How difficult is it to kill a whale quickly and cleanly?
Given the constantly moving environment in which whales live and are hunted and the sheer size and body mass of whales, it is impossible to guarantee a quick clean kill. The difficulties in hitting a whale with any degree of accuracy can be seen in the margin for human error and the impact of prevailing weather conditions. For instance Norway reported that one in five whales (20%) failed to die instantaneously during 2002, whilst Japan reported that the majority of whales, almost 60%, failed to die instantaneously in 2002/3.
