MY Bob Barker

Bob Barker is described as a "long range fast ice" vessel of 801 tonnes (788 long tons) (or 1,200 t (1,200 long tons) according to some other references).[5][10] It was built in Norway in 1950 as the whale catcher Pol XIV, but was deleted from the Norwegian ship registry in 2004, and sold to a Cook Islands registry concern.[3][5] It was eventually purchased by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and refitted in Africa.

On 19 February 2010, Japanese officials said that Bob Barker's Togo registry had been withdrawn.[11] On 24 May 2010, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society stated that Bob Barker was now registered under the Dutch flag.[12]

After her African refit, Bob Barker departed Mauritius on 18 December 2009 to join up with the MY Steve Irwin and MY Ady Gil, the two other Sea Shepherd vessels.[13] One of its first actions was to take video footage of the collision between Ady Gil and a Japanese security vessel, after which she took aboard the crew from the stricken Sea Shepherd craft.[14]

On 6 February 2010, while obstructing the slip-way of Nisshin Maru factory ship, Bob Barker collided with Yūshin Maru No. 3, resulting in a 3-foot-4-inch (1.02 m) gash in Bob Barker's hull above the waterline. The Institute of Cetacean Research reported minor damage to a handrail and to the hull of its ship.[15][16] Both Sea Shepherd and the ICR accused the other of intentionally causing the crash.[15][17]

On 25 February 2010, Sea Shepherd reported that Bob Barker, which had been following the whaling fleet after Steve Irwin broke off pursuit to return to port, was suffering from a fuel valve problem and would be returning to port, ending the organization's operations for the 2009–2010 whaling season.[18]

On 9 February 2011, Sea Shepherd reported that Bob Barker, which had been searching for the whaling fleet alongside the Sea Shepherd vessel Gojira (Now MV Brigitte Bardot) began blocking Nisshin Maru's slipway.[19] On 18 February 2011, after being aggressively tailed by Bob Barker for over 3,000 nmi (5,556 km), Nisshin Maru changed course and headed towards Japan, cutting short the 2010–11 whaling season.[20]

On 5 March 2012, Sea Shepherd reported that after a lengthy search Bob Barker found the whaling fleet's factory ship, Nisshin Maru.[21] Three days later, on 8 March 2012, the whalers left the Southern Ocean for the 2011–12 season.[22][23]

MY Bob Barker at Circular Quay in Sydney on 9 June 2012, in dazzle camouflage.

On 20 February 2013, the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru rammed Bob Barker, MY Sam Simon, Steve Irwin and Sun Laurel multiple times in a confrontation in the Southern Ocean, north of Australia's Casey Research Station in Antarctica.[24] Bob Barker was hit on the stern, with Nisshin Maru's bow knocking down several of Bob Barker's antennas. Bob Barker issued a mayday after losing power.[25]

The MY Bob Barker currently operates in West Africa and in partnership with several African countries. These operations are meant to bring an end to illegal fishing in West African waters.