Whaling is very popular type of hunting in Chukotka. Today we’ll meet locals of the village Lavrentiya, located on the shore of the Bering Sea.
A cemetery of whale skulls near the village.
Gulls and an abandoned whaling ship on the Bering Sea coast.
A hunter’s son looks for whales in the sea.
Repairs of a plastic ball.
Hunters prepare to go for whaling.
A way home.
Waiting for whales.
Before the butchery.
via shapran
On one side, I know people need to feed their families, and I know this is much better than large-scale commercial fishers who kill EVERYTHING, but it makes me sad to see the poor whale get killed.
I have a scrimshaw walrus tusk full size and I have had the end of the tusk translated and it says IN THE MEMORY OF SERVICE TOGETHER IN CHUKOTKA TO IVAN ANATOLOLIEVICH.
The national minorities have a cuote to hunt whales in Rusiia, as its their historical way of life
AFAIK it is the same in Greenland.
Good to see people still practising semi-traditional and sustainable methods. If all whaling were practised using a sustainable methodology there would be less fuss about harvesting the cattle of the sea.
Killing whales is unnecessary by any human today. Just as educated people learned to modify behavior in the past so educated people today have no reason to kill whales (when alternatives exist).
you mean save 1 whale, kill 20 cows alternative???
Tell that to the Japanese.
What do you suppose Eskimo’s to eat then?Grow carrots in the permafrost?Grow beans in the snow?
Provide them with warm houses,so they have to buy refrigerators?
All these people have to eat is wildlife.And they have been hunting whales and walrusses for hundreds of years.
Quit blubbering eco-freak.
I am all for traditional culturally rights, haven’t the Eskimos been screwed enough? Unfortunately, international lawyers use the native peoples right to take 1 or 2 whales a year and pervert it into commercial whaling.
I have no problem whatsoever with this kind of traditional priviledge of indigenous populations to preserve their cultural heritage.
The oceans and whale population is perfectly capable of sustaining hunting (i suppose you can’t call it fishing, since whales are not fish, but mammals).
As A.Bunka said, its when commercial whaling (ie:large well equipped ships) kills enormous amounts and over long periods that the entire population is sent into a downward spiral that takes these gentle and slow growing giants decades to recover from.
there are too many people comparing to whales.
whales should start eating people!
They should be immediately shot on the spot. That’s commercial whaling
great pictures great whay off life.free people free whale.they don’t hunt in the supermarked.they are lucky they can still hunt in there countris.i’will like to visit them.great people.