Faroe Islands Grindadráp (Whale Drive)

The Faroe Islands Grindadráp is the most visible whale drive on Earth, turning coastal waters crimson as entire pods of pilot whales are herded into shallow bays and killed. Annually, around 800 pilot whales are slaughtered in this tradition, with a single drive in 2021 claiming 1,428 animals—the largest in decades. This practice outpaces #6 Bear Baiting in sheer scale of public outrage, generating global petitions that attract over 1 million signatures each year. Locals defend it as sustainable subsistence, citing that 95% of the meat is distributed free, yet the images of blood-soaked shores provoke fiercer condemnation than bird trapping with lime sticks (#8), which kills an estimated 2 million birds annually. The Grindadráp’s enduring controversy hinges on this clash between cultural heritage and modern animal welfare standards, with international pressure failing to stop the hunts since they began in the 10th century.