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Orca Swims Out To Sea
The orca that stranded near Korpúlfsstaðir on Tuesday night is now free of the shallows and swimming toward open waters, reports RÚV. The whale became stranded around 21:00 on Tuesday night. Rescue teams arrived at the scene quickly and remained on the…
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Hvalur Hf. Cancels 2025 Whaling Season
Hvalur hf. has cancelled this summer’s whaling season, RÚV reported last Friday. According to RÚV’s sources, company employees were notified that the season would not go ahead. This was confirmed by Kristján Loftsson, CEO of Hvalur hf., in a conversation with mbl.is.…
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Trapped Whale Freed Near Viðey
The crew of the coast guard vessel Þór rescued a whale on Monday afternoon. It had become trapped in a shallow area north of Viðey island off the coast of Reykjavík, reports RÚV. The Coast Guard Operations Center received a report about…
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The Indefensible Defence Of An Obsolete Industry
Examining the past, present and still uncertain future of whaling in Iceland “It’s been a crazy day,” Valgerður Árnadóttir says, a clear tone of concern in her voice as she looks out the large picture windows of Röst café toward the long…
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Lost In Google Translation: Cetacean Roe
Hear ye, hear ye, biologists! A headline from today reads: The minke whale has laid six eggs. An egg laying whale? Could global warming be the cause of this bizarre anomaly? I picture eggs the size of cars floating about the surface…
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Iceland Plans To End Commercial Whaling By 2024
Iceland is one of the few countries that continues to practice commercial whaling. However, whaling could be banned by 2024, according to a recent statement by the Minister of Fisheries. [su_pullquote]You can now take walking tours of Reykjavík with Grapevine crewmembers Valur,…
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Beached Whale To Be Buried This Week
The beached fin whale discovered in South Iceland last week will be buried this week, Sunnlenska reports. [su_pullquote]Join our High Five Club at either the ‘Secret Handshake’ or ‘Elbow Five’ level, and get an e-copy of The Reykjavík Grapevine magazine emailed to…
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A Whale Carcass Has Run Aground In Álftanes
A dead whale has run aground in Álftanes this morning, reports Vísir. The police, Marine Reasearch Institute and Environment Agency have all been notified of the incident, and the carcass will be examined tomorrow. [su_pullquote]The next issue of Reykjavík Grapevine is out…
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Humpback Whale Spotted Very Close To Land
Jóhann Már Kristinsson, a producer in Iceland, was contacted by the whale watching team called Artic Sea Tours who took him out to see some humpback whales that have some particularly close to land. Í stuttu máli. Hnúfubakur að gefa allt í…
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Whale Carcass In Garðskagi Pulled Out Into The Sea
The whale carcass that washed ashore in Garðskagi has been pulled back out into the sea. Many people had visited the carcass over the past week, despite police banners attempting to stop them. It was feared that the carcass would explode, likely…
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People Warned Against Approaching Beached Whale In Garðskagi
A large crowd of people were gathering at the carcass of a humpback whale that has recently just washed ashore in Garðskagi, Vísir reports. The carcass of the whale had been floating around the sea for some time now and it had…
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Carcass Of A Humpback Whale Spotted Near Garðskagaviti
The carcass of a deceased humpback whale has been floating around the sea near Garðskagaviti and has attracted the attention of many locals, Fréttablaðið reports. No decisions has been made on what to do with the whale. Gísli A. Víkingsson, a marine…
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Iceland’s Last Fin Whaling Company May Be Coming To An End
Hvalur hf., the last Icelandic whaling company that still hunts fin whales, might soon be no more. A lengthy report in Fréttablaðið’s business section, Markaðurinn, discloses that three shareholders in the company are seeking to be bought out and this, Hvalur CEO…
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North: Whales Found Love In A Hopeless Place
Humpback whales have been settling in Eyjafjörður, in the Akureyri area, for the past months. The majestic creatures have been, oddly, staying in the north of the country instead of going south of the world. Scientists say their presence is in full…
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Just Sayings: “Tekinn á Beinið”
This saying is not really that old. It originated at Akureyri Junior College and means to tell someone off, often by higher authority. The direct translation of the saying—which in Icelandic would be used “Að taka einhvern á beinið”—is “to force someone…
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Hvalur May Have Killed Another Rare Hybrid Whale
It appears as though Hvalur hf., the last company in Iceland to still hunt endangered fin whales, may have killed another blue whale and fin whale hybrid last Friday. Fréttablaðið reports that a representative of the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute was…
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Iceland News: Rare Whales, Puffin Sex & Guns
Tourists on a boat by tour operator Whale Watching Reykjanes got a special treat yesterday when they spotted a rare Greenland whale just casually chilling in the water and even swimming up close to the boat, RÚV reports. The Greenland whale is…
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Icelandic Whalers Kill Protected Whale
Icelandic whalers hunting fin whales appear to have accidentally killed either a protected blue whale or a rare blue-fin whale hybrid, British wildlife charity Whale and Dolphin Conversation Society (WDC) reports. The whaling company behind the rare catch is Kristján Loftsson’s Hvalur hf, which…
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Whale Gets Into Accident With Fishing Boat In Iceland: Is It Revenge?
An unidentified whale recently got into an accident with an Icelandic fishing boat in the south of Iceland, RÚV reports. We are not sure whether the whale in question was trying to send a threatening message to all fishing boats sailing around…
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Jun Jun Dead, What Next For Westman Islands?
Last month, the Grapevine reported on plans to import three beluga whales to an enclosure in the Westman Islands, as a part of a large exhibition of sea creatures. These plans, however, have been put in jeopardy following the sudden passing of…
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Sperm Whale Beaches In North Iceland
The Húsavík Whale Museum shared an incredible discovery last Tuesday. Iceland is known for its plethora of whales, drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists every year who hope to catch a glimpse of them. Sometimes, though, the whales come to you. Whales…
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Welcome To Whaletown: A Day In The Northern Town Of Húsavík
After a five-hour night drive, and numerous failed attempts at napping, we arrive at our destination at last. The sun has just reached the peaks of the mountains, covering the bright blue bay in shimmering light and hitting the colourful rooftops and…
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Sperm Whale Beaches In North Iceland – VIDEO
A 12-metre-long sperm whale washed up on the beaches of Dalvík yesterday morning, attracting a crowd of onlookers. Dalvík resident Freyr Antonsson told reporters that the whale appears to be intact, and has not yet begun to rot. As it beached only…