Makahs Harpoon, Kill Whale -- Tribe Celebrates Successful Hunt

NEAH BAY, Clallam County - The Makah tribe this morning killed a gray whale off the Washington coast - the first whale taken by the tribe in more than 70 years.

A year of preparation and controversy culminated around 6:55 a.m., when whaling crew members in a traditional cedar-bark canoe harpooned the giant animal.

The whale was then killed with two shots from a powerful .50-caliber rifle fired from a motorized chase boat. Later in the morning, the whalers began towing the animal back to Neah Bay.

Harpooner Theron Parker and whaling-crew member Eric Johnson stood on its back, next to a harpoon stuck deep in its flesh, and pumped their fists in victory.

"It was easy," said whaling-crew member Darrell Markishtum, noting the whale surfaced just ahead of the canoe as the crew closed in for the kill. "The whale gave up its life for us freely."

The Makah village of Neah Bay closed its schools and declared a holiday so students could witness an event the tribe believes will revive its culture..

Protesters immediately condemned the kill and warned it opens the door to resumption of "cultural" whaling by the Japanese, Norwegians and other North American tribes.

Protesters weren't able to witness the harpooning. Forty minutes after the first harpoon hit the whale, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's ship Sirenian was observed racing toward the scene.

Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd group bellowed over the ship's radio that the kill was "a pirate whaling action." But his efforts to block the hunt were foiled. The only weapon at his disposal was his air horn, which he blasted continuously across the cold, churning sea.

Whaling opponents scheduled a public candlelight vigil for 7 p.m. tonight at the federal building, Second Avenue and Marion Street in Seattle.

The first harpooner, with the bow of the canoe Hummingbird hovering above the whale's back, was close enough to actually stab the harpoon into the whale without having to throw the weapon.

Immediately, the seven crew members let go a rope and a yellow float that the creature dragged in a wide circle.

After being shot, the whale rolled in the sea, bleeding heavily.

It was unknown if the whale died immediately after being hit near the Point of Arches, just south of the Makah Reservation. But it did not surface after struggling about 10 minutes.

In a cold wind and tossing seas, the whalers secured the whale, tying a rope from two fishing boats to hold the animal in place.

With its prize secure by about 10:30 a.m., the long-liner began slowly towing the whale back to Neah Bay. There, the tribe says it will resurrect ancient rituals for butchering the whale and distributing its meat and oil.

The Coast Guard was present at the time of the harpooning, as well as scientific observers with the National Marine Fisheries Service and members of the media.

Whalers standing in the bow of the canoe stared into the ocean, a pennant flying to keep all other boats at bay.

Johnson, the whaling boat's captain, wearing an Oakland Raiders jacket and a wool cap with a whale on it, used a cell phone to alert Neah Bay of their success.

Back in the tiny village, the news was greeted with excitement. Many residents were watching the hunt on live television.

Michael McCarty, a Makah member eating breakfast at the Makah Maiden Cafe, was asked whether he felt thankful. Or proud. Or excited. "All of the above. Harpooning, going back to the old days, is just awesome for the whole tribe."

A group of Tulalip tribal members watched the hunt on television at the cafe and reacted as if they were viewing a major sporting event. "Good shot, good shot," one man yelled.

Helma Ward, a Makah elder, lay in bed this morning, motionless as possible in the Makah belief that close female relatives of the whalers have a connection with the whale, and any movement during the hunt could lead the whale to thrash about.

Opponents said they were upset by the kill, and infuriated by the fact that they were kept at bay today.

"We're devastated by this," said Jonathan Paul of the Sea Defense Alliance. "We worked so hard to stop this hunt. . . . It was inevitable probably that they would eventually get one."

All of his group's boats had been seized by the Coast Guard following clashes on Saturday.

The protesters were late getting to the scene this morning because they had stayed up all night loading three more boats onto the Sirenian at Friday Harbor.

Republican Rep. Jack Metcalf of Langley, an outspoken foe of the hunt, said in a press release, "These majestic, highly intelligent creatures deserve better than to be brutally slaughtered as pawns in a political game orchestrated by Japanese and Norwegian whaling interests and supported by the Clinton / Gore administration."

After centuries of whaling, the Makahs abandoned the practice in the 1920s when the gray whale had been hunted to the brink of extinction by U.S. and European ships. In recent years, as the gray whale population rebounded to around 23,000 and the species was removed from the endangered list, the tribe was granted permission to resume its traditional hunt, as promised under its 19th-century treaty with the United States.

Under agreement with the federal government, the tribe is permitted to take up to five whales per year, or a total of 20 over five years. The whale must be used by the tribe, and not sold commercially.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.

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The Makah whale hunt has stirred great emotion and debate. The Seattle Times would like to know what you think. Phone us at 206-382-8869 or send us an e-mail: whale@seattletimes.com.