06.11.2024 – Please support

Today we had Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). We had already spoken on board about the problems these two species face.

The targeted killing of marine mammals, such as Pilot whales and Bottlenose dolphins in the Faroe Islands and Taiji, Japan, has been criticised worldwide, especially from an ethical and ecological point of view. These practices are a controversial example of how cultural traditions clash with modern animal welfare and environmental protection standards.

The whaling tradition on the Faroe Islands, the grindadráp, is considered a cultural heritage by the population. The drive hunt leads to a high level of stress and panic among the animals. The methods used to drive them into the pens and kill them are brutal and often result in a slow, agonising death. International animal welfare organisations describe the scenes as cruel and unethical, as the animals bleed to death in pain and experience immense fear and suffering.

In Taiji, Japan, recurring dolphin hunts take place from the beginning of September until May. Striped dolphins, Risso dolphins, Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins and other marine mammals fall victim to the brutal slaughter. This practice, in which the animals are driven into a small bay, encircled and killed or sold to aquariums, is strongly criticised. Dolphins are highly intelligent, social animals and the mass herding leads to massive fear reactions. The actual killing, often by stabbing, is extremely agonising and causes considerable suffering.

Many Bottlenose dolphins are captured and used for entertainment purposes in aquariums or dolphinaria around the world. Captivity for such intelligent and socially complex animals is highly problematic and causes permanent behavioural disorders. Many animals die shortly after capture due to stress or injury. It is clear that dolphins belong in the sea!

Pilot whales and Bottlenose dolphins and other Marine mammals have complex social structures and a high level of intelligence that makes them unique animals. Many researchers argue that such animals deserve special moral protection due to their emotional and social abilities. Their killing is therefore considered particularly cruel and unnecessary.

Continuous hunting poses a real threat to the ecological balance. Whales and dolphins play an important role in marine ecosystems, for example by regulating fish stocks and nutrient circulation in the ocean. The decimation of their populations can lead to long-term ecological damage, affecting the health of the oceans and thus also the resources available to humans.

Here you can take a stand against this brutal behaviour and help protect marine mammals:

https://www.lobosonda.com/marine-protection/

by Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Sperm whales