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A Massive Whale Hunt On The Faroe Islands Turns The Sea Red Every Summer

Dina SpectorJul 3, 2013, 00:41 IST

REUTERS/Andrija Ilic It's about the time of year when hunters on Faroe Island, an archipelago in the North Atlantic, are gearing up for the annual whale drive, when several hundred pilots whales are slaughtered for their meat and blubber as part of a 1,000-year-old tradition.

Haunting images of local residents slashing whales, turning the water red with blood, have fueled protests from environmental activists who say the hunt is cruel.

Islanders fight to preserve their tradition of killing pilot whales, which sustains a key part of their diet.