the legality of Sea Shepherd?
 

	Sea Shepherd works with proper permits and permissions before departing for the campaign. The legality issues that have mainly come up with are with the poaching ships or the companies that we are targeting. When they see they will end up losing their money they try to drag us to the court. It has never been from the Government. We have never been in court defending our actions.
 But yes, the Japanese navy took Sea Shepherd to court. A similar thing happened with a British company called Fish and Fish that illegally caught 700 bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean. Our divers went in and cut their nets and released the catch. They took us to court and but the British courts ruled that they had no claim and dropped all charges. Just last month I was in <keyword id="860773" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="west-Africa">West Africa</keyword> in a court house with the two captains and officer of the Thunder. They argued that our actions have driven them to sink their vessel and they were not guilty. We provided all the testimony we could and successfully sent them away to prison for 3 years. 

	You are often termed as Eco-terrorists or militant environmentalists. How do you deal with these allegations?
 

	Because we are radical in what we do and because we bring about change, people are sceptic about our work. Eco-terrorism is a term coined to silence such organisations and their actions. But at the same time we let our actions speak for ourselves. They rather be talking about you rather than not talking about you at all. As that means you are making a difference.
 

	What have you personally sacrificed?
 

	I don’t really look at my life as being a sacrifice. If you look at some traditional parameters, I don’t have a family and am on the move all the time. I miss talking with my mother. I crave home-food. Although it seems like I do miss a life, I look at them as being something that has come out of the choice that I have made in doing something that I believe in.

	 
	(Image credits: seashepherd)

EXCLUSIVE: Life as a Captain of Sea Shepherd, the pirates of the sea

The oceans are at peril and there is law enforcement void in the international waters. Someone needs to go down there and save the ecosystem. From illegal fishing of whales to dolphins to toothfish, the poachers are on its way to extinct these beautiful creation of nature in a bid to make money. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/EXCLUSIVE-Life-as-a-Captain-of-Sea-Shepherd-the-pirates-of-the-sea/articleshow/49768148.cms">Sea Shepherd</a>, a UN Chartered organisation has taken the noble task of saving the waters from the poachers, risking their lives even. Sometimes fighting the poachers and sometimes fighting the government, they go to any extend to save the aquatic wildlife. 
 They announced their next campaign on Monday, <keyword id="3135361" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Operation-Icefish">Operation Icefish</keyword> 2015-2016. While they are just back from their last campaign Operation Icefish 2014-2015 which was a huge success, they think there is still lot more to be done. 
 
TEDxGateway brings some of these inspiring personalities on one platform to raise awareness. 
 The captain of <keyword id="359327" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sea-Shepherd">Sea Shepherd</keyword>, Siddharth Chakravarty, reveals some of the intricate details about the last mission, tells us all that is wrong with the conservation laws and their ongoing fight against the Japanese Government, in an exclusive interview with Business Insider India. 
 The mission where they pursued an <keyword id="6355520" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Interpol">Interpol</keyword> listed, despite of warnings of their life being at risks 
 Operation Icefish was the first of its kind campaign to specifically target fishing in <keyword id="6354781" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Antarctica">Antarctica</keyword>. 
 
They were in 2 vessels with a crew of 70 and the aim was to head to Antarctica to fill an enforcement void in those waters and to deliver these vessels to justice while they were fishing in the ice in Antarctica. There are known six vessels which were returning to Antarctica in last 13-14 years and have remained outside traditional law enforcement. 
 On December 17, one of the vessels <keyword id="851314" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bob-Barker">Bob Barker</keyword>, found Thunder which was an Interpol listed and began a hot pursuit of the vessel through ice and pore Ocean. Ultimately 110 days later the Thunder was scuttled and intensely sunk in West <keyword id="12925" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Africa">Africa</keyword> by her captain to destroy evidence. The captain has been charged with three years of imprisonment and also charged the owner 15 million euros for pollution. 
 
“That was an extremely successful outcome because generally in the world of crimes against fisheries you do not see such strong and quick resolution,” said the captain. 
 
What also happened was it brought together a lot of changes to how a crime was tackled. Interpol along with governments of New Zealand and Australia, Nigeria, Germany, Canada, multiple parties came together and they began investigating the money side, the ownerships and false paperwork that goes into running these illegal operations from their side. And ultimately by May when the campaign concluded we had managed to shut down all six of those vessels. This was again an unprecedented sort of success that never happened before. Sea Shepherd announced Operation Icefish 2015-2016 as two of the poaching ships have managed to evade law and escape. 
 
