Seal Census Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are requested to take part in an official counting of seals in northwest Iceland.

MBL reports that people with a proclivity for nature in general and seals in particular are being asked to take part in the census this Sunday. The census is being conducted by The Icelandic Seal Centre in Hvammstangi, northwest Iceland.

Not all of the seals of Iceland’s coast will be counted. Instead, researchers and volunteers will take a 100-kilometre stretch of beach in West Húnaþing and divide it up into smaller areas, which will then be portioned out to seal counters.

While seals are an uncommon sight at best in the capital area, it is not unusual to spot them in the waters off of Iceland’s northwest coast. The Seal Centre in fact identifies nine species of seal that one can find around Iceland, including the walrus. Only two species – the grey seal and the harbour seal – are native to Iceland, however, and their numbers have been declining.

Those interested in taking part in the seal census are asked to send an e-mail to info@selasetur.is no later than July 25, or call +354 451 2345.