The Faroe Islands has conducted its first grindadráp – otherwise known as the grind – of 2026, just over 200 miles north of Scotland where participants have killed more than 125 pilot whales and several Atlantic white-sided dolphins near the village of Sándavágur on Vágar island.
It is here that just last week, on May 4th, pods were driven into shallow coastal waters by boats before being killed on the shore. The marine conservation organisation Sea Shepherd was present to document the hunt.
Observers reported significant difficulties recording events on the day – including, it has been alleged, being prevented from filming in public areas and moved on while attempting to document the killings. Those concerns have since been compounded by questions over the accuracy of the official death toll.
Sea Shepherd’s Campaign Director, Valentina Crast, was present at the event and has been unequivocal about what she witnessed: “Every pod killed in a grind contains pregnant females and young juveniles. In almost any other hunting community, these animals would be protected. Pregnant females, unborn young, newborns, and small juveniles would not be considered legitimate targets. But in the Faroese grind, they are driven and killed indiscriminately.”
It’s also alleged that the official toll does not include at least 15 foetuses and small juveniles reportedly removed from the kill site on the grounds that they were considered inedible.
Animal welfare groups argue that the killing of entire family pods – including juveniles and unborn animals – raises serious questions about the transparency of official statistics and the credibility of sustainability claims made in defence of the practice.
