Source:
Sea Shepherd NewsThe day started out as normal as can be when you are working on exposing and stopping the largest cetacean slaughter on the planet. We were joined the night before by three new Guardians: Marley, Carisa, and Mike. The six of us headed into town to check to see if any of the harpoon boats had gone out in the windy conditions. Two had. We also met with the Prefecture police who were waiting for us.
After one of the boats returned with a load of small fish, we began to give the new Guardians a tour of the area. The police followed and so the three vehicles paraded in and around the harbor. We came to light on a dock area in the central harbor. We have felt several earthquakes and tremors since we have been here. I lived in the San Francisco Bay area for a number of years. This was like nothing I have ever experienced. The vehicles were hopping around and it was difficult to stand. I suggested we leave and no one needed coaxing. There are (were) a number of fish processing plants out on this jetty. The employees were streaming out of them and headed for the tsunami wall. The police, who had taken up a post at the only place we could pass, were frantically motioning for everyone to get through the gates in the tsunami wall.
We got through. These walls and gates are massive structures that appear to be built to withstand military bombardment. They extend high up into the air and rim the entire harbor area of the town. We knew about a small road that hugs the coast heading south out of town and from where we can see the porpoise processing area. We went there. As we were driving along the interior of the wall, the huge gates were being closed and lowered. Many people were going about these tasks with determination. We headed up to the vantage point and were soon joined by a fire truck and half dozen vehicles with local citizens.
It was not long before the water drained from the harbor and then refilled. We learned from the firemen to expect to see several cycles of this draining and refilling. The water then rapidly refilled the harbor and rose right up to inundate all of the areas on the water side of the wall. It happened very quickly. It drained again, this time almost down to the mud. Then the returning water pushed past and over the draining water creating a wall of black howling water. This time the water rose even faster and topped the wall. It kept rising up on the hillsides and filling the valleys and crevices beyond. Several times this happened and all the while aftershocks were happening.
Read more: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110312-2.html
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