This year we are going with one ship because there are 2 poachers left, with a crew of about 35 on the ship, said the captain who was onboard the vessel Sam Simon, the other vessel on the pursuit. 
 
What was the most difficult part of your last mission? 
 We had two sides to that campaign. One was the chase of 110 days, which was almost 5 times the last chase. It went across four oceans, Antarctica Ocean, <keyword id="12350" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Ocean">Indian Ocean</keyword> and round the Cape of Good Hope to South Atlantic. So for the crew on board, the biggest challenge was the uncertainty of everyday chasing a wanted poaching vessel. And not knowing when it would end. That uncertainty played very heavily on the crew. The other vessel went in and picked up 72 kms of illegal fishing from the waters of Antarctica. For four weeks there were crews who worked 24x7 with a couple of days break every four days. Picking up these gear and in that process returning back about 50,000 kilos of toothfish, storing git on board and delivering it to the police to launch an investigation was not an easy task. All these happened in sub-zero temperature. 
 
 
 
How was it to see Thunder go down to the bottom of the sea? 
 
It was a very surreal experience. We were the only ones in the sea who could even rescue the crew so I was actually speaking to the captain of the thunder about how I would be rescuing his crew when his ship went in the background. We never really expected there to be such a spectacular ending to the campaign. On one hand there was the jubilation that it had ended and driven the most notorious fishing vessel on this planet to the very edge when they decided to sink their own ship. On the other side there was the brave responsibility of picking up 40 people from that vessel, potentially knowing that they would be hostile and they would wrestle towards us. After that we still had the responsibility to deliver them to law enforcement agencies on shore because on the absence of that they would just disappear and the cycle would just continue. 
 
Many days and weeks later, it was finally a relief that the notorious vessel do not exist today. 
 
The Japanese government has agreed to stop its Whaling. Do you think the fight is over? 
 <keyword id="3135362" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Japanese-whaling">Japanese whaling</keyword> campaign was a huge success as we continued to gain support from across the world during the campaign. Whaling is a frowned down activity across the world now. We were able to gather a lot of public support and momentum and actually it became an election issue for the Australian and the New Zealand government. They promised the people that if they were voted to power they would take the Japanese whaling to international court of justice, which ultimately did happen. Japan has a vested interest in Antarctica and aims to resume its whaling operations. They made it clear last year that they would try and work around the international court of justice ruling. This year they have earlier said that they still intend to continue with their research vessels including the lethal component which means harpooling of whales. 
 
The verdict can be swayed aside because of lack of control over the oceans. We are looking at what the Japanese whalers are doing. If they go after it, then starting next year we would be focusing on that. 
 
Sea Sheperd is also helping an NGO in Australia with all the evidence to go up in the federal court against the Japanese government. 
 
There is a tourist surge in Antarctica. How do you think the ecosystem is hampered? 
 
Antarctica so far has not supported a big tourism industry. It does not support anything else than science and research, but as these places become more accessible and as people will have the means to stride into Antarctica, there will be a surge in tourists and that can only be controlled using a limit on the number of tourists and the tour operator being absolutely ethical about how the tourists interact with the wild life. 
 
What is your opinion about the present Conservation laws? 
 
Fisheries crimes are increasing for two reasons. One, the governments do not have the monetary capacity to enforce the laws in their waters. 
 
Second, there are those who are willing to exploit those illegal fishing or operators. 
 <keyword id="66322" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="TED">TED</keyword>xGateway, an independently organized TED Conference, will take place in Mumbai on 05 December 2015. At TEDxGateway, TEDTalks video and live speakers discuss and debate to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. 
 
