Inside the Grindadr\u00e1p: Sea Shepherd crews document a full hunt\u2014from the first call to what\u2019s left behind.<\/em><\/p>\n Though legal under Faroese law and regulated locally, these hunts are not seasonal or formally scheduled\u2014they occur whenever a pod is spotted. Most take place in summer as whales migrate, but some happen even in winter.<\/p>\n In early June, 291 pilot whales were killed in the village of Leynar, including more than 44 pregnant females and over 50 juveniles. Sea Shepherd crew were on the ground to document the hunt\u2014capturing not only the violence of the event itself, but also the aftermath.<\/p>\n Officials claim the Grindadr\u00e1p is a form of subsistence hunting\u2014that the meat is shared, and nothing goes to waste. But our crew found clear evidence to the contrary: organs and meat suitable for human consumption were discarded, dumped down a ravine into the sea.<\/p>\n The Grindadr\u00e1p falls outside the protections of the International Whaling Commission, which does not cover small cetaceans like pilot whales and dolphins. And while still legal under Faroese law, this footage raises serious questions about the justification for the practice\u2014especially when entire pods are killed and edible meat is wasted.<\/p>\n Because entire family groups are driven and killed together, these hunts don\u2019t just take individual lives\u2014they risk eroding the genetic diversity of the species and weakening long-term population resilience.<\/p>\n Some ask why we don\u2019t intervene by force. But doing so would not stop the killing\u2014it would risk criminalization, loss of access, and irreparable damage to the global coalition we\u2019ve built to challenge this practice through diplomacy, pressure, and documentation.<\/p>\n Our strategy is focused on lasting change: exposing the truth, engaging constructively, and creating space for Faroese voices who oppose the Grind to step forward. Many remain silent now, but we believe they are essential to ending this from within.<\/p>\n Watch the film to see what our Sea Shepherd crew witnessed\u2014and the evidence they gathered to support our political action through the Stop the Grind Coalition. This footage is already being used to raise awareness and strengthen the campaign.<\/p>\n