Shocking photographs portraying a ‘bright red sea’ were released, as more than 250 whales were slaughtered as part of an annual tradition in the Faroe Islands.

The act comes as a cultural norm in the Grindadrap region.

Campaigners against the horrifying incident have raised their voice, as a means of condemning the brutal and controversial act. According to reports, the ritual dates back to over 1000 years. This correlates to the first hunt of the year.

Sea Shepherd, a prominent non-profit organization, claimed that around 252 pilot whale species, as well as 35 dolphins, were killed at Hvalba, earlier during the week. This was when the giant pod was received, off the coast of Sandvik.

The organization further went on to refer to the grim incident as a ‘barbaric practice.’ Likewise, they featured photographs of hunters killing the innocent creatures in the waters.

A statement released by the organization claimed:

‘252 long-finned pilot whales and 35 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed in Hvalba last night after the huge pod was found off Sandvik.’

‘This the first organized Grindadrap hunt of 2020 with the meat from the hunt distributed first to the approximately 70 hunt participants from the boats and those killed on the beach. The remainder went to the villages on Suouroy with all recipients then free to sell their share of the meat if they so wish.’

Yearly, over 100,000 pilot whales make their way, swimming in the sea waters, near the Faroe Islands. The region in the North Atlantic archipelago is situated between both Iceland and Norway.

Even though all hunters have licenses, the ritual frequently comes under great fire from animal rights activists such as Blue Planet Society. The organization claims that the innocent creatures are ‘brutally and cruelly slaughtered.’

Similarly, another non-profit conservation organization of the environment, ORCA, released a post through Twitter:

‘To the beautiful family of pilot whales that were brutally murdered in the Danish Faroe Islands, we are so deeply sorry. We will keep fighting to end this insane blood sport. RIP beautiful family… Please boycott the Faroe Islands!’

While Sea Shepherd’s efforts to save the animals proved fruitful in the past, the same cannot be said for today. Many are terming its efforts as a double-edged sword, due to its trigger for the passing of local laws, that prohibit any of its vessels from entering the archipelago.