(Image credits: twitter, wikipedia)

EXCLUSIVE: The fight against Japanese Whaling  is not over, Sea Shepherd captain reveals and talks about the conservation laws void

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Cruising is a relatively safe form of travel, two cruise industry analysts told Insider.</li><li>But some cruise destinations and routes are prone to dangerous conditions and risky activity.</li></ul>A favorite form of travel among global adventurers, cruises provide passengers with ease, access, and expectations of a safe journey.But the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/4-luxury-hospitality-companies-ultra-luxury-cruise-lines-photos-2023-2">cushy onboard experience</a> of a commercial cruise can, in the rarest of occasions, turn dangerous, even deadly.Weather conditions on the open ocean can turn on a dime, with unpredictable winds, fast-moving storms, and freak waves posing risks to both vessels and passengers. Just this month, US Coast Guard announced that it was aiding an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/antarctic-cruise-deaths-prompt-coast-guard-investigation-2023-2">investigation into a series of deaths and injuries among American citizens</a> on Antarctic cruises over a two-week period last year. "These incidents can happen anywhere at any time," <a href="https://www.cruiseguy.com/about/aboutus.html">Stewart Chiron</a>, a cruise-industry analyst and CEO of the consumer cruise website <a href="https://www.cruiseguy.com/about/aboutus.html" target="_blank" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer">cruiseguy.com</a>, told Insider. "Even when you take extreme care, these are accidents, they're not on purpose."Chiron and <a href="https://mun.academia.edu/RossKlein/CurriculumVitae">Ross Klein</a>, a professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland who studies the cruise industry and runs the website <a href="http://cruisejunkie.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cruisejunkie.com</a>, broke down some of the most dangerous cruising routes and destinations around the world. <h2>Antarctica</h2>The world's southernmost continent is among the most beautiful — and dangerous — cruise destinations, according to Chiron and Klein. "The reality is you're going into a part of the world where weather conditions can be unpredictable," Klein told Insider. "It's an area of the world where if something goes wrong, you can't call 911 and say, 'I need help.'"As it's virtually uninhabited, Antarctica's remote location, as well as its relatively new status as an accessible vacation spot, is a major factor in its position as a perilous cruise destination. Rough seas and unreliable weather conditions also up the risk factor for passengers on these "bucket list" trips."We're dealing with a treacherous part of the world," Chiron said. "We're not talking about the sunny, calm Caribbean seas with light trade winds."The region's dangers were on full display in November when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/antarctic-cruise-deaths-prompt-coast-guard-investigation-2023-2">three Americans died in two separate wave-related incidents on Antarctic cruises</a> in a two-week period.Two US citizens died on an inflatable boat during an excursion off the Portuguese-flagged World Explorer when the small boat capsized near Elephant Island in Antarctica. Nearly two weeks later, another American died and four others were injured while aboard the Viking Polaris after <a href="https://www.insider.com/cruise-passenger-dies-after-rogue-wave-viking-ship-others-2022-12">a rogue wave hit the ship and shattered several windows</a>.Ship travel through Antarctica, once limited to expedition and exploration ships, has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/02/08/1155335715/antarctic-cruises-are-gaining-popularity-though-4-americans-recently-died-on-the">become increasingly popular in recent years</a> as more commercial cruise lines deploy passenger vessels to the remote region, where tourists can snap photos with penguins and spot killer whales up close.But when disaster strikes, the area's remoteness can exacerbate danger."You're at the mercy of weather, the mercy of what other ships are around that can give help," said Klein, who has <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/7691142F-8E67-402F-81DC-CA3F4743EC96">testified at Congressional hearings</a> about the cruise industry.In 2009, the MS Explorer, a cruise liner carrying more than 150 passengers, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/the-sinking-of-the-explorer-1667532.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sank in freezing Antarctic waters after the captain drove the ship too fast toward a "wall of ice,"</a> an accident investigation found. Passengers were shepherded onto lifeboats, and with unusually calm weather conditions, nobody died.Antarctica's perilous conditions mean accidents on the rough sea are inevitable, especially as more and more ships traverse the treacherous waters, the two experts said."The incidents that happened in late 2022, they're in our minds as though they're unique, but they're not," Klein said. "They've happened before, and they'll happen again in the future." <div type="image" title="A cruise ship is pictured next to a small ice berg." height="2499" width="5000" msid="97994426" hostid="261" sizebytes="444724"></div><h2>The Northwest Passage</h2>The famed sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean has only in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/a-cargo-ship-just-completed-a-historic-trip-through-the-northwest-passage-2014-10">recent years</a> borne <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/you-can-now-cruise-the-arctic-passage-2016-3">witness to commercial cruising</a> as <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63ed7b86310b0b1f3a449282&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Fnews%2F2007%2F070919%2Ffull%2F449267b.html">the region's ice increasingly melts</a>, which allows <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/88597/a-nearly-ice-free-northwest-passage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passenger vessels to sometimes make the treacherous trip</a> though freezing waters.But the waterway's shallowness, network of islands and inlets, and <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148802/ice-persists-in-the-northwest-passage">persisting ice</a> make the Northwest Passage as dangerous as Antarctica is for cruising, Klein