The 'Stop Deep Sea Oil' flotilla was formed to protest Brazilian oil company Petrobras’ plans to drill for oil in the deep waters off the East Cape. In April and May 2011, the flotilla engaged with and successfully disrupted a seismic survey the company was running at the time. The eight boats that comprised the flotilla - many of which were also involved in opposing France’s nuclear testing in the Pacific, and nuclear fuel shipments through the Tasman Sea - were led by the Vega, which made the first voyage to protest France’s nuclear testing at Moruroa in 1972.