Whale shot in front of tourists

Eager Norwegian whalers didn't do much to boost the image of their country's tourism industry this week, when they gunned down a whale before the eyes of tourists out on a whale-watching expedition.

Norway's whaling industry has sparked international protest over the years. This week, the protests came from the whalers' own hunting grounds.

Around 80 tourists had paid to go out on a whale-watching boat from Andenes, in northern Norway. Called 'whale safaris' locally, the whale-watching has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction in recent years.

While the tourists were admiring one of the great mammals of the sea, however, a Norwegian whaling boat approached and shot the whale in front of their eyes.

The full story is here: http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1376980.ece

Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe added 2006-07-06