Isn't it ironic....

Post by **Martrae** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 7:29 am

Hunting Norwegian Whalers Shock Tourists
Jul 5, 5:47 PM (ET)
By DOUG MELLGREN

OSLO, Norway (AP) - Hunters shocked a boatload of tourists on a whale watch off Norway's Arctic during the weekend, harpooning a whale in front of them.

About 80 tourists were aboard the trawler Reine, which was headed for areas off the Arctic Lofoten Islands known for their abundance of whales, when the incident happened on Saturday, the boat's skipper Geir Maan said by telephone on Wednesday.

"We were on our way out to the whale watching area when we passed a whaling boat," Maan, the boat's skipper, told The Associated Press. Usually, whaling and tour boats maintain a distance between them.

"This time, we got close, and right when they were passing, I realized they had a minke whale in firing range," he said.

The whaling boat fired, and Maan said he later learned through the hunters that it had made a kill in front of the tourists.

"Some were pretty upset," he said. "Many thought it was awful to see."

The areas are popular with Norwegian whale-hunters, who so far have killed more than 400 of this year's quota of 1,052 minke whales, the smallest of the baleen whales at about 30 feet.

"This was definitely not what we came to see," Leontien Dieleman, of the Netherlands, was quoted as saying in Wednesday's Andoeyposten newspaper. "We wanted to see live whales."

Norway outraged many by resuming its commercial whale hunts in 1993, after a six-year break.

The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986, because some species were endangered. However, member countries can reject commission decisions. The Norway claims the whales it hunts are plentiful.

Hunters kill whales by shooting them with explosive-tipped harpoons, and then haul them back with a wire attached to the harpoon. The whales are then butchered on deck, and eaten in Norway as steaks and sausages.

"It was a little unlucky," Maan said of the incident, adding that the whalers usually wait until tour boats have passed to make a kill.

On the way back, the tourists also saw another whaling boat hauling a dead minke aboard, he said.

The hunting season lasts until Sept. 1.

Agrajag · Post by **Agrajag** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 7:33 am

Tikker · Post by **Tikker** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:10 am

oh boofuckinghoo

Post by **Gidan** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:19 am

Who wants to bet the people who were complaining went to a restaurant later that day and ate whale thinking nothing of it.

Guntaag Gorefeast · Post by **Guntaag Gorefeast** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 9:30 am

Ive got a hankerin for some minke whale steak now. And sausage? i wonder what that tastes like...

Phlegm · Post by **Phlegm** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 10:43 am

Classic.

Gargamellow · Post by **Gargamellow** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:05 am

WOOT..we havin' fish TONIGHT

Witty · Post by **Witty** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:49 am

That's one of my regrets coming back from Norway is not having whale. Everyone told me it is nothing special though.

Captain Insano · Post by **Captain Insano** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:24 pm

hahahah great story!

Narrock · Post by **Narrock** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 6:16 pm

Don't they make perfume and cologne out of whale blubber or something?

10sun · Post by **10sun** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 6:22 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris

I always thought it was whale puke, but apparently it is closer to whale shit.

Narrock · Post by **Narrock** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 6:25 pm

Drem · Post by **Drem** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 10:19 pm

explosive-tipped harpoons? i bet that feels sweet

Tuggan · Post by **Tuggan** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:25 pm

haha, i'd like to hunt pig with those.

Parv · Post by **Parv** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 6:21 am

Whale meat is very different in texture than other meats, although the taste is nothing big. Had a whale burger at Torget in Bergen this trip, was pretty good.

Minrott · Post by **Minrott** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 6:36 am

Man I want a harpoon gun and explosive tipped harpoons. For self defense. It'd make a great yard piece.

Captain Insano · Post by **Captain Insano** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 11:32 am

Parv wrote:Whale meat is very different in texture than other meats, although the taste is nothing big. Had a whale burger at Torget in Bergen this trip, was pretty good.

lol is Torget the Target of Iceland or wherever you were? do they have a Franzmart their?