The mother whale pats her cubs before the massacre

The mother pilot whale swims around the palm of her body every single flock throughout the night before being killed by Japanese fishermen the next day.

Dolphin Project observers share photos of naval whales before they die at the hunt of a hunter in a small bay near Taiji, Japan. While waiting for their fate, the whales swim in small circles. The mother whale circled and rubbed the body of family members all night to soothe the cubs.

Swarms of swimming whales come together to wait for death(Photo: Dolphin Project).

Whale family was chased into the net crank 10/9. The next day, the diver swam in and selected eight whales to keep in captivity. The remaining were all killed, including the mother whale. Water splashed as some whales struggled and rushed into the side of the boat. The hunters tied their corpses to the bow of the boat to pull them to the abattoir.

Every year from early September to the end of February, Taiji port becomes a dolphin hunting ground for fishermen. They inserted metal stakes into the water, then hammered them to create a "sound wall" that disturbed the animals and dragged them into the bay. The entrance to the bay is blocked by a net before divers come in to catch or kill the fish.

During the hunting season this year, fishermen in Taiji were granted a limit of 1,749 dolphins, including 101 short-finned navigator whales. Nationwide, the Japanese Fisheries Agency allows fishermen to hunt nearly 16,000 marine mammals each year. The country has also restored commercial whaling since the beginning of the year despite criticism from the international community.

 

• The dead navigator whale is unjust because he ran aground on the shore
• Dozens of navigator whales ran aground on American beaches