How will the Makahs hunt the whale?
We have given much thought and time to the planning of the hunt. We are attempting to conduct it in a way that is as consistent as possible with our traditional manner of whale hunting, but also with the requirement of the International Whaling Commission that the killing of the whale be done in as humane a manner as possible, and at the same time with as much safety as possible for our crews. We presently plan to conduct the hunt from one or two traditional seagoing canoes, manned by crews of 8 to 9 whalers in each canoe. The canoe is 36 feet in length and is carved from a single cedar log. We plan to use both a harpooner and a rifleman who will be stationed in the canoe. The harpooner will use a stainless steel harpoon mounted on a wooden shaft approximately seven feet long, connected by ropes to buoys and to the canoe. The rifleman will fire a specially designed .50 caliber rifle simultaneously or immediately after the harpoon is thrown. We have been working with Dr. Allen Ingling,
