It is not pleasant to think of a poor bunch of creatures in distress, but the passengers who visited the Faeroes last Sunday aboard an Ambassador cruise liner have at least received an apology for their upset. Some 78 pilot whales were driven into a bay and slaughtered in front of them in a traditional hunt which goes back to the 16th century. The company issued a statement saying:
We were incredibly disappointed that this hunt occurred, particularly at a time when our ship was in port, and have offered our sincere apologies to all those onboard who may have witnessed this distressing occurrence… While traditional hunts of this type have taken place for many years in the Faeroe Islands to sustain local communities, we strongly object to this outdated practice.
There is no word yet, though, of an apology to the Faroe Islanders for having to watch a shipload of cruise passengers disembark in their small capital city, Torshavn, take a few photos and buy a few trinkets before heading back to their ship for bed and board.
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