The locals are one of the few groups exempt from the world-wide ban on whale hunting. They are allowed to take up to four whales a year, but there are many, many years that none are taken. They are only allowed to go out in small, open, locally built boats and use hand harpoons and weapons. Let me put this in perspective for you. How would you like to go hunt an animal twice as big as your boat? How about using hand thrown weapons that require you to be so close to the animal that a simple flick of its tail can kill you? That is what they do, and you can learn all about it at the Whale Museum in Friendship Bay.
To get there you can take a taxi or hop in a bus going to Friendship Bay. Ask the bus driver and he will let you off at the top of the hill and tell you to take the left fork. Walk down until the road leaves the bay and goes up again. At this point walk along the beach until you go under a concrete dock and then go up the stairs to the road again and take a right. You will be there in five more minutes. These directions save you from having to walk up and then down a steep hill.
Some other places in town that show off the whale hunting culture is at the Whale Boner Bar on the Belmont Walk I wrote about a week ago. Here the barstools have whale vertebrate as their seats. Is that cool or morbid? I still can decide. ????
You can also buy scrimshaw, carved whales teeth, and whale bone artwork from a local artist that sets up right outside the gate to the dinghy dock. I could not pass up a carved tooth, since it is extremely local and really highlights the culture of the island. What do you think?
