Three anti-whaling protesters are reportedly set to arrive back in Australia today after being held on a Japanese whaling ship for almost a week.
The three men from Western Australia - Glen Pendlebury, Simon Peterffy and Geoffrey Tuxworth - are on the customs ship Ocean Protector following a transfer fromthe Shonan Maru 2 on Friday afternoon.
The ABC reports the ship is scheduled to land at Albany in Western Australia later today.
The activists, members of Forest Rescue Australia, risked being shipped to Tokyo and charged with trespassing, as was the case with New Zealander Pete Bethune in 2010.
He spent five months in jail in Japan before receiving a suspended sentence and deported.
The trio had boarded the Shonan Maru 2 on Sunday, aided by anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, scaling razor wire and spikes and sparking a diplomatic incident.
Japan agreed on Tuesday to transfer the men to authorities following requests from the Australia government to release them.
