A traditional dolphin hunt on the Faroe Islands has once again shocked conservationists around the world. According to the non-profit group Sea Shepherd, local fishermen slaughtered 95 long-finned pilot whales—also known as grind whales—including young animals and pregnant females.
One of the most harrowing scenes involved a female whale being attacked while giving birth. Activists reported that unborn calves were cut from the wombs of their mothers. “These unborn babies never saw the ocean—they never had a chance at life,” said a spokesperson from Sea Shepherd.
The annual event, known locally as “grindadráp”, involves driving entire pods of whales and dolphins into shallow coastal waters, where they are killed with knives and lances. The sea turned crimson as entire families of marine mammals were wiped out in the ritualistic slaughter.
Sea Shepherd has long campaigned for a full ban on the grindadráp, which it describes as outdated and needlessly cruel. “This level of brutality is unique to the Faroe Islands,” the organization said, contrasting the bloodshed with recent scenes in Iceland where locals helped rescue a stranded pod of about 50 pilot whales.
“The Faroe Islands are a modern society,” the group added. “They do not need dolphin meat to survive. This is no longer a cultural necessity—it is senseless cruelty.”
