Greenpeace’s Esperanza ship, which has carried activists around the world for more than 20 years to protect the environment, has retired.
Esperanza’s crew has faced pirate fishermen and whalers from the arctic to West Africa for 20 years, siding with scientists to uncover illegal activities and conduct groundbreaking studies.
She has transported activists to inaccessible parts of the world. After the Haiti earthquake in 2010 and Typhoon Bopha devastated the Philippines in 2012, she carried relief and humanitarian aid to those in need.
The Greenpeace ship Esperanza, which means ‘Hope’ in Spanish, has illuminated the darkness in the struggle to protect the environment more than 20 years ago. Their journey is over now, leaving behind a proud legacy of inspiration and environmental protection.
Esperanza is docked in a port in Gijón, Spain and will be fully retired in the coming weeks. The Esperanza was the largest and fastest ship in the Greenpeace fleet.
The former Russian fireboat, which was built in 1984 in Gdansk, Poland, was purchased by Greenpeace in 2000 and conducted operations on whaling, nuclear transport, illegal fishing, illegal logging, scientific research, and climate and energy. Her high speed and ice-class credentials also carried the activists until her retirement, in polar exploration, high-speed pursuits, and places few others could reach.
The “Esperanza”, meaning “hope” in Spanish, was the heaviest and fastest ship in the Greenpeace fleet. Esperanza, a former Russian fireboat, has stood by Greenpeace for 20 years for the future of our world.