Outcry over killing of almost 1,500 dolphins on Faroe Islands

Many Faroese horrified by what Sea Shepherd group claims was largest such massacre in the islands' history

Story contains graphic image that some may find distressing.

Even the staunchest defenders of traditional whaling in the Faroe Islands have condemned the cruel and unnecessary" massacre on Sunday of a superpod of nearly 1,500 dolphins, which were driven into shallow waters of the Skalabotnur beach on the island of Eysturoy and left writhing for hours before being killed.

The Sea Shepherd group, which has been campaigning to stop the traditional Faroese Grind" hunt since the 1980s, has claimed Sunday's hunt was the largest single killing of dolphins or pilot whales in the islands' history", with more animals perishing than in an entire season at the infamous Cove" at Taiji, Japan.