Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunters trying to stop lead opening using their harpoons. Northwest Greenland, 1977.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Ituko, an Inuit hunter, dressed in fox parka and polar bear fur trousers, holding a harpoon. N.W. Greenland. 1980.

Jeff Vanuga / Whaling harpoon tips lie next to the ship Petrel that was used for whale hunting in Antarctic waters. It now stands grounded at Grytviken, South Georgia Island, Antarctica.

Doug Perrine / Traditional subsistence hunters struggle to subdue a harpooned Pacific leatherback sea turtle, (Dermochelys coriacea) a Critically Endangered species, Kei (or Kai) Islands, Moluccas, eastern Indonesia...

Doug Perrine / Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is pulled back to the boat after being harpooned by traditional subsistence hunters, Kei ( or Kai ) Islands, Moluccas, eastern Indonesia, Banda Sea, South...

Doug Perrine / Traditional subsistence hunters tie a line around a harpooned Leatherback sea turtle, (Dermochelys coriacea) Kei / Kai Islands, Moluccas, eastern Indonesia, Banda Sea, Southwest Pacific Ocean

Doug Perrine / Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) restrained by two harpoon lines bleeds after being clubbed over the head by traditional subsistence hunters; Kei ( or Kai ) Islands, Moluccas, eastern Ind...

Doc White / Harpoon head, bent after killing a whale in whaling museum, Azores Islands, Portugal.

Doc White / Harpoon head in whaling museum, Azores Island, Portugal

Steven Kazlowski / Inupiaq subsistence whalers break open a hole in the pack ice using a harpoon along the edge of an open lead, during spring whaling season, Chukchi Sea, offshore from Barrow, Arctic coast of Alaska

Nick Upton / Shoal of Atlantic herring fry (Clupea harengus) swimming in a rockpool past kelp fronds and Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata), near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, August.

Nick Upton / Shoal of Atlantic herring fry (Clupea harengus) swimming in a rockpool past kelp fronds and reflecting the red colour of Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata), near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, August.

Nick Upton / Gametophyte of Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata), an invasive red alga attached with barbed branchlets to Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) in a rockpool low on the shore, near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, Augus...

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) well camouflaged among mix of red and green algae including Coralweed (Corallina officinalis), Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata) and Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuc...

Nick Upton / Colourful mix of Bushy rainbow wrack (Cystoseira tamariscifolia) with turquoise iridescent tips to its fronds and red Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata) surrounded by Coralweed (Corallina officinalis)...

Nick Upton / Colourful mix of Bushy rainbow wrack (Cystoseira tamariscifolia) with blue iridescent tips to its fronds and red Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata) surrounded by Coralweed (Corallina officinalis) Furb...

Nick Upton / Bushy rainbow wrack (Cystoseira tamariscifolia) with blue iridescent tips to its fronds alongside red Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata) an invasive species, in a rockpool very low on the shore, near...

Sue Daly / Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata) attached to rope, Channel Islands, UK

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunter on new sea ice holding line to Walrus just harpooned. Siorapaluk, Northwest Greenland. 40 BELOW bookplate.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunter harpooning Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in a lead in Melville Bay, Northwest Greenland, 1986. 40 BELOW bookplate.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunter scanning ice of Melville Bay for Polar bears. Northwest Greenland, 1986. 40 BELOW bookplate.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit man dressed in Reindeer / Caribou skin clothing while hunting at the floe edge. Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada, 1990. 40 BELOW bookplate.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Yupik Eskimo hunter seal hunting at the floe edge in Tkachen Bay. Chukotskiy Peninsula, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia, 2010

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Yupik Eskimo seal hunting at the floe edge in Tkachen Bay. Chukotskiy Peninsula, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia, 2010

Steven Kazlowski / Flag of an Inupiaq subsistence whaling crew attached to a harpoon in the pack ice, at the site of a Bowhead whale catch during spring whaling season, Chukchi Sea, off shore from the arctic village of...

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Harpoon stabiliser carved from Walrus ivory (circa 1000 BC - 1000 AD) Bering Strait, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Harpoon heads carved from Walrus ivory (circa 1000 BC - 1000 AD) Bering Strait, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Harpoon heads carved from Walrus ivory (circa 1000 BC - 1000 AD) Bering Strait, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Elderly Chukchi dressed for winter seal hunting. Uelen, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Chukchi hunter dragging Baidarka (Walrus skin boat) while hunting at the floe edge. Chukotka, Siberia, Russia.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Chukchi hunter dragging Baidarka (Walrus skin boat) while hunting at the floe edge. Chukotka, Siberia, Russia.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunters harpoon striking Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), Northwest Greenland, 1989.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunter about to harpoon Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) from his boat. Northwest Greenland.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuk in kayak hurling harpoon. Northwest Greenland, 1980.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuk in kayak hurling harpoon. Northwest Greenland, 1980.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuk in kayak hurling harpoon. Northwest Greenland, 1980.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunter making kayak harpoon. Northwest Greenland, 1980.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Fur clad Inuk waiting to harpoon seal at breathing hole. Northwest Greenland, 1980.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunter retrieving dead seal from lead. Northwest Greenland, 1980.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuit hunter waiting by seals breathing hole, with harpoon ready. Northwest Greenland, 1980.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Inuk man fixing sealskin line onto his harpoon. Grise Fjord, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, 1994.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Tiny carved ivory figure of harpoon head, approximately 2000 years old, believed to originate from Dorset culture. Igloolik Island, Nunavut, Canada, 1992.

Steven David Miller / A whaling harpoon on display at Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island, Queensland, Australia

Roy Mangersnes / Old British whaling ship "Petrel" with harpoon at Grytviken, South Georgia, Antarctica.

Roy Mangersnes / Old British whaling ship "Petrel" with harpoon at Grytviken, South Georgia, Antarctica.

Steven David Miller / An exhibit at Whale World - a whaling ship, complete with a harpoon on the bow, at an old whaling station, Albany, Western Australia

Dan Burton / Whaling harpoon, Kushimoto, Japan

Staffan Widstrand / Inuit hunter throwing harpoon at Narwhal from kayak, Qaanaaq, Geenland Mamnarut