said, noting the perilous pack ice that makes navigation especially tricky.The route was first navigated more than 100 years ago by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Today, passengers with enough cash can sail the Northwest Passage while on summer visits to Norway, Iceland, or Greenland. Unpredictable sea conditions are a major risk variable in the Arctic, where vicious storms can spring up with no warning and the surrounding environment provides little protection for any ship caught in a gale. In 2018, a Russian-flagged <a href="https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/arctic-cruise-ship-runs-aground-canadas-northwest-passage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passenger ship with 162 people on board ran aground along the passage</a>, prompting a rescue operation by a fellow ship, as well as the Canadian Coast Guard. Anticipation of an influx of passenger vessels in the inhospitable area has <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/arctic-travel-canada-coast-guard-increase-demand-1.3671157" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prompted safety concerns among the Canadian Coast Guard</a> about the likely need for future rescue operations. "There is very little protection," Klein said of the Northwest Passage. "There aren't other ships around. You don't have a shipping route where people can come help you." <div type="image" title="Cruise North Expedition passengers during a lifeboat drill in the Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Arctic Canada." height="1249" width="2500" msid="97994430" hostid="261" sizebytes="267810"></div><h2>Cape Hatteras, North Carolina</h2>The waterway off the coast of North Carolina known as Cape Hatteras has a foreboding nickname that cements its status as a historically dangerous route: the <a href="https://graveyardoftheatlantic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Graveyard of the Atlantic</a>.The area is the site of an unusually large number of shipwrecks dating back hundreds of years. Remnants of fallen vessels can be spotted from the shores. Estimates place <a href="https://graveyardoftheatlantic.com/graveyard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the number of shipwrecks off Cape Hatteras at more than 2,000</a>.The cape is <a href="https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/historyculture/shipwrecks.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ripe for disaster</a> as the warm waters of the Gulf Stream meet the cold waters of the Arctic current above an underwater land mass of ever-shifting bays and sandbars known as Diamond Shoals."There's a reason so many of the old ships sank there," Chiron said. Modern cruise ships are more technically advanced and better equipped than their 19th- and 20th-century counterparts to face the storm conditions often seen near Hatteras.But in 2016, a passenger ship bound for the Bahamas had to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/08/travel/cruise-ship-rough-seas/index.html#:~:text=The%20Anthem%20of%20the%20Seas%20encountered%20a%20severe%20storm%20Sunday,original%20port%20in%20New%20Jersey." target="_blank" rel="noopener">turn around and return to New York after a severe storm near Cape Hatteras</a> injured four people.<div type="image" title="This photo provided by National Park Service shows the fishing vessel Ocean Pursuit stranded along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina on April 12, 2020." height="480" width="960" msid="97994432" hostid="261" sizebytes="43068"></div><h2>Cruise lines avoid dangerous ports</h2>While rough seas and high winds can make ocean travel dangerous, uncertainties on land pose their own risks for visitors. Commercial cruise lines, which are in the business of making money and ensuring every passenger gets home alive, are understandably risk-averse when it comes to port destinations that might be dangerous, Klein said. Cruise lines will change entire itineraries for the long term should a popular land destination become racked with civil unrest or increasing crime rates, according to Chiron and Klein.Egypt, whose cities were once a mainstay on several cruise itineraries, offered passengers the chance to visit pyramids and explore both Cairo's and Alexandria's history. But the country has seen <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pirates-attack-cruise-ship/">a steep decline in visiting cruise ships</a> since <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whats-the-end-game-for-the-arab-spring-2011-6">the Arab Spring took hold in the Middle East in the early 2010s</a>, Chiron said.Ports in the Dominican Republic led to a similar story in the 1980s, Chiron said, after spending years as common stopping points for passing ships. Rising crime throughout the country at the time kept cruises away for many years, the expert said, adding that the country was back to being a popular stop for modern seafarers. In 2005, the Seabourn Spirit, a luxury cruise ship now named Star Breeze with 161 crew and passengers on board, was <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pirates-attack-cruise-ship/">attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia</a>. The capture attempt ultimately failed when crews drove the pirates off using the ship's water hose.<div type="image" title="Seaborn Spirit on November 25, 2008 off the coast of Djibouti" height="2128" width="4256" msid="97994436" hostid="261" sizebytes="549936"></div><h2>Even common cruising routes can be racked by dangerous conditions</h2>Even the calmest of tropical seas or most popular of cruising destinations can be hit with an unexpected storm or freak incident, the two experts said; it's just part of ocean travel."You'll see plenty of winter sailings to and from the Northeast to the Caribbean where ships are hit by rogue waves," Chiron said. Likewise, ships making standard transatlantic trips can sometimes pull into a New York port with several feet of snow on the ship, having navigated through a winter storm, Chiron added.While cruise companies and crews review weather conditions constantly, some things are impossible to predict.Chiron and Klein both said passengers have a responsibility to mentally prepare and educate themselves of any inherent risks involved in their cruise travel and should always be prepared for a change in plans.Cruising, however, remains a relatively safe form of travel and vacation, they said."It's more a sense of having a respect for nature," Klein said.

