(Image: Vincent van Zeijst, cc-sa-3.0)
Like many remote archipelagos, whaling has historically served a key role in the economy of the Faroe Islands. Even today an annual hunt is held, though animal rights groups have branded this cruel and unnecessary in modern times. The image above shows the abandoned whaling station of Við Áir in Hvalvík, on the island of Streymoy.
(Erik Christensen, cc-sa-3.0)
Hvalvík translates to “Whale Bay” and has traditionally been considered a prime spot for whaling. The portal of old bones (above) at the centre of the village commemorates this ancient practice, while nearby Við Áir, though clearly derelict with rusting machinery, remains largely untouched.
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