andygates

Good news from Greenpeace today: Mr Splashy Pants is safe for now.  The Japanese have decided not to hunt any humpback whales this season.  They're still hunting for around 1000 fin and minke whales in the traditional utter-bollox 'scientific' program, so if you're a whale-savin' hippy, there is still work to do.

Officially, this is due to pressure from the International Whaling Commission - humpbacks are endangered.  Fin and minke whales are less so, so the pressure there is less.  But in addition to the pressure, the anti-whaling campaign is in pretty high gear this year.  The BBC has an embedded journalist blogging on the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, and the Sea Shepherd's enforcement ship Steve Irwin is down there getting ready to kick some whaler arse.

Who is Mr Splashy Pants, I hear you ask?  Well, Greenpeace ran one of those "name a whale" votes to put a cuddly face to a tagged whale.  There were lots of worthy faux-ethnic names, and Mr Splashy Pants.  Ol' Pantserooney took the vote by storm as well he should.  There are enough Keikos and Foamsparkles in the world already.  Weirdly, there's American Mr Splashy Pants fan-art which clearly has linguistic issues, depicting his cousin, Mr Splashy Trousers.