New undercover video of a whale hunt in Norway was released today by the World Society for the Protection of animals (WSPA) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), believed to be the first of its kind captured by an NGO in over a decade. Thought Norway claims to be the best in the business when it comes to accuracy and relative-humaneness of commercial whale kills, the footage shows an animal that is pursued for at least 60 minutes, harpooned and subsequently riddled with bullets, and only finally succumbing after more than 14 agonizing minutes.

Click here to view the video footage.

This comes on the heels of a news survey commissioned by WSPA and conducted by Harris Interactive, which shows American sentiment against commercial hunts, in part on the grounds that whale hunts cause pain and suffering to these creatures.

The footage was captured off the coast of Vardo, Norway last month by WSPA and EIA investigators. The investigators followed the licensed Norwegian whaling ship 'Willassen Senior' and obtained footage of a minke whale being hunted and eventually killed over a two-hour period. This whale is one of almost 800 of its species that Norway plans to slaughter before the end of the summer. Investigators witnessed the whale being hit by a grenade-tipped harpoon, then repeatedly resurfacing and splashing frantically before it finally died more than 14 minutes later. During this time, the whale was also shot with a rifle seven times.

"This footage is further proof, as if any were necessary, that there is no humane way to kill a whale at sea and that all commercial and scientific whaling should ceases on the grounds of cruelty alone," said Susan Sherwin, WSPA USA's Campaign Manager.

The "Willassen Senior" whaling boat at sea in Norways waters.

This call for a continued ban on commercial whale hunts--along with Japan's 'scientific' whaling program--echoed the attitudes of the American public, as reported by the poll. According to the public opinion survey, conducted during the first week of June 2005, 75% of U.S. adults support the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) ban on commercial hunts. Of these supporters, 70% agreed that the pain and suffering it causes is a reason for their opposition to whaling.

EIA spokesperson Clare Bass commented, "Our investigators have exposed the dirty truth behind so-called modern whaling, where an animal can suffer being hunted and killed over a two-hour period during which time it is wounded and then repeatedly shot."

This revealing footage has come to light just days before governments will decide on the future of the world's whales during the 2005 meeting of the IWC, taking place in Ulsan, South Korea next week.