Whaling foes repelled by Soviets in Bering Sea

August 11, 1981

Enraged by stacks of whale meat piled next to a Soviet packing plant, an expedition of antiwhaling environmentalists from five countries ventured into the Bering Sea -- only to be turned back by a menacing soviet gunship and armed helicopter.

The expedition set sail three weeks ago toward Russian waters off the Siberian coast to confront a Soviet ship believed to be conducting commercial whaling in violation of I nternational Whaling Commission rules.