Protesters enlist ‘Janet’ to help make their point

"Janet'', the 14m inflatable blue whale, was set up at Oamaru's Friendly Bay yesterday by Greenpeace and Oil Free Otago protesters (from left) Geraldine Tait, Rosemary Penwarden, Ryan Anderson, Abi Smith and Taryn Anderson.

The inflatable whale was on its way south and today another Tour to End Oil event will take place at Dunedin's Otago Museum at 5pm.

New Zealand Oil & Gas holds a deepwater exploration permit for the Clipper prospect off Oamaru's coast and has until April 2019 to decide whether to drill.

Ms Penwarden, an Oil Free Otago spokeswoman, said a spill would be a disaster for Oamaru and noted Oamaru's unusual recent weather was already a sign to pull back on fossil fuel exploration to make sure the area was liveable ''for whales and humans alike''.R