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Pursuits

In Iceland You Can Watch Rare Whales by Day and Eat Whales (Rare) by Night

Fin whales are the world’s second-largest animal. There’s only one man they need to steer clear of.
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Grenades and Gastronomy: Inside Iceland's Whaling Industry

Tom Mackenzie and Ed Kiernan

The harpoon had clearly done its job: All around its tip the fin whale’s flesh and organs were shredded, turned into a bloody pulp.

“It was a good shot,” says Kristjan Loftsson, pointing to the gaping cavity. The grenade-tipped weapon was embedded deep inside the 60-foot mammal. The violence of the impact meant that – in his view – the whale would have died instantly.