On a quiet summer evening last month, the crew of the Northern Expedition spotted a dark shape surfacing from the water off Canada’s west coast. Earlier that day, crew on the passenger ferry had made a similar sighting, and only narrowly avoided striking the humpback whale by ordering the ferry’s powerful engines to be reversed. […]
Tag: Fin Whale
Iceland canceled its 2023 whale hunt. Now it’s time to stop whaling for good
In June, we celebrated Iceland’s decision to suspend its 2023 whale hunt. Iceland’s own Food and Veterinary Authority published a report on the fin whale hunt concluding that the time it took to kill the animals exceeded the maximum time permissible under the Icelandic Animal Welfare Act. Footage documented by the Authority showed whales struggling […]
Iceland Temporarily Suspends Fin Whale Hunting
Iceland’s government recently announced that it’s temporarily suspending the hunting of fin whales. This step was taken in light of a report from Iceland’s Food and Veterinary Authority, highlighting concerns about the protracted duration of the killing process, deemed in violation of the country’s animal welfare laws. Fin whales, known for their impressive size reaching […]
Speeding Ships Are Killing Hundreds Of Whales Along U.S. Coasts
A large number of blue whales, humpback whales, gray whales and vulnerable southern resident killer whales are being killed by speeding ships along the West Coast of the United States. According to the Los Angeles Times, Cargo and cruise boat traffic has increased over the last several decades to the point where ships have become […]
Fin Whales Dying in Agony After Being Harpooned With Multiple Grenades
Whales are dying in agony after being harpooned with grenades that don’t immediately kill them and fail to explode inside of them. Icelandic whalers have long used grenade harpoons skewers to kill whales and according to experts, whalers use the weapons on an “alarming” number of fin whales before they drag them to shore, where […]
2 Whales Killed By Visiting Naval Destroyer
Two whales were found lodged in a naval destroyer in California, CNN reported. The naval destroyer was visiting from Australia. While it’s rare to have ships strike whales, it shows the amount of traffic that happens along the busy Pacific Coast. “The Navy takes marine mammal safety seriously and is disheartened this incident occurred,” a […]
Iceland won’t be killing any whales this year
Icelandic whaling company IP-Utgerd announced April 24 that it is stopping whaling completely, while the country’s largest whaling firm, Hvalur hf., says it won’t be hunting any whales for the second year in a row. IP-Utgerd, which mainly targeted minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), cited financial difficulties after no-fishing zones were extended off the Icelandic coast, […]
Victory for Whales as Iceland Delays Whaling Permit
In a significant win for cetaceans, the government of Iceland has not issued a permit to allow Hvalur Hf to hunt fin whales this year, sparing over 150 whales from slaughter. The Fisheries Minister published regulations setting whaling quotas in February but did not actually issue the permit to Hvalur allowing it to use the […]