A support flotilla of 20 yachts, kayaks, small boats and tira waka escorts a group of four yachts heading to Whangaparaoa Bay by Cape Runaway on the East Cape of the North Island to join te Whanau-a-Apanui in their campaign to defend the coast from deep sea oil exploration. The flotilla is led by veteran protest ship Vega. Greenpeace is campaigning to stop the Government’s current strategy of selling off the rights to drill for oil in the waters around New Zealand. Greenpeace’s petition to stop deep sea oil drilling and new coal mines has over 51,000 signatures. The swell of public opinion against deep sea oil drilling follows on from the opposition and subsequent dropping of plans in 2010 to mine protected conservation land.