Icelandic whaling company Hvalur hf which hunt fin whales have killed a rare blue whale or a protected blue whale hybrid. Reportedly, the company owned by Kristján Loftsson which is licensed by Iceland's government to slaughter smaller fin whales could have accidentally killed the marine animal.

Photos by the Icelandic-based anti-whaling group Hard to Port show the marine animal lying dead on shore as crew members help in washing it up with water. Pictures of the whale cut for meat and kept in pieces was also shared on Facebook. Since the beginning of the season, Hvalur hf. have hunted 22 fin whales.

Dr Marianne Rasmussen of the University of Húsavík told WDC, "Based on the physical appearance and colouration of the lower jaw and baleen plates, it cannot be a fin whale. The mottled-grey colouration of the body points toward a blue whale, so the whale in question is either a blue whale or a blue/fin hybrid, genetics can confirm this."

Here are pictures of the killed whale:

Gisli Arnor Vikingsson from the Iceland Marine Institute confirmed to mbl.is, "Photographs point to the fact that it's a hybrid whale and we're almost certain that it is one, but we can't be sure until autumn when we get it DNA tested

He added saying, "If this were a blue whale it would be against the regulations of the international whaling commision but if it's a hybrid, there are no rules that have been broken. Hybrids are not a protected species."

Since 1966, blue whales have been protected by international laws. It is believed that commercial whaling has killed 90 per cent of the blue whale population. Blue-fin hybrids are quite rare, and only five per cent are ever spotted in Iceland, of which four have been killed. Whaling has been a topic of debate in the country for a long time, but the illegal practice of killing rare whale continues despite strong international opposition.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 12, 2018 11:12 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).