Northern Lights and the Imagine Peace Tower

The Northern Lights are incredible at the moment and last night was the second in a row where you could see them from the Capital.

ICELAND WHALE WATCHING VS WHALING

As a British Marine Biologist living in Iceland on and off now for over 4 years and working for one of the leading whale watching companies in Europe, Elding Whale Watching Reykjavik, I have seen and experienced the tiresome arguments between pro whaling and anti whaling countryman and foreigners. I have always been a firm believer that you support organisations in such countries where species need protection. Thus, I would like my part to be about informing visiting tourists of the issues before arriving so that they don’t fall into the trap that many do which is, it’s ok to eat whale meat when in Iceland because it’s not!

We had a stall at the Whalefest in Brighton 2011 in which whale enthusiasts frequently asked us about whaling in Iceland and even some, before talking to us, had said that they refused to come to Iceland because of the Whaling. This is something we want to change and so here I am telling you that by coming to Iceland and going whale watching you would be doing more to stop whaling that not coming at all.

Unfortunately, to increase the market, whalers are targeting tourists and pushing whale meat as a traditional dish that should be tried. 100 restaurants around Iceland now serve Minke Whale meat. What is worse is that many passengers that come whale watching have also tasted them either before or after the tour. The answer frequently given to why they ate the meat is that “it’s dead anyway so if I don’t eat it, someone else will” not really understanding that its fuelling the industry to catch more. Many passengers just say, “I ate one of those earlier” when pointing to the whales, not knowing that they did wrong and of course “it’s a traditional dish and I just wanted to try it”. It is mainly the tourism industry that keeps the market afloat as a poll conducted by IFAW in 2010 indicated that only 5% of Icelandic households eat whale meat weekly.

There are two main debates here in Iceland. The inhumane killing debate one example being in 2005 when 5 out of 39 Minke Whales were hit by a harpoon and lost or that only a small part of the whale is utilised the rest thrown back in the bay and second the socio-economic debate, which is the main driving force on the anti whaling side.

Whale watching in Iceland has grown exponentially over the last two decades from about 100 tourists going whale watching in 1991 to 125,000 in 2010 and 2011.  We have observed that Minke Whales are becoming more elusive even though we are seeing the same whales returning year after year. Their lives are threatened in the same bay where they are watched with awe. The increase in whale watching in Faxaflói Bay has allowed for a safe area, which is currently being considered for expansion, but as soon as whales cross this line they have to fend for themselves.

So in summary, don’t miss out on the breathtaking scenery, wildlife, culture and northern lights of Iceland. Go whale watching and state to the restaurants that you’re not eating there because they serve whale. Help us to stop whaling and as IFAW campaign states “Meet us don’t eat us”. 

How would you like to see a whale?

Top two pictures photographed by Andri Þór Steingrímsson