Posted on 08/27/2007 12:55:37 PM PDT by Reagan is King
SAPPORO -- Eco-tourists on a whale-watching vessel, looking forward to observing the mighty creatures in their natural habitat, were instead greeted by the sight of a harpooned whale being dragged in by a Japanese whaling vessel on Friday.
At about 10:44 a.m. on Friday, a whale was spotted spraying water from its blowhole near a whaling boat, about 3.5 kilometers away from the whale-watching vessel off the coast of Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula. But when the vessel approached, the passengers on board found that the whalers had harpooned the Baird's beaked whale, and it was hauled in by the whaling boat about 20 minutes later.
About 20 passengers on the whale-watching vessel looked on, voicing their pity as the whale was captured. A French woman who was on the vessel with her husband reportedly said the experience made her feel ill.
There were two other whale-watching boats nearby, but one of them left after a child started crying.
The 46-year-old captain of the passenger vessel was disappointed by the incident, which took place about 14 kilometers east of Rausu Port in Hokkaido.
"It's my job to show people whales and it's the whalers' job to catch them, but I wonder how this can be avoided," he said.
One of the two whaling companies operating the whaling ship, meanwhile, filed a protest against the whale watching vessel with the Rausu town government.
"The passenger boat approached us, which was extremely dangerous. We think this could be considered dangerous sailing, and we want you to issue a warning," the protest said. (Mainichi)
Mike
So they cruise over to a whaling vessel and they see them working? Nothing wrong with that.
Kinda’ like going down to the local Smithfield plant and seeing pigs go in one side and bacon come out the other and then say “Wow, how do they do that?” and then taking a peek inside.
That muktuk is really good, although it takes some getting used to. I love it.
So what is the problem? They got to witness man and whale, plus a little biology class for free.
For me, anything is good with garlic.
ROTFLMAO! Hubs went whale-watching in Rochester, NY. Hint: the waterway has locks, so how’re the whales supposed to get in?
Answer: people don’t care. It’s really a wine festival.
It’s one of those “Circle of Life” kind of things.
Yes, but the question is will she be willing to give up her nightly bowl of blubber and her whale oil lamp so as to avoid such atrocities?! I wager, sire, that when push comes to shove she will NOT!!
I always wanted to see what would happen if I stood in line to get on a whale watching boat while holding a harpoon.
“I bet she’s still blubbering.”
Do you mean the way people are blubbering over Vick’s dogs?
Nice pun, by the way.
I’ve eaten whale meat. It is like the best steak imaginable.
This reminds me of the story (or urban legend) about one of those cute little sea otters that was rescued from Prince William Sound in 1989 after the Exxon Valdez experienced a slight leak.
The sea otter was rehabilitated at the cost of thousands of dollars at a facility in Kalifornia. There was a big celebration and photo op for the local politicos and otter lovers when the critter was finally well enough to be released back into “the wild”.
As everyone watched the cute little fuzzball swim out into the bay a pod of Orcas showed up and one of them ate the otter.
If it really happened I sure wish I’d been there to see the faces of the bystanders.
Sounds like the submarine races from high school
Have you eaten the meat or the blubber? I found a piece of blubber on the beach in Barrow, AK in June one year after a whale was harvested. It was an 8” cube and had the skin on one side. The blubber was white and looked kind of like rubber with a similar consistency - not at all like any other mammal fat I’ve ever seen.
After laying on the beach for who knows how long it did not have a very appetizing aroma.
Pretty obvious, though. :-)
Yes, it’s no fluke that others have come up with it.
I know. Sometimes I can’t help spouting off...
Of course not they come from the grocery story!!
LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.