Is this culture?

Yeah, unfortunately it is. But there's a difference between traditions and ingrained cultural racism.

Is there a difference between the whale killing and this?

Is there a difference between continuation of traditional practices of food sourcing and culturally acceptable racism? Yes, definitely. Does that make culling whales morally acceptable? Of course not.

I think maybe the concept of culture being this unchangeable thing that transcends humanity and empathy

I never said that, though I can see how what I said could be perceived that way.