A British cruise line recently issued an apology to its passengers after one of its ships docked at a port in the Faroe Islands during a pilot whale hunt. The Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, is located in the North Atlantic, between Scotland, Iceland, and Norway. Ambassador Cruise Lines confirmed that its ship, Ambition, arrived in the port of Torshavn on July 9 while a hunt of over 40 pilot whales was taking place in the area. The cruise ship operator expressed disappointment in the timing of the hunt and strongly objected to the practice. They have been working with the conservation charity ORCA to promote change since 2021. The cruise line apologized to their guests for any distress caused, as sustainability is a core value for them. ORCA, who had some of their conservationists on board the ship at the time, stated that many tourists had come specifically to see whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. The hunt on July 9 was part of a long-standing tradition called Grindadráp, which resulted in the deaths of 78 long-finned pilot whales, including nine calves estimated to be no more than a month old. Passengers on the cruise ship witnessed the hunt in horror as the pilot whales were herded into shallow waters and then slaughtered. ORCA criticized the Faroese authorities for allowing the activity to take place in plain view of tourists. The CEO of ORCA, Sally Hamilton, expressed disbelief at the contradiction between the Faroese promotion of their wildlife and the hunting of whales and dolphins. The CEO of Ambassador Cruise Lines, Christian Verhounig, stated their dedication to supporting ORCA and their disappointment in the lack of progress in opening a dialogue with the Faroese government and Visit Faroes regarding these issues. The cruise line continues to educate their guests and crew not to purchase or consume whale or dolphin meat and opposes any profiteering from commercial whaling and dolphin hunts.