Daniel Mares, skipper of the veteran protest yacht Vega, addresses around 300 people gathered at Princes Wharf in Auckland harbour to farewell a flotilla opposing deep sea oil drilling. Twenty yachts, kayaks, small boats and tira waka escorted a group of four yachts heading to Whangaparaoa Bay, by Cape Runaway on the East Cape of the North Island, to join te Whanau-a-Apanui in their campaign to defend the coast from deep sea oil exploration.

Auckland 27 March 2011: Steve Abel, Greenpeace climate campaigner addresses around 300 people that had gathered at Princes Wharf in Auckland Harbour today to farewell the flotilla opposing deep sea oil drilling. 20 yachts, kayaks, tinnys and tira waka escorted a group of four yachts heading to Whangaparaoa Bay by Cape Runaway on the East Cape of the North Island to join te Whanau-a-Apanui in their campaign to defend the coast from deep sea oil exploration.