The most dangerous cruise routes, ports, and destinations are in parts of the world where conditions are unpredictable — and help is nowhere nearby, travel analysts say

Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>. Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.Here's what we're talking about:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taliban-warn-consequences-if-us-extends-august-31-withdrawal-deadline-2021-8">Taliban warn of 'consequences' if the US extends its military presence in Afghanistan</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/6-ad-executives-on-how-to-win-over-the-vaccine-hesitant-2021-8">6 advertising executives on how to win over the vaccine hesitant</a></li><li><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/23/pelosi-budget-package-showdown-506589">House Democrats are locked in a standoff over their $3.5 trillion spending plan</a></li></ul>With Phil Rosen.1. BIDEN'S LOOMING DECISION: President Joe Biden will have to run the gauntlet on his Afghanistan exit. He is mulling extending his self-imposed deadline for US forces to leave Kabul by August 31. An extension would be welcomed by many American allies, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-johnson-push-biden-afghan-deadline-extension-2021-08-23/">including the UK</a>, that have been pressing for such a decision. But the Taliban have threatened "consequences" if the US extends its longest war.Biden could make his decision as soon as today: <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/23/politics/afghanistan-kabul-airport-military-deadline/index.html">The Pentagon has told the White House it needs a quick decision</a>, given the amount of time it will take to withdraw the nearly 6,000 troops on the ground - and their equipment - after the civilian evacuations conclude, CNN reports.<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taliban-warn-consequences-if-us-extends-august-31-withdrawal-deadline-2021-8">The Taliban have drawn a red line</a>: "If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations - the answer is no. Or there would be consequences," a spokesman for the militant group told Sky News.</li></ul>An extension would also come amid security concerns: US troops are using alternative routes to the airport because of the threat posed by an Islamic State cell, CNN reports. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/21/politics/kabul-airport-terror-warning/index.html">The Pentagon is aware that large crowds create a target for terrorist groups</a>. Violence is already occurring, as an Afghan officer <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kabul-airport-firefight-afghan-guards-gunmen-death-injuries-2021-8">was killed Monday in a firefight with "unknown attackers."</a><ul><li>But it could also leave Afghans who helped Americans out in the cold: Officials told The Washington Post that an extension would most likely focus on evacuating remaining Americans, not Afghans trying to flee. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/biden-kabul-evacuations-extension-pressure/2021/08/23/c649f182-0425-11ec-ba15-9c4f59a60478_story.html">Access to the airport is already said to be largely if not entirely cut off to Afghans who worked for the US</a>.</li><li>Not extending the deadline poses its own problems: The House Intelligence Committee's chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/schiff-says-its-unlikely-get-everyone-out-afghanistan-by-deadline-2021-8">told reporters on Monday that the US was unlikely to get everyone out in just a week</a>.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/crowds-at-kabul-airport-so-large-seen-from-space-satellite-2021-8">The crowds at the airport are so large they can be seen in satellite photos</a>.2. FDA approves COVID-19 vaccine for first time: The Food and Drug Administration issued full approval for Pfizer and BioNTech's shot, which will now be marketed under the brand name Comirnaty. Public-health officials, virologists, and legal experts think <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-gains-full-fda-approval-2021-8">full approval could help persuade more hesitant people to get vaccinated</a>.<ul><li>Key stat: A recent poll found 30% of adults said they would be more likely to be vaccinated if one of the three shots already used in the US received full FDA approval. <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-june-2021/">That scenario has now happened</a>.</li></ul>The new "Mad Men" think they know how to sell the shot: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/6-ad-executives-on-how-to-win-over-the-vaccine-hesitant-2021-8">6 advertising executives on how to win over the vaccine hesitant</a>.WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-delta-variant-changed-course-of-pandemic-2021-8">How the Delta variant has changed the course of the pandemic</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-delta-variant-changed-course-of-pandemic-2021-8"><div type="image" title="Insider video" height="618" width="1174" msid="85591327" hostid="261"></div></a><ul><li>Fauci says COVID-19 can be brought under control by spring 2022: Dr. Anthony Fauci said on CNN that he misspoke during an earlier interview in which he said the US might not be able to get a grip on the pandemic until fall 2022. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-covid-19-can-be-brought-under-control-spring-2022-2021-8">Medical experts say the longer people remain unvaccinated, the greater the chance another variant will arise</a>.</li></ul>3. House Democrats are locked in a standoff over a major proposal: Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent lawmakers home after midnight after hours of negotiations with centrist Democrats failed to yield a deal to move forward on the party's massive $3.5 trillion spending plan, Politico reports. