Outrage as 246 pilot whales killed in bloody Faroe Islands hunt

On 12 June 2025, one of the most disturbing whale hunts in recent years unfolded in the Faroe Islands.

A pod of 246 pilot whales, including 30 pregnant females and an unknown number of young calves, was brutally slaughtered in Leynar Bay in a drive hunt condemned internationally for its cruelty.

Whales chased, stabbed, and left to die

For over an hour, terrified whales were pursued by speedboats and other motorised vessels, driven into shallow waters, and pulled ashore using metal hooks inserted into their blowholes, one of the most sensitive parts of their body.

Footage from Sea Shepherd Global shows the animals struggling as the water turned red with blood. The killing reportedly lasted up to 30 minutes, with many whales left to drown or bleed slowly to death.

World Animal Protection Denmark has called on the Faroese Prime Minister to immediately halt these inhumane hunts.

Gitte Buchhave, Director of World Animal Protection Denmark:

It's simply incomprehensible that we're once again witnessing the mass killing of hundreds of whales in this brutal drive hunt.

Claims that these hunts are part of cultural heritage do not justify the senseless slaughter of sentient animals. Culture should never be used as an excuse for cruelty.

A call for legal reform

Over the years, we've consistently challenged the claim that these hunts are humane or culturally justified. We have exposed the severe suffering caused to whales and dolphins during these killings.

Despite repeated appeals, the slaughter continues. Now, we are once again urging the Faroese government to ban the hunting of dolphins and pilot whales by law.

'These drive hunts have no place in a modern, enlightened society. In fact, more and more Faroese citizens are themselves questioning a tradition that simply cannot be defended. It's time this practice was confined to the history books.' said Buchhave.

Whales are sentient beings, not tradition

Whales are highly intelligent animals with complex social lives.

They live in close-knit family groups, care for one another's young, and demonstrate behaviours such as empathy, problem-solving, and long-distance communication.

Their cognitive abilities have been compared to those of great apes and humans. As sentient beings, their capacity to suffer makes this type of violence particularly horrifying.

Tricia Croasdell, CEO of World Animal Protection said:

We are deeply disturbed by the news coming from the Faroe Islands. Once again, dolphins and pilot whales are being massacred. These magnificent animals endure immense pain and stress during these hunts. Tradition cannot justify cruelty.

"We have raised this issue with the authorities in the Faroe Islands before, but once again, we must urgently call on the Prime Minister (Løgmaður) and the government to enact a legal ban on the hunting of dolphins and pilot whales.

"These drive hunts have no place in a modern society."

We will continue to fight for a global end to the exploitation of whales and dolphins, whether for entertainment, consumption, or outdated cultural traditions.