78 pilot whales were slaughtered near a cruise ship carrying marine conservationists

Table Of Content

• MORE: 21-foot killer whale dies after beaching itself on Florida coast
• Cruise Passengers Witness Gruesome Whale Hunt, Prompting Apology
• whales killed in front of cruise ship passengers
• Toothed whales use 'vocal fry' to hunt for food, scientists say
• Where are the whales? Scientists find clues thousands of miles away
• Cruise Ship Passengers Watch Another Barbaric Whale Slaughter in the Bloody Faroe Islands

Among the passengers were conservationists with ORCA, a marine life advocacy group that seeks to protect whales and dolphins in European waters. Ambassador Cruise Line said it was "incredibly disappointed" that the hunt unfolded near the ship and that it continues to "strongly object to this practice." The company asks their guests not to support the hunters by purchasing local whale and dolphin meat. The Faroese catch an average of 600 pilot whales annually, according to government data.

MORE: 21-foot killer whale dies after beaching itself on Florida coast

At the time, the chairman of the Faroese Whalers Association told the BBC that while the number of dolphins killed was excessive, it was accidental. The shipping and cruise industry doubles every 10 to 20 years and its vessels continuously increase their speed. Currently, the average speed of a shipping or cruise vessel is about three times the speed a whale – 30 miles per hour compared to 12 miles per hour. In total, there remain 12 different whale species in 23 biologically independent whale populations.

Cruise Passengers Witness Gruesome Whale Hunt, Prompting Apology

With potentially thousands of whales hit every year, and with the number of ships rapidly increasing across the globe, the problem is only getting worse. But as the recent UN high seas treaty shows, there is increasing political will to protect the world’s oceans and their inhabitants. The question is whether it is even possible to save the whales from dying at the bows of ships.

Horror as 77 whales slaughtered in front of stunned Brits on cruise round Faroe Islands - Express

Horror as 77 whales slaughtered in front of stunned Brits on cruise round Faroe Islands.

Posted: Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

whales killed in front of cruise ship passengers

The government says the average catch is around 800 animals, an insignificant impact on the overall pilot whale population, which it says is around 778,000 animals. Before the July sailing, the ORCA and Ambassador had tried to raise the issue with the Faroese government and Visit Faroe Islands, the tourism office. The cruise line also urges its guests and crew members to spurn the industry by not buying or eating whale or dolphin meat. "We don't support the hunt by coming here. We'll always use it as an opportunity to remind the authorities that tourists want to marvel at the wildlife and not to watch it being killed," they continued. "At some point, the long-term importance of tourist income will be recognized as being more sustainable, uncontroversial and appealing than an activity which has earned nothing for the Faroes other than condemnation globally."

Sea turned red with whale blood around luxury cruise ship as tourists witness massacre - Daily Star

Sea turned red with whale blood around luxury cruise ship as tourists witness massacre.

Posted: Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

During the hunt, boats herded a pod of pilot whales to a designated beach, where whalers ran down into the water to capture and kill the animals, according to a Facebook post by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK. The pilot whale carcasses were then hauled to the harbor to be butchered, and the meat was distributed amongst gathered locals. A large crowd of onlookers was there to both observe the hunt and to receive the resulting meat. The hunting of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands is known as the "grindadrap" or "grind" and is viewed as a tradition central to their cultural identity and a sustainable way to gather food, according to the local government. In the Faroe Islands, the hunting of pilot whales is known as the "grindadrap" or "grind." The Faroese view the tradition as central to their cultural identity and a sustainable way to gather food, according to a local government website. A cruise line is apologizing to passengers who witnessed the killing of dozens of pilot whales near their docked ship this week in the Faroe Islands.

The return to Meteor Shower season: Looking up at the Nightsky

Known for social behavior and their distinctive flat face and curved pectoral fin, they are found in the North Atlantic Ocean including waters around the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and the British Isles. In 2021, the Faroese government was forced to launch a review after it was found that 1,423 dolphins were killed in just one hunt. The Faroese government insists on its website that the practice "is deemed sustainable," requiring all hunters to carry a license and only hunt in designated areas. It notes that the total population in the region is around 778,000 and that only about 100,000 come near the Faroe Islands each year, of which they claim to kill only the smallest portion. In a statement shared with ORCA, Ambassador said while the practice was a traditional way of sustaining communities, it had now become "outdated" and had instead turned commercial, with whale meat being sold in local supermarkets.