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the de facto leader of the holdouts, had been moving toward cutting a deal with Pelosi, but five other lawmakers are still dug in. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/23/pelosi-budget-package-showdown-506589">The latest on the internal drama over a massive part of Biden's agenda</a>.<div type="image" title="New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a news conference the day after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation at the New York State Capitol, in Albany, New York, U.S., August 11, 2021." height="1664" width="2500" msid="85591329" hostid="261"></div>4. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/onlyfans-platform-alternatives-sex-work-entrepreneurs-2020-11"></a>Kathy Hochul is now governor of New York: Hochul was sworn in early Tuesday as the first woman to lead the Empire State, following Andrew Cuomo's decision to resign amid sexual-harassment allegations, The New York Times reports. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/24/nyregion/kathy-hochul-governor-ny.html">Hochul will have to juggle numerous pressing issues right away</a>.<ul><li>Cuomo reportedly tried to get rid of his dog: Staffers were asked whether they wanted Captain - a shepherd, Siberian, and malamute mix - the Times Union reports. A Cuomo representative denied the now-former governor tried to paw off his friend. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cuomo-dog-captain-left-behind-governor-mansion-moving-out-ny-2021-8">More on the dog days</a>.</li></ul>5. Far-right host Alex Jones breaks with Trump over vaccines: Jones shamed former President Donald Trump for advising attendees of his rally in Alabama over the weekend to get vaccinated. "Maybe Trump's actually a dumbass," Jones said. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/far-right-talk-show-host-alex-jones-calls-trump-dumb-2021-8">Some people at the rally even booed Trump after his suggestion</a>.6. Vice President Kamala Harris issues major rebuke of China: Harris called out Beijing for its incursion into the South China Sea, saying during an address in Singapore that its actions there amounted to "coercion" and "intimidation," the Associated Press reports. The vice president is trying to use her trip through Southeast Asia to cement the US's commitment to its allies in the region. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-business-969fe25162023468754e57746d6da80d">Harris' comments come at a critical time for the White House</a>.7. Capitol Police finds shooting of rioter Ashley Babbitt was "lawful": The department's decision to formally close its investigation follows the Justice Department's determination that charges were not warranted, The Times reports. Babbitt was among a group of people who tried to push their way through the entrance to the Speaker's Lobby not far from where officers were evacuating lawmakers from the House chamber on January 6. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/us/politics/capitol-police-ashli-babbitt.html">More on the news</a>.<div type="image" title="Smog Tower in New Delhi" height="3666" width="4888" msid="85591331" hostid="261"></div>8. India installs its first "smog tower" consisting of 40 giant fans: The Indian capital of New Delhi opened the country's first "smog tower" in a bid to purify the air in the world's most polluted capital city, but experts aren't convinced it's effective. <a href="https://www.insider.com/new-delhi-first-smog-tower-40-giant-fans-filter-pollution-2021-8">Critics say the government should focus on reducing emissions instead of building smog towers</a>.<ul><li>Deadly heat waves have spurred the hiring of "chief heat officers" all over the world: From Miami to Athens, these new leadership positions are meant to guide tourists and citizens through extreme weather and explore new ways to cool cities down. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heatwave-miami-athens-chief-heat-officers-climate-crisis-extreme-temperatures-2021-8">See the view from these "urban heat islands."</a></li></ul>9. Sex workers are furious over OnlyFans' policy change: Insider checked in with three sex workers to discuss OnlyFans' new restrictions on sexually explicit content. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/onlyfans-sex-workers-on-adult-explicit-content-ban-2021-8">They shared how they'd adapt: "We'll find a way to survive this exodus," one said</a>.<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/onlyfans-platform-alternatives-sex-work-entrepreneurs-2020-11">These are some of the alternatives they may turn to</a>.</li></ul>10. Stop counting your steps. Instead, count your minutes: Doctors say you could more readily meet your health goals by focusing on daily movement rather than step count. Daily activity counters and avoiding a sedentary schedule can help keep you healthy and mobile. <a href="https://www.insider.com/minutes-moved-better-activity-target-than-steps-count-doctors-say-2021-8">The 10,000-steps-a-day rule is arbitrary</a>.Today's trivia question: Over the weekend, Harris <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/us-vice-president-kamala-harris-orchid-welcome-istana-official-visit-2130576">received an orchid named in her honor</a>. In her native California, the world's second-largest tree is named after which president? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Today's answer: Chuck Hagel, the former defense secretary and senator, was the only federal politician to receive a donation from Alex Trebek. The Nebraska Republican and the legendary "Jeopardy!" host <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/georgetownuniversity/7091100151">met when Hagel was CEO of the USO</a>. As for replacing Trebek, the former "Big Bang Theory" star Mayim Bialik <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/23/media/mayim-bialik-jeopardy/index.html">will be the show's first guest host after Mike Richards withdrew</a>.</li></ul>

