There are a lot of good people in the world. People that wouldn’t dream of causing suffering to others humans or animals. Sadly there are people who care not for life in any form. They are capable of deeds that right thinking individuals could not contemplate.
The Faroe Islands are not British but they lie just outside British waters north of Shetland. The Faroes belong to Denmark.
The Faroese people periodically hold something called a grind. It’s a traditional method of hunting where dolphins are driven onshore by a flotilla of boats. About 600 pilot whales are caught every year on average. White-sided dolphins are caught in lower numbers, such as 35 in 2020 and 10 in 2019. The islanders have been warned not to eat cetacean meat because it’s invariably toxic with heavy metals. However, they continue to run the grinds.
On Sunday night a super-pod of 1428 Atlantic White-Sided Dolphins was driven 45 km by speed boats and jet-skis into the shallow water at Skálabotnur beach where every single one of them was killed with knives. This is said to be a record catch. Again … 1428 animals.
You will have no doubt have seen this on the news and read about it in the newspapers? No? … Why? Let me tell you why. Because it has not been covered widely by mainstream media in any sort of depth that’s why. Yet we have headlines for a week over a single Alpaca that was humanly destroyed … all be it sadly incorrectly. Sometimes I don’t understand the press and the media I really don’t.
Each Atlantic White Sided Dolphin would have been 2.5 to 2.8m long. Take a look at the door in the room you’re sat in. All the animals would have been as long as that door is high … and some. That’s a lot of flesh. What in Gods name are they going to do with that lot?
It saddens me. The dolphins are now dead. We can’t bring them back. There’s nothing we can do for them. It saddens me that there are people who do not realise the true nature of their role on the planet. People who don’t realise they are the custodians of all life on Earth. I feel sad for them.
I can’t bring this to the attention of as many people as mainstream media. However if everyone reading this article shared it … it may gain a little traction. Remember most people are good. We need to spread the story of the antics of these sad sad people and persuasively, legally and calmly stop this happening again. After all it’s wrong … isn’t it?
Letter From Norfolk 
Hi Carl I’m appalled to read your article. To my mind, it’s mindless slaughter, it serves no purpose other than tradition or just because the Danes can? In the 21 century there is no place fir such action. Is there anything we / I can do?
Amanda
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Broadcast, share and inform.
This is shocking especially as whales and dolphins are almost like humans. Don’t suppose it will be stopped xx
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General opinion and outrage will stop it! … but only if people know about it. Share the hell out of it.
Hi Carl, Although this is truly shocking, this needs to be shared. I had previously considered taking a ferry trip from Denmark for cetacean watching but I’ve written tonight to Ferry company, Smyril line to explain why I will never travel from there, or to there, whilst this happens and will take every opportunity to deter anyone from travelling there or to Denmark, whilst ensuring these horrific photos are shoved under everyones nose to drive the terrible point home. Regards Mike
Thanks for your comments Mike. I’m in agreement; the more people that know the more chance of things changing. I would love to go to the Faeroe Islands I really would it’s on my bucket list. But not yet. Sustenance Whaling by aboriginal tribes around the world is one thing but this is quite another. If you would like a good read take a look at the book ‘Gone’ by Michael Blencowe that has just been published. It’s an eye opener as to what can happen.