Steve Irwin for Fremantle

The Sea Shepherd flagship Steve Irwin arrives in the West Australian port of Fremantle today with the crew of the protest trimaran Ady Gil, which sank after a collision with a ship from the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.

The Ady Gil, originally known as Earthrace and skippered by New Zealander Pete Bethune, had been part of the Sea Shepherd group protesting at Japanese whaling. It sank as it was being towed back to Australia after the collision.