10 Things in Politics: The Taliban push back on Biden

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">Institute Of Cetacean Research/Institute of Cetacean Research/AFP/FileA handout photo taken on February 25, 2013 shows the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker (R) and the Japanese whaling fleet fuel tanker the San Laurel off Antarctica</div></div>Militant anti-whaling campaigners Sea Shepherd on Sunday said one of their ships was rammed during "aggressive" and "unprovoked" confrontations with the Japanese in the Southern Ocean.
Sea Shepherd said one of its vessels, the Bob Barker, was struck during a coordinated attack by the Japanese fleet's three harpoon ships as they attempt to drive the campaigners away from the factory ship Nisshin Maru.
"The Bob Barker was hit by the Japanese whaling fleet's harpoon vessel, the Yushin Maru No. 2, as the harpoon vessel crossed in front of the bow of the Sea Shepherd ship," the activist group said.
"The assault is an attempt to deter the Sea Shepherd ships from their current position, blocking the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, preventing the whalers from loading whales poached from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary."
The group has three ships out this season, the Bob Barker, Steve Irwin and Sam Simon.
Sea Shepherd said the Japanese had attempted to damage the fleet's propellers with steel cables, had thrown projectiles including grappling hooks at the Steve Irwin and fired water cannon on the Bob Barker's crew as they tried to cut the cables from a small boat.
Bob Barker captain Peter Hammarstedt said the Sea Shepherd vessels were "unprovokedly attacked" by the Japanese harpooners in a "ruthless" fashion.
"These harpoon ships came in heavy and hard. They hit my bow with about 300 metres of steel cable with the express intent of causing damage to my rudder and propellers," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"Thankfully because of a lot of evasive manoeuvring I was able to avoid being entangled, but on one occasion one of the harpoon ships came so close that they ended up colliding with my vessel."
Hammarstedt said nobody was injured "but certainly the whalers were more aggressive than we have ever seen them before and I think we're quite lucky that nobody was hurt."
Hammarstedt said the collision had left his anchor dangling "like a wrecking ball" but most of the damage was above the water line and would be able to be repaired at sea.
High-seas confrontations are common between Sea Shepherd and the Japanese, who hunt whales in Antarctica under a "scientific research" loophole in the moratorium on whaling.
In 2010 a collision resulted in the sinking of Sea Shepherd's speedboat Ady Gil.
The anti-whaling group, carrying out their 10th annual harassment campaign of the Japanese fleet, said their actions had so far produced a "disastrous" season for the harpooners.
"Early interception and a persistent chase has enabled the Sea Shepherd Fleet to effectively suspend whaling operations and allowed the fleet to take up position and secure the slipway of the Nisshin Maru," it said.
<div class="nc_footer">
Copyright (2014) AFP. All rights reserved.
</div>

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