Sea of blood...anger as cruise passengers see whale slaughter

Tourists 'sickened' by Faroe Islands carnage

- Nick Dalton and Steph Spyro

HORRIFIED British cruise ship tourists can only watch as at least 77 whales are slaughtered on a Faroe Islands beach, staining the sea red.

They witnessed nearly 50 boats and a helicopter drive the large pod of pilot whales, including tiny calves, towards the shore during the hunt.

The shocked and angry passengers had gone whale watching aboard Ambience, a ship of the UK's nature and eco-friendly Ambassador Cruise Line, which was docked in the Faroe Island's capital Torshavn.

One described how "the sea was turned red" on Sunday.

Another, Dave Ward, 65, from Derby, said: "You could see the whales flapping about on the beach and in the water, then there was no movement... they were dead."

Calves

The company works in partnership with whale conservation charity Orca and its two ocean experts were on deck at the time.