A Greenpeace ship has found the Japanese whaling fleet off Antarctica.

The environmental group's vessel Esperanza sighted the factory ship Nisshin Maru after playing cat and mouse with the whalers for ten days.

Greenpeace activists say they are planning a non-violent confrontation with the Japanese.

But the hunting ships immediately steamed off after the crew of the Esperanza made contact with them.

The environmentalists have previously used speedboats to put themselves between the whales and the Japanese harpoons.

Last month, Japan called off plans to include 50 humpback whales in this season's hunt.

But its fleet has been authorised to kill 935 minke and 50 fin whales for what Tokyo calls "scientific" purposes.

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