Disturbing images from the Faroe Islands show the sea turned red after 706 pilot whales were killed by islanders in the annual 'grindadráp' hunt. The traditional practice, which supplies meat and blubber for the 50,000 Faroese during winter, took place in Sandavágur bay.
Cambridge University student Alastair Ward, 22, photographed the event. He described being stunned by the number of whales driven into the bay with oars. 'Once they got close enough, the whole town sprinted in and started hacking at them,' he said. 'Even the children were getting involved, pulling on ropes and jumping on the carcasses.'
The Faroese consider whaling a regulated community activity, conducted to minimise suffering. They argue it is sustainable, with around 800 pilot whales caught annually from a population of about 100,000 in surrounding waters. However, Ward expressed concern over the killing methods, noting 'the squealing from the whales was horrible. They were putting hooks on ropes in their blowholes to pull them in and then hacking at them with knives.'
