Even One Whale

Two women climbed the masts of Iceland’s whaling ships to expose a system they said was corrupt. Secret recordings proved them right. Now they face trial while the dealmakers walk away.

The fin whale surfaced about forty metres from the boat, and for a moment nobody spoke. You forget how large they are until one rises beside you. Twenty metres, maybe more. The spray from the blowhole hung in the cold air. Then the back arched, the dorsal fin broke the surface, and the whale slid under again, descending into water so dark it looked like…