Marine Life & Conservation

Japanese Whalers To Join In The Grindadrap In September

Published

10 years ago

August 28, 2014

THE DESPICABLY GORY JAPANESE FAROESE BLOODY CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Thanks to international pressure, the Faroese whalers need all the moral support they can get these days – and it looks like they will get that support in the form of a visit from some Japanese whalers.

Apparently the Japanese whalers want to show the Faroese how to deal with Sea Shepherd; not that they’ve had much success on that front themselves, considering the recent verdict by the International Court of Justice which has ruled their whaling operations have been unlawful.

The Japanese whalers have asked the Faroese if they can participate in the Grindadrap. They also want to invite some Faroese whalers to come to Japan to kill a few dolphins – you know, just for shits and giggles.

This will be interesting. How will the Faroese justify Japanese whalers killing pilot whales as part of their culture?

That’s a long way to come at great expense to get some whale meat. Of course the real reason for the trip is to indulge in their lust for killing.

Will the Faroes become the place for psychopaths to come to satisfy their perversions similar to peadophiles heading to Thailand to indulge in their particular nasty fantasy?

Have the Japanese whalers become so frustrated by being unable to kill all the whales that they wish to travel to the Faroe Islands to indulge in a blood sport?

Is this the start of a Japanese do it yourself whale kill tourist adventure? Come to the Faroe Islands and get your hands bloodied as you partake in a quaint custom of killing whales with the locals.

Will the Faroes become the Mecca of every sick whale-killing psychopath on the planet?

The Japanese whalers are due to arrive on September 4th. They will most likely feel right at home with the waters turning red with blood and the screams of dying cetaceans ringing in their ears.

They will feel at home with the fact that both the Japanese and the Faroese have the highest levels of methyl-mercury in their bodies. They could have a competition to see whose brains are the most diminished by mercury.

And of course they will feel right at home with the sight of so many Sea Shepherd volunteers sporting the Jolly Roger logo, the same logo that has made their lives miserable in the Southern Ocean and in Taiji, Japan.

A meeting of like-minded bloody cetacean killers in a gore splattered blood soaked cultural exchange program – isn’t that really special?

I can hear it now:

Japanese: We kill dolphins and whales. We love to kill dolphins and whales.

Faroese: Really? Wow, we love to kill dolphins and whales to.

Japanese: We must be brothers from another mother, so much in common.

Faroese: We hate Sea Shepherd.

Japanese: Wow, we hate Sea Shepherd too. What a coincidence. We should party.

Faroese: Great idea, lets go kill some pilot whales and some dolphins.

Japanese: Yes lets have some fun. We can kill whales together.

Faroese: Yes, maybe we can go to your country and kill dolphins later.

Japanese: That would be fun but Sea Shepherd takes all the fun away. They are crazy anti-killing people.

Faroese: Yes it’s incredible they are against killing whales and even cows. God hates them.

Japanese: Yes our Gods hate them too. They are very unGodlike. What’s the point of having animals if you can’t kill them?

Faroese: Yes, God gave us these whales to kill. Those Sea Shepherd crazy people are working against God’s will.

Japanese: The only good whale is a dead whale.

Faroese: Same goes for Sea Shepherd – evil people for wanting to save dolphins. How sick is that?

Marine Life & Conservation

Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction

Published

2 weeks ago

November 1, 2024

Shark Trust

After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7^th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.

People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:

https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction

It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.

: Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter

: Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs

: Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead

: Oceanic Whitetip by ATM

: Silky Street by ScapaJoe

The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.

One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29^th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.

Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:

https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24

Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26^th November until the 7^th December. Entry is free.

Find out more here:

https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31

Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”

Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction

Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden

Marine Life & Conservation

Meet Steve Backshall in the Bite-Back Prize Draw

Published

4 weeks ago

October 21, 2024

Team Scubaverse

Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20^th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.

Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.

On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.

Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.

Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.

Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”

The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.

To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.