An Alaskan teenager who killed a giant whale as part of a traditional rite of passage has been branded a "murderer" and been targeted with death threats.

Chris Apassingok, 16, killed a 17-metre bowhead whale in April near his remote village of Gambell.

The act is considered to be a traditional sign of his passage into adulthood within his family and community.

View photos Chris Apassingok with his whale kill. Source: Facebook. More

Pictures of the teenager with the slain whale, which was carved up to feed the village, were posted to Facebook by his proud family, but the backlash by animal activists was quick and brutal.

Environmental activist Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, shared a local newspaper article about the kill on Facebook.

Soon after, the teen was inundated with abuse and death threats.

View photos The whale is carved up to feed local villagers. Source: Facebook More

Watson's post has since been deleted, but it read: "WTF, you 16-year-old Murdering Little B*****!"

It went on: "Some 16-year-old kid is a frigging 'hero' for snuffing out the life of this unique, self-aware, intelligent, social, sentient being, but hey, it's okay because murdering whales is part of his culture, part of his tradition."

View photos Paul Watson called Apassingok a More

Chris’ mother Susan told a local newspaper her son had been devastated by the reaction and stopped going to school and barely spoke to anyone.

"We struggle to buy gas, they risk their lives out there to feed us, while this Paul Watson will never have to suffer a day in his life," she told High Country News.

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