A Protector 310 Chase named Southern Defender is giving marine conservationists Sea Shepherd access to more than 40 remote island colonies along one of the world's most ecologically significant coastlines, at the centre of a campaign to pull the Australian sea lion back from the brink of extinction.
The Great Australian Bight stretches 1,160 kilometres across southern Australia, with 85% of its known species found nowhere else on earth. Australian sea lions have lost 60% of their population over the past four decades and were classified as endangered under Australian environmental law in 2021. Climate change, fishing bycatch, prey depletion, pollutants, and habitat destruction are all contributing factors, and without intervention the species could vanish within decades.
Sea Shepherd is working alongside their government partner the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). A critical gap had long held the programme back: the offshore island colonies that make up the sea lions' habitat simply couldn't be reached for want of a capable vessel.
Leading the campaign is Dirk Holman, a marine scientist heading Sea Shepherd's Australian Sea Lion Defence Campaign. In the 12 months since Southern Defender entered service, he has covered serious ground. Kristie Newton, Major Gifts and Grants Manager at Sea Shepherd Australia, describes the scale of it: "Dirk has spent the last 12 months monitoring over 40 island colonies and even discovering 8 previously unknown colonies along the Bunda Cliffs."
The work goes well beyond observation. The team has built and installed shelters to reduce pup mortality from heat stress and aggressive males, with Newton noting the shelters "also make a good refuge during a downpour." Dirk and colleagues have used advanced UAV photogrammetry to assess sea lion body condition, conducted pup surveys, restored habitat, and collected biological samples to monitor disease and DNA structuring.
Southern Defender has accumulated 105 operational hours and 60 engine hours, covering more than 2,050 kilometres. That range has also made the boat available for emergency response. "With the Southern Defender, Dirk has been able to support important research into hookworm treatment and foraging behaviour and respond to entangled marine wildlife including two sea lions, a dolphin and a young whale," Newton said.
The boat's hull design, seaworthiness, and long range allow it to launch, access, and return from remote beaches and rocky offshore islands where most vessels couldn't operate. "The Southern Defender is such an important part of this work, and we are so grateful to Rayglass for helping make it possible," Newton said.
