Poem About A Whale Hunt

There is a controversial whale hunt tradition in the Faroe Islands that involves herding pilot whales to shore with boats, and then using knives to sever their spinal cords.

This hunt, called the grind, has been going on for hundreds of years, and although it has been "modernized," it nevertheless remains an extremely cruel and unnecessary practice, killing both dolphins and whales.

Grind

Marveling at the song
That carries thousands of miles
Yet deaf to the agony
Of a gaping wound
Senseless brutality
Masked by tradition
As blades grind into flesh
Reversing and resending
Terrorized eyes uncomprehending

And the ocean
turns red
once more.

- Aerwyna

Exposing the Senseless Suffering of The Grind

I was moved to tears the first time I saw a video on YouTube showing the horrible slaughter of the grind. The marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd has an ongoing campaign to put an end to this senseless practice.

Please be warned that this video contains graphic scenes of the whale hunt.