Wadawurrung leader and traditional custodian Corinna Eccles addresses the crowd – her people have been caring for sea Country for over 60,000 years. Photo Katey Shearer
“You should only take from the world what you can give back. As humans, we’ve taken more from the world than we can give back. These multinationals and the entire oil and gas industry are taking so much and they’re definitely not giving anything back. So let’s come together and fight for sea Country. Let’s fight for the places that we love. Let’s do this,” said local shred queen and paddle out coordinator Linley Hurrell.
The message from surfers to the seismic industry is clear: Alex Wylie conveys the general sentiment. Photo Katey Shearer
Multinationals use seismic blasting to search for polluting fossil fuels. Airgun blasts louder than an atomic bomb – up to 250 decibels – are set off every ten seconds, 24 hours a day, often for months on end. The blasts have catastrophic impacts on ocean dwellers, from tiny zooplankton through to endangered southern right and pygmy blue whales.
Seismic blasting harms tourism and fishing industries, as well as the local coastal communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems. With these dangerous proposals sitting with the regulator now, it’s time to push our elected leaders to permanently protect Australia's Southern Ocean from fossil fuel expansion.
Join this epic groundswell: take action now.
“The message of koontapool, the southern right whale, is to come with your tum tumpa, come with your heartbeat.” Yaraan Couzens-Bundle – Gunditjmara, Yuin, and Bidjara woman, and whale dreaming custodian – calls on local surfers to help protect one of the last southern right whale nursing and birthing grounds in Gunditjmara sea Country. Photo Katey Shearer
It was a huge morning of surf activism in Torquay, with hundreds and hundreds of ocean lovers paddling out to say no to seismic blasting. Photo Katey Shearer
The power of the people – surfers, families, fishers and locals take a stand against seismic blasting. Photo Katey Shearer
“We’re all here to say no to offshore oil and gas and no to these new seismic blasting proposals which are absolutely outrageous.” Surfrider Foundation’s Annie Ford out on the water. Photo Katey Shearer
It’s time to push our elected leaders to permanently protect Australia's Southern Sea from fossil fuel expansion. Local artist Amanda Carson makes some waves. Photo Katey Shearer
Seismic blasts have catastrophic impacts on ocean dwellers, from tiny zooplankton through to endangered southern right and pygmy blue whales. Photo Katey Shearer
Surf Coast locals take action to halt two mega seismic blasting projects projects, now sitting with the Australian government regulator NOPSEMA for approval. Photo Katey Shearer
A Saturday morning master class in surf activism. The view from above on Saturday morning. Photo Juc Media
Blast Off: Massive Surf Coast Paddle Out To Protect The Southern Ocean
