Atlantica - 01.06.2001, Page 54

I’m sceptical. My mother, though, wants
to see some whales, so here we are in
Húsavík, boarding the sailing vessel
Haukur, one of three boats owned by
North Sailing, which operates sightsee-
ing trips in Skjálfandi Bay, north Iceland.
We’re the last ones to board because
we’ve been trying to convince my father,
who is even more sceptical than I and a
bit frightened of how the big water
might affect his stomach, to sail with us.
No go. The crew releases the lines, my
mother and I wave to my father, and the
trio of boats motor out of the sheltered
harbour, beneath a chalky sky that
threatens rain.
Perhaps my father has made the right
choice I think to myself, as I climb into
the standard issue red rainwear. Sure,
North Sailing’s brochure boasts a 99.6
per cent success rate, but with this sky
I’m certain the only animal life we’ll spot
is a bunch of seabirds skimming the
choppy water.
I look back towards the shrinking
town. My father’s been reduced to a
speck on the shore, unaware of what he
is about to miss.
A SIGHT TO SEE
The town of Húsavík has exploded into
the whale watching capital of Iceland.
Every year, more and more tourists –
over 20,000 of them in 2000 – drive into
this tiny fishing village (population,
2,500) with the sole purpose of getting a
close-up look at the largest mammals
on earth.
Only those pesky birds thus far.
Thankfully the sky has opened up
releasing a wave of the sun’s rays; the
chop of the sea has subsided and,
regardless of what we wind up spotting
– a harbour porpoise, a minke or a
bunch of seaweed – the sail has turned
into a fine pleasure cruise.
The three vessels have split up to
increase the chance of a whale sighting;
the captains are in constant radio con-
tact with one another. We’ve just
reached the snow covered mountains of
Kinn, which blast more than 1000 m out
of the sea – the water is the colour of
Eco-tourism is all the rage as human beings desperately try to rekindle their smouldering
relationship with the natural world. In Iceland, harpoons have become an outdated tool
(at least for now) as some seamen thrive on sailing tourists to within a hand’s reach of
the many whales populating the coastal waters. Edward Weinman donned his rubbers for
a glimpse of these ancient creatures.
Whaling
Around
Photos by Páll Stefánsson
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