( CNN ) -- Three anti-whaling activists were injured in a clash with Japanese whalers off the coast of Antarctica on Wednesday when the Japanese crew used grappling hooks against pursuit boats , the conservation group Sea Shepherd said in statement . The environmental group claims two of its crew from the anti-whaling ship Steve Irwin were struck in the shoulder with iron grappling hooks and one crewmember was struck twice in the face with a long bamboo pole . The group said the incident occurred at about 3am ( Australian Eastern Daylight Time ) in waters 300 miles north of Mawson Peninsula in Antarctica . Sea Shepherd claims the Japanese whaler Yushin Maru No . 2 continued to tail the Steve Irwin which is in Antarctic waters attempting to disrupt the Japanese whalers . `` Our small boats were attempting to slow down the Japanese harpoon vessel Yushin Maru No . 2 , which is aggressively tailing the Steve Irwin , '' said Captain Paul Watson . The group said that American crewmember Brian Race , 25 , from New York , was jabbed twice in the face with a bamboo pole receiving lacerations above his right eye and on his nose . South African cameraman Russell Bergh , 35 , and French photographer Guillaume Collet , 27 , received deep bruising when the hooks struck them . Sea Shepherd said two of the three harpoon ships had been assigned to tail the Steve Irwin and its pursuit boats , effectively putting two of the three killing boats out of action .
The group claims crew were attacked with iron hooks . Two crew were struck with iron hooks , the group claims . It claims a third crew member was struck twice in the face with a walking stick . Sea Shepherd 's vessel Steve Irwin is attempting to disrupt Japanese whaling ships .