- Last week, horrified cruise ship passengers, including marine conservationists, witnessed the brutal slaughter of 78 whales.
- Ambassador Cruise Lines faced backlash and issued an apology after disembarking in the Faroe Islands while a whale hunt was taking place.
- Campaign group ORCA suggested that the Faroese authorities intentionally scheduled the hunt to taunt tourists.
Last week, horrified cruise ship passengers, including marine conservationists, witnessed the slaughter of 78 whales.
Ambassador Cruise Line publicly apologized after their ship, Ambition, docked in the Faroe Islands coinciding with a pilot whale hunt. The Faroe Islands, a self-governing part of Denmark, are located halfway between Iceland and Norway.
During the docked period, the locals carried out their sixth whale hunt of the year in the Faroese port of Torshavn. Among the 78 whales slaughtered were nine calves, less than a month old, according to the conservation and campaign group ORCA.
ORCA revealed that some of its conservationists were present on the ship along with tourists when the killings occurred. They witnessed over 40 small boats and jet skis herding the whales into shallow waters, followed by 150 hunters using hooks and “killing lances” to slaughter the whales within 20 minutes. Shockingly, some pilot whales, including a calf, took more than 30 seconds to die.
Sally Hamilton, the CEO of ORCA, expressed disbelief that the Faroese authorities allowed the hunt to take place within view of the cruise ship. She stated, “It’s almost as if they are flaunting the hunt and taunting the tourists.”
According to Visit Faroe Islands, approximately 800 whales are killed each year, and the meat is distributed among the participants. The islanders argue that the practice is sustainable due to the whale population in the area.
Ambassador, in a statement shared with ORCA, declared their opposition to the commercial hunting of whales and dolphins in the Faroe Islands or anywhere else for that matter. They highlighted that the practice, which was once a traditional means of sustaining communities, had now turned commercial with whale meat being sold in local supermarkets.
Insider’s request for comment from Visit Faroe Islands outside of regular working hours is currently awaiting a response.
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