Whaling???
So, I apologize in advance to anyone that is offended by the fact that I just got back from visiting an Inupiat whaling camp on the frozen Arctic Ocean. They've been doing this for thousands of years, so I figure they have a "grandfathered" right to keep doing so. The pictures aren't great (the day was pretty overcast), but the experience was sure interesting.
Wow,
ReplyDeleteThat is barren. It would seem kinda scary being out there. . .nice photos. It is different when the people hunting are doing it for the necessity of survival. Also, it doesn't seem like there is that much food out there. Unless, they are mass killing for mass distribution? If you know, can you spread some knowledge?
Thanks,
The People of Whaling
ReplyDeleteNice photos. I envy your choice of destination.
Dude,
ReplyDeleteThese Pix Rock! A little bit of "S" curve on the RBG Curves w/o blowing out the highlights and you could make a postcard of them. Were there no whales killed? It's a "landscape" I cannot trully imagine standing on. Congratulations on being part of something important.
Storrs
whoa, that's amazing. Thanks for the cool look at a different place.
ReplyDeleteA little more background info on "the hunt":
ReplyDelete1) there is an international regulatroy body that doles out quotas to each of its members. I believe the Inupiat of Alaska have a quote of 20-30 whales per year. Total population of whales is in the tens-of-thousands.
2) The hunt is a VERY communal thing. Before we arrived, there had been 3 successful hunts, and each whaling captain (who are mostly in their 80s!) had hosted a "party" where pieces of meat were handed out to all-comers (including me, a white guy from Anchorage!)
3) The North Slope is a very interesting place from an economic perspective. On one hand, the taxes and royalties from oil discoveries makes the population comparatively well-off and able to afford "regular" food. Nonetheless, subsistence hunting (whales, caribou, seals, birds, etc.) remains a very important part of the culture and the collective diet.
JB,
ReplyDeletePFL Smooth Move happening here, been crazy busy. You know.
Almost surreal photos. Something you see people doing on Discovery or TLC, but my hombre taking off into the buck-ass-cold with some natives to whale. Wow. Cool, mang.
I respect your consideration regarding the posting of shots from a whaling adventure, but they're plenty tasteful. The same case here as with Adoolits' post with the calf branding....it's a way of life, a culture...not a corporation. Hate something else.
This has been my longest post comment ever...care to know why?
3 things.
First, we've not had the opportunity to hang for way too long. A chat is in order.
Second, it's not an e-mail, but it could double as an e-mail, no?
Third-ly-ird-ly, yours is the 200th post to the LivPhotSoc. Super Sweet, and by sweet I mean totally awesome. Which means thanks, JB.
CR
That's Xtreme!!! Cool stuff.
ReplyDelete