Cruise passengers bear witness to aftermath of brutal whale slaughter
Will PayneAmbassador Cruise Line has apologised after passengers onboard Ambition bore witness to the aftermath of a brutal and bloody pilot whale slaughter when the ship arrived in the Faroe Islands at the weekend.
Pictures posted to social media show the ship docked in Faroese capital Torshavn against a backdrop of a slick of bloodied water following the so-called "grind", which was highlighted by several animal rights groups – including Dolphin Project.
The line on Monday (10 July) confirmed Ambition’s arrival in Torshavn coincided with the hunt, which took place in the port area. "We were incredibly disappointed this hunt occurred at the time that our ship was in port," said an Ambassador spokesperson.
UPDATE: Boycotting destinations like the Faroe Islands not the answer, says Ambassador
The spokesperson continued: "We strongly object to this outdated practice, and have been working with our partner Orca, a charity dedicated to studying and protecting whales, dolphins and porpoises in UK and European waters, to encourage change since 2021."
The line said it "fully appreciated" witnessing even just the aftermath of the hunt would have been distressing for the majority of guests onboard.
Ambassador chief executive Christian Verhounig added: "We are dedicated to supporting Orca in their endeavours to collect data and to monitor whales and dolphins.
"We are extremely disappointed this has happened after weeks of trying to open constructive dialogue with the Faroese government and Visit Faroes on these issues."
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Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
