Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2015, Page 66

Scott Riddell
variation within this span) and some ani-
mals appear to have occasionally lingered
into the early summer months (Kristjáns-
son 1980, 329-62). Of particular note is a
19th century account that describes packs
of pregnant harp seals gathering in Eyja-
fjörður prior to swimming for the whelp-
ing ice; the “kæpahlaup” (lit. birth-run)
(Kristjánsson 1980, 333). It is also worth
noting that harp seals have been observed
in the past occasionally frequenting the
estuary of Kúðafljót and sandy beaches
in southern Iceland (Fig. 3) (Kristjánsson
1980, 364; Hauksson & Bogason 1997).
Harp seal surveys in the Greenland &
Iceland Seas (1980-2005)
A survey conducted between 1981 and
1984 found 62 vagrant harp seals in Ice-
landic waters, mainly in the north (Fig.
3) (Hauksson 1986). An annual increase
in seal numbers was observed during the
survey with 60% of animals less than a year
old. No direct correlation was made be-
tween harp seal and sea ice incidence for
this period. However it was remarked that
harp seal abundance was at its greatest dur-
ing years of heavy pack ice in line with per-
ceived historical patterns (Hauksson 1986).
A further survey conducted between 1989
and 1994 found 183 vagrant harp seals in
Icelandic waters of which 63% were found
in the north (Fig. 3) (Hauksson & Bogason
1997). Ninety five were either pups or less
than one year old with a further 52 less
than two years old (animals were aged ac-
cording to cementum growth layers in the
canine tooth). The number of harp seals
registered for this period is almost three
times that of the previous survey and this
was seen as a reflection of an ongoing in-
crease in harp seal numbers in Icelandic
waters. Another key finding of the 1989-
1994 survey was that the increase in harp
seals could not be correlated with the sea
ice record for the north coast of Iceland
for the same period. Instead, the increase
was linked to an increase in the harp seal
population in the Greenland Sea (Hauks-
son & Bogason 1997). Similar surges in the
numbers of young harp seals observed in
Norwegian waters occurred in the 1990s,
linked to an increase in the harp seal popu-
lation of the Barents Sea (Haug et al. 1996).
Twentieth century variations in harp seal
populations across their range in the North
Atlantic have been correlated with decadal
fluctuations in the air and water circulation
system known as the North Atlantic Oscil-
lation (NAO) and the consequential availa-
bility of sea ice in whelping areas (Johnston
et al. 2012).
While there is variation between the
two Icelandic datasets with regard to spe-
cific months, the general pattern suggests
that harp seals are absent in Icelandic wa-
ters in the autumn and reach their great-
est numbers during the winter into spring/
summer. This demographic is also apparent
around Greenland’s eastern shores (Kapel
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