|
The whales at Thorntonloch, Scotland in 1950. “I was 11 when I went to see the whales stranded on Thorntonloch beach. There were 147 pilot whales, the largest beaching in Scotland, and no one had any idea why they were there. There was a sea of whales stretched along the sand. Some were clearly dead, but many were still alive. When the larger whales, which were more than 20ft long, flapped their tails, people jumped. I was amazed: I’d never seen a whale before, only pictures in a book; there was no television in Scotland until 1952. The scene was like something you might see at the cinema. If you look closely, everyone is well dressed: men and women would not go out casually dressed as we do today. I remember seeing people in uniform – the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal – who were killing the whales with a crude bolt gun usually used to slaughter cows. I stood next to them as they put the guns to the whales’ heads, then there was a boom. Some were also shot with rifles. Cranes loaded carcasses on to lorries; others were hauled up manually, using ropes. The whales were transported to slaughterhouses all over Scotland and as far south as Cheshire. There was a real sense of sadness; everyone was very serious, and respectful of the whales, as you can see in the picture. When I look back, I can see the whales stretched out along the beach as if it were yesterday. Something like that never leaves you”. (Photo by Sandy Darling/Bulletin and Scots Pictorial)
|
