A Disturbing Tradition in the Faroe Islands: An Annual Whale Hunt

A horrifying tradition that began in the 16th century continues to this day, claiming the lives of thousands of whales every summer in the Faroe Islands (a group of islands between Scotland, Norway, and Iceland).

The highlight of this tradition is whale hunting, but the absurdity is that the whales are not hunted for their meat but for the thrill of the hunt itself. In 1709, a collective hunt for pilot whales (members of the dolphin family) took place, and today the bizarre activity has expanded to whale hunting, with the motto 'the more, the better.'

Recently, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society published a series of highly disturbing images of this tradition, in an effort to raise awareness and rally action against this bizarre practice.

The organization has also sent divers into the depths of the fjords, returning with significant findings: images of whale skulls, which attest to the horrific slaughter that occurs there every year (not for the faint-hearted):