The Esperanza
For over 20 years, the Esperanza was the largest and swiftest ship in the Greenpeace fleet. Until retirement in late 2021-22, the Esperanza launched solar-powered aircraft, helicopters and submarines and carried the light of ‘Hope’ all over the world.
Built in 1984 in Gdansk, Poland, the former Russian firefighting vessel was acquired by Greenpeace in 2000 and conducted operations on whaling, nuclear transport, illegal fishing, illegal logging, scientific research and climate and energy. Its high speeds and ice-class credentials meant it was also used for polar expeditions high-speeds pursuits and for reaching places few others could.
Esperanza Timeline
It would be impossible to list all significant events in the voyages of the Esperanza, here are a few highlights:
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Hope floats: the Greenpeace Esperanza retires after two decades, but the light shines on
For over 20 years, the Greenpeace ship ‘Esperanza’ – ‘Hope’ in English’ – lit up the darkness in the fight to protect the environment. Its voyage has now come to an end, leaving behind a proud legacy.
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2021’s incredible moments in pictures
As 2021 comes to close, we look back on some of the most incredible moments of courage, activism, challenges and hope.
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Best of Greenpeace ships 2020
While many parts of the world came to a standstill fighting COVID-19 this year, we also saw brave, committed activists still traveling to different corners of the world to