The grindadrap, a traditional Faroese dolphin drive hunt, kills hundreds of pilot whales and dolphins annually, with welfare science informing intense international debate.
The drive phase causes stress and exhaustion over hours as whales are herded into bays. Traditional spinal lance methods have been modified to reduce time-to-death significantly since welfare reviews. However, the drive phase itself causes significant distress before killing begins. The social structure of pilot whale pods means entire family groups are killed together — a welfare and conservation consideration given the species' complex social bonds.