Princess Cruise Lines fined in whale's death

"The law explicitly states that the hunt is to be conducted in such a way as to cause as little suffering to the whales as possible." An official at the time told the BBC that the incredible number was a "big mistake" that did not line up with the initial estimate of "only 200 dolphins" in the pod. Some companies have already started to tackle the issue by implementing some measures to reduce the risk, Bray said. “The increasing presence of vessels in the various oceans – and the Caribbean Sea is no exception – can impact whales not only in terms of fatal collisions, but also in terms of modifications to their migration routes.

Islanders say the practice has been deemed sustainable due to the whale population in the area. According to Visit Faroe Islands, about 800 whales are killed annually and meat is distributed among those who participate. In a press release, ORCA said some of its conservationists were on the ship with tourists when the killings took place. “When I first saw the pictures of the whale carcasses on the bows of the ships, I thought they were fake. Because shipping is a business-to-business industry, most consumers are not concerned about these problems.

Cruise Ship Passengers Watch Another Barbaric Whale Slaughter in the Bloody Faroe Islands

The programme will increasingly lobby at IMO-level to introduce more slow-down areas, he said. “It’s a long process, but it’s something that we have to engage in quickly, because time is not on our side. We must avoid further reducing of whale populations before it’s too late. This has to do with the fact that it is mostly filled out by smaller vessels such as yachts or whale-watching operators.

That’s true even within protected areas, for example around the Inner Hebrides, which is home to a third of Scotland’s harbour porpoises and where traffic rose by over 400%. A collision with a vessel is one of the main threats to whales and if the whale does not die on impact, it is usually only a question of time. Sadly, the vast majority of cruise lines still sail to the Faroe Islands and have all ignored prior boycott efforts. The Faroe Islands have been a semi-autonomous region since 1948 and are not part of the European Union, allowing whaling traditions to continue without restrictions.

ORCA CEO Sally Hamilton said it seemed as if the whalers were "flaunting the hunt and taunting the tourists." NPR states since 2021, Ambassador has paid for ORCA staff to join cruises to help educate on marine wildlife and collect data on animals. “We strongly object to this outdated practice,” the cruise operator added, referencing the mass hunting tradition, which has long sparked outrage among conservationists. "Pilot whaling continues to be a non-commercial, community-based activity. Catches are distributed among participants and local communities free of charge and are utilized for food," said Magnason, in defense of the practice. Once they reach the shallow waters, whales are driven onto the beach where waiting hunters kill them using knives and hooks. "We were incredibly disappointed that this hunt occurred," a spokesperson for Ambassador Cruise Line told Newsweek.

Her injuries were consistent with being struck by a ship, said Tomie Lee, superintendent of Glacier Bay National Park. This is sent to incoming ships to remind captains to slow down and it appears to be working; in 2019, 46% of ships followed the guidelines and by 2022 it was 61.5%. “We really want to make sure that these numbers are going the right way and hopefully faster,” says Steffen. But even if all ships did comply, not everyone is convinced it is going to be enough. For example, along western Europe, the density of ships and boats increased by more than a third in the mid-2010s, according to a recent paper. “Cargo boats, fishing boats, ferries… Vessel traffic is increasing across the whole spectrum,” says Sarah Marley from Scotland’s Rural College, who led the work.

In 2023 alone, the Faroe Islands has registered 646 whale killings to date, including the 78 on Sunday when the Ambition arrived. The mammals live in social pods of up to 20 individuals, organized into a larger school of hundreds of animals — a social structure that makes them easy targets for whalers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nora Livingstone, chief executive and co-founder of Animal Experience International, a Canadian company that specializes in ethical animal travel, said tour operators should not steer travelers away from a country’s darker traditions or more disquieting customs. Exposure is a form of education and can be an essential agent of change. "Whaling in the Faroe Islands has been regulated for centuries," the government wrote.

Thorshavn began as a Viking settlement, and later became a thriving town, replete with quaint, colorful neighborhoods, and historic cathedrals and fortresses from the Middle Ages.” But no mention, of course, of the horrific whale slaughters. The core values and moral compass of any reputable business should keep any cruise line from having anything to do with a country which carries out such cruelty to animals in such a routine and widespread manner. But taking paying customers to the bloody Faroes is business as usual for most cruise lines. Sustainability is one of Ambassador Cruise Line’s core values, and we fully appreciate that witnessing this local event would have been distressing for the majority of guests onboard. Accordingly, we would like to sincerely apologise to them for any undue upset.