Killing of Orcas in Front of Tourists Could Spell End of Whaling for Island Nation
Two orcas harpooned in front of a group of whale watchers puts a spotlight on St. Vincent's controversial whaling practice.
Moments before it happened, Ken Isaacs, a crew member on a whale-watching vessel, realized the tourists on his boat were about to witness something terrible.
While touring open water around the small Caribbean island of St. Vincent, the crew spotted a pod of four orcas, also known as killer whales, breach the water's surface. As the tourists delighted at seeing orcas in the wild, Isaacs frantically shouted at three fisherman who were approaching in a small craft. Isaacs took note of the modified harpoon gun mounted to their deck.
Ignoring Isaacs's pleas, the fishermen closed in on the pod. The group of 40 tourists heard what sounded like an explosion.
Right before their eyes, one of the orcas in the pod had been
