Then · 1975–2018
The eco battle ship
Scottish fisheries patrol vessel turned Sea Shepherd flagship and star of Whale Wars.
Now berthed at Docklands, Melbourne
She fought for the ocean. Now she's fighting for its future.
Step aboard MV Steve Irwin, the legendary Whale Wars flagship. Tours, live music, school programs and ocean research on a ship that made history.
50+years at sea, since launching in Scotland in 1975
30,000+people welcomed aboard since 2019
6,000+whales saved in a decade of campaigns
1 of 11the last surviving ship of the fleet
The story
Built to protect.
Saved from scrap.
Sailing again.
Now · 2026
Home in Melbourne
Restored by volunteers and back in Docklands under her own power since April 2026.
Next · 2027 →
A floating lab for the Bay
A five-year science pilot in Port Phillip Bay, plus new spaces to learn, eat and create.
Come aboard · back in April 2027
What's on
Stay tuned for new events and activities.
Venue hire & experiences
Six spaces. One
legendary ship.
Birthdays, team days, launches and dinners for up to about 80 guests, with the Docklands skyline as your backdrop.
Aft Bar & HangarGatherings, gigs, exhibitions
Ship's MessDinners and workshops
Midship DeckOutdoor stage and music
Sea LabHands-on marine science
SEA-SISolve an environmental crime
Pirate LifeKids' games and parties
What we do
From direct action to
collective action.
01
Education & Inspiration
Curriculum-linked school programs aboard a real conservation ship, teaching courage, resilience and how one person can make a difference.
School programs →02
Conservation & Innovation
An annual floating research platform in Port Phillip Bay, studying seaweed biomass and circular-economy solutions with scientists and industry.
Innovation →03
Entertainment, Art & Music
Gigs, exhibitions, dinners and immersive games that bring people aboard, and keep the ship herself preserved.
What's on →Solar at Sea · Join the crew
Eco battle ship goes solar.
A 15 kWh solar battery system, charged by eight Sunman 520 W panels on the helicopter hangar, will power life on board at anchor, cutting diesel, emissions and noise. Put your name on the hangar plaque from $50.
15 kWhSolar battery system, charged by 8 × Sunman 520 W panels
→5,856 LDiesel saved over 4 months at anchor
→15.8 tCO₂ emissions avoided over 4 months
→$14,640Fuel costs saved over 4 months, at $2.50 a litre
Estimates for a 4-month season at anchor, replacing the diesel generator at about 2 litres an hour. Over five years: about 29,280 litres of diesel, $73,200 in fuel and 79 tonnes of CO₂. How we worked it out
Join the crew
Free. First access to events, stories from the engine room, and updates from the Bay research. One email a month.
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