SHOCKING! Sea turns red as 180 whales are brutally slaughtered by residents in annual ritual
Images showing villagers catching and slaughtering a pod of whales, coloring the water red with blood has sparked outrage. However, the spectacle takes place every year thanks to a brutal ritual which is known as Grindadráp by locals. Thousands of whales are slaughtered across Faroe Islands near Denmark as residents prepare for winter. Herds of whales swim close to islands as part of their seasonal migration where they are surrounded by fishermen who drive them towards the shallow bay waters. Once the whales have become trapped, the slaughtering begins. The whales are killed using a 'spinal lance' that is inserted through the animal's neck to break its spinal cord.
While the practice may not surprise the local residents, it sure does leave a scarring image on the people who stumble upon the act. Cambridge University student Alastair Ward, 22, was one such person. As reported by LADbible, Alastair was visiting the island last month to celebrate his graduation when he came across the scene. "We were walking around this bay when this family of locals ran over and said 'You're lucky, there's a whale coming,'" he said.
"We thought it would be just one being dragged in but more and more boats kept appearing on the horizon," he continued. "I couldn't believe how many whales there were. They were driving them into the bay, prodding them with their oars. Once they got close enough, the whole town sprinted in and started hacking at them."
The event also saw many children coming together and participating. "Even the children were getting involved, pulling the ropes and jumping on the carcasses," recalled Alastair. "We were just sat there speechless and a bit upset but you couldn't really pull yourself away." More than 180 whales were cut apart and left to die, turning the water red. However, residents cheered and took selfies with loved ones.
Alistair continued: "The squealing from the whales was horrible. They were putting hooks in their blowholes and then started hacking at them with knives. They didn't die in a very humane way. Children were jumping on top of them. They have such a different attitude to us because they're brought up on it." Meanwhile, Sea Shepherd Faroe Island Campaign, the anti-hunting group states that there aren't many residents who protest the event.
"I search for people protesting, for activists filming the cruel slaughter, for one person, anyone, who is crying over this ordeal. There is nobody," read a Facebook post of the campaign. The event is considered important for locals who have depended on the meat and fat of whales for thousands of years. However, Sea Shepherd claims that a lot of meat is just left to rot.