The pursuit of Japanese whalers has ended for activist environmental group Greenpeace - at least for now. Their Antarctic patrol ship Esperanza has to dock and refuel in preparation for a new expedition in the high seas.

"While the Esperanza must return to port, the campaign to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is far from over," as he explained that they have to restock after a 42,000 nautical mile chase.

Greenpeace and militant environmental group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society claim that they have thwarted the killing of more than a thousand whales by Japanese hands in this year alone.

Both groups are now appealing to the Japanese government and companies to put a clamp on whaling activities. Australia and other Western nations are leading the protest against the hunt of the large sea mammals.

Japan seems to be in no hurry to appease its critics as of now. In fact, the nation argues that the West's action is a sign of cultural insensitivity. Japan says that whaling is part of its way of life, and therefore must be respected.

Countries against whaling, on the other hand, say that Japan is rampantly exploiting a loophole on the international community's moratorium on whaling, signed way back in 1988. A provision stating that whales may be hunted for research has always been Japan's defense when its vessels are caught, environmental groups say.