The world is once again stunned by the traditional whale hunt taking place in the Faroe Islands.
This annual event, known as the grindadráp, saw local fishermen kill 95 long-finned pilot whales—including vulnerable young calves and pregnant females—sparking widespread condemnation from conservation groups.
Disturbing Reports of Whales Attacked During Birth
One of the most heartbreaking reports comes from activists who witnessed a female whale being attacked while giving birth.
According to Sea Shepherd, unborn whale calves were gruesomely cut from their mothers’ wombs.
“These unborn babies never saw the ocean—they never had a chance at life,” a Sea Shepherd spokesperson said, highlighting the horror of the scene.
The Grindadráp Hunt Explained
The grindadráp involves herding entire pods of whales and dolphins into shallow coastal waters where they are killed using knives and lances.
The hunt has a long history on the islands, but the scale and brutality of the recent slaughter, with blood staining the waters red, has reignited calls for change.
Sea Shepherd Calls for an End to the Practice
Sea Shepherd, a global conservation organization, has been campaigning against the grindadráp for years.
They describe the hunt as “outdated and needlessly cruel” and argue that it has no place in modern society.
“This level of brutality is unique to the Faroe Islands,” they said, pointing to contrasting examples like Iceland, where locals recently came together to save a stranded pod of pilot whales.
No Longer a Cultural Necessity
The Faroe Islands are a modern society, and critics say there is no longer any need for dolphin or whale meat to survive.
Sea Shepherd emphasized that this practice is no longer about cultural tradition but rather “senseless cruelty” that should be banned outright.