MAKAH INDIANS POSTPONE WHALING, 1998-10-10 (photo)

Makah tribesmen pose for a photo before heading out for a reconnaisance for gray whales off the coast of Neah Bay, Washington on October 8. The Makah's plan to kill five gray whales have been postponed due to political and strategic problems. Opposition to the hunt by the animal-rights acitivists Sea Sheperd Society include plans to interdict the Makah's hunt by deploying a small armada of ships, including a 27-foot diesel submarine painted to look like an Orca whale to scare-off the gray whales. The Makahs will hunt the grays via eight-man traditional paddling canoes using a harpoon and a .50-caliber rifle to kill the animal. The Makahs cultural heritage included whaling for 2,000 years until the U.S. government stopped the hunting in the 1920s and Makahs have since pursued the effort to revive the cultural practice, especially since the gray whale is no longer on the endangered species list. APB/SV