Whaling is the hunting of whales. Whales are hunted for their meat and other body parts. The oil from their bodies has been used to make lipstick, shoe polish and margarine. The practice of hunting whales began in the 9th century when Spain undertook the first organized hunt. By the 20th century, the Netherlands, Denmark, Britain, France, Germany, Norway, Japan and the United States had begun to kill large numbers of whales.

Certain species of whales were hunted so much that their numbers began to decline. There were fewer whales than there had been before. In 1946 and international committee called the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was formed to address the issues of whaling and this growing threat to whales. The IWC created three categories of whaling, they are Commercial, Scientific and Aboriginal Subsistence.

In commercial whaling, whales are killed for their meat and their parts. In scientific whaling, whales are killed so that their bodies can be studied and catalogued. Aboriginal subsistence is the whaling carried out by native cultures, such as the Native Americans in the United States. These groups of people are given certain rights to hunt whales based upon their cultural history and dependence upon whale meat.

Due to the danger of extinction facing many whale species, the IWC voted to suspend all commercial whale hunting beginning in 1986. Despite this international agreement to stop killing whales for their parts, several countries continue to kill whales and sell their meat and parts, including Norway, Iceland and Japan. Whales continue to be killed in the United States, Greenland and Russia under the aboriginal subsistence rule.

Whales are most often killed using a primitive weapon called a harpoon. The harpoon has a grenade attached that explodes when the harpoon enters the body of the whale. It can take a very long time for some whales to die which causes additional suffering and fear in these gentle animals. There is no humane way to kill a whale.

Despite international pressure, the best effort of the IWC and grassroots movements to "save the whales" around the world, whaling continues to be a danger facing whales and their future here on earth.

Here is a list of the whales most often hunted for commercial, scientific and aboriginal subsistence whaling (click on the species to learn more about each type of whale):

Baird's beaked whale - Japan

Bowhead whale - United States and Russia

Bryde's whale - Japan

Fin whale - Greenland

Gray whales - Russia

Humpback whale - St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Long finned pilot whale - Japan and the Faroe Islands

Minke whale - Japan, Iceland, Norway and Greenland

Sei whale - Japan

Short finned pilot whale - Japan

Sperm whale - Japan

To learn more about the cruel practice of whaling, please read below:

Wild for Whales: A guide to watching whales

Without a doubt, the best way to learn about and get up-close-and-personal with whales is to go on a whale watching tour. On your tour, you'll witness whales socializing, frolicking and living their lives as nature intended. Nothing can compare with the experience of watching these gentle giants as they navigate their ocean world, guided by their natural instincts, hanging out with their families and friends or just cruising the waves.

Whale watching tours, when operated with a concern for safety and education, allow a rare and unique opportunity for the general public to catch a glimpse of whales in the wild and helps to instill a sense of stewardship and a desire for conservation.

Some things to know before you set sail:

Choose a tour that places the interests of the whales above their own by voluntarily following and surpassing all whale watching regulations and guidelines. Remember, we are guest of the whales and we should respect their wild natures. All whale watching tours should strive to cause the least amount of disturbance to the whales they encounter.

Choose a tour that emphasizes whale education and conservation by having a trained naturalist or marine mammal specialist on board to help you identify the whales you see and their individual behaviors.

Choose a tour that ensures the safety of their passengers by employing a captain and crew familiar with the local area, trained in first aid and committed to providing their guests with a safe and exciting encounter with marine life.