7/22/25: Húsavík's Whale Museum & Eurovision Song Contest!

 

Wowsa, the tap water in our 'downtown' Húsavík rental had a much worse stench of sulphur than the geothermal area we'd spent time in the previous afternoon! Fortunately, however, when I boiled the water for tea, it was more drinkable. I was glad that our rental apartment owner had recommended that guests remove all their silver jewelry before showering, as it would tarnish otherwise. Steven forgot to take off his silver travel ring, so it took a couple of weeks before it looked decent again!

Our rental:

Steven and I have enjoyed a few, mostly very small cruises over the last few years, and are well aware of the impact made by the larger ships on small communities. That's why it was disheartening to see such a large cruise ship dock in the tiny town of Húsavík in northern Iceland.

A couple of days earlier, Steven and I had gone on a whale-watching tour out of the town's harbor, considered the country's top whale-watching destination. We were extraordinarily fortunate, not only seeing a breaching whale for the first time, but also capturing a photo of the exciting event. Wanting to know more about whales, we toured the Húsavík Whale Museum, housed in an abandoned slaughterhouse on the harborfront. 

Whales' origins: The first whales appeared 50 million years ago, well after the extinction of dinosaurs, but long before the first humans. Their ancestor is most likely an ancient artiodactyl, a four-legged, even-toed hoofed land mammal, adapted for running. It was hard to fathom that cetaceans share a common ancestor with modern-day artiodactyls such as cows, pigs, camels, giraffes, and hippos. However, whales are mammals, like humans, and therefore have lungs and breathe air. Whales' offspring develop in the mother's womb, are nourished by the placenta during pregnancy, and are nursed after birth.

The ancestor of today's whales, the first cetacean, is believed to be Pakicetus, a quadrupedal animal measuring one to two meters in length. Fossils discovered in Pakistan indicate that the animal had typical artiodactyl ankles and a cetacean skull. Unlike today's whales, the species was not aquatic, and the ankles provide evidence of its running ability. It is still considered a cetacean because of its inner ear, which is unlike that of any other mammal, but resembles cetaceans' ears. Plus, like modern-day whales, the shape of Pakicetus' teeth suggests it was also carnivorous. 

The first land-roaming cetaceans' descendants are believed to have increasingly gravitated to an aquatic environment, likely to seek refuge from danger or to feed. Whales have adapted to life in the water, with nostrils evolved into blowholes, now located at the top of the head; front limbs have transformed into pectoral fins, with the humerus, radius, ulna, and other bones all present; the body has lost its fur and nearly all its hair; and the tail has mutated into a powerful horizontal fluke attached to the vertebral column. 

Whales and mating: Granted, I hadn't given it a thought before visiting the museum, but it was still surprising to learn that whales and land mammals have a similar reproductive system, except whales have an internal penis and testes to adapt to life underwater and to streamline their body. Whales' age of puberty is dependent on the type of whale; for instance, humpbacks mature by the age of four, while bowhead males do not reach puberty until they are fifteen or twenty. Also new to me was learning that whales are intensely sexual animals, using sex for the establishment and maintenance of bonds, not just for reproduction. 

Male mating strategies have been observed in bowhead and gray whales to include competitive and courtship behavior, and so-called 'sperm competition,' where certain whales produce larger quantities of sperm, which allows them to mate serially with more than one partner. Did you know that most cetaceans engage in polygamy and that same-sex relationships are well documented among whales, especially dolphins?

Humans and whales have had a complicated relationship throughout history. Whales were revered in ancient times, holding a significant place in folklore and religious beliefs. Not only were they regarded as powerful creatures capable of sinking ships, but they were also believed to offer protection from natural forces. Whales were essential for food and resources in many societies. 

Whaling in Iceland was mainly carried out in the West Fjords after 1600 by fishermen attempting to only hunt the calves and avoiding killing the cows. The fisherman even named some of the whale cows after identifying them by their various distinctive features. Skeifa and Halla, two humpback cows, Króka, a fin whale, and Vilpa, a blue whale, were frequent visitors to one of the bays. Sadly, whales that usually swam into the fjords were easy prey when the Norwegians began whaling in Icelandic waters. 

Foreign whaling in Iceland was initiated by the Basques, a people who reside in the area that is part of France and Spain, in the early 17th century, following a decline in the number of whales off the coasts of France and Spain due to overhunting. Icelandic annals report various accounts of clashes between Icelanders and the Basques, resulting in the killing of over 30 Basque castaways in 1615 in the West Fjords. 

The Dutch became the world's largest whaling nation in the latter half of the 17th century. They usually hunted close to the Arctic, taking over whaling stations built by the Basques in the waters around Iceland, Greenland, and Svalbard. 

After whale populations faced a serious threat from overhunting during the Industrial Revolution, efforts were implemented to protect them. Generally, people now recognize there is a value in the living whale, and whale watching has become sought after as people enjoy observing the magnificent creatures in their natural environments. 

Icelandic Whaling from 1948: An average of 234 fin whales and 68 sei whales were caught every year from 1948 to 1985, and 82 sperm whales yearly until 1982. Since then, whales have been declared a protected species in the North Atlantic. 

Once the International Whaling Commission's temporary ban on commercial whaling went into effect in 1986, a limited number of fin and sei whales were hunted for research purposes until 1989, in accordance with the Commission's provisions. Commercial whaling of minke and fin whales recommenced in 2006, but with an annual quota issued in line with guidelines from the Icelandic Marine Research Institute. However, the maximum quota has not been met.

Resumption of Whaling: When whale hunting resumed in Iceland during the summer of 2022 after a hiatus of several years, it reignited debates on animal welfare and hunting practices. Part of the debate was based on the fact that cases of killing fin whales, which took an unreasonably long time, might constitute a violation of the country's animal welfare laws. The government's Council on Animal Welfare report concluded in 2023 that whaling could not meet the necessary conditions to ensure animal welfare during slaughter. That led the minister to suspend whaling in 2023, pending the evaluation of potential improvements. After the Icelandic government collapsed in 2024, the provisional government issued new whaling permits that automatically renewed annually. The lack of transparency faced considerable criticism amid concerns about potential political corruption.

A 2023 survey found that public opinion on whaling in Iceland remains divided, with half supporting the practice and half against it. As a result, it is uncertain whether the government will allow whaling to continue as part of the fisheries sector, despite intense international criticism.

Arguments For and Against Whaling in Iceland: The museum pointed out that whaling has been a part of the country's cultural heritage since the settlement era. Particularly in times of limited food supply, whales were a critical source of food and other necessities in Icelandic society. The counterpoint is that modern whaling has little in common with the traditional practices that existed before the 19th century.

Economic value: Supporters argue that whaling creates jobs, generates revenue, and contributes to a diversified economy. Opponents believe that significant economic benefits accrue through whale-watching tourism, which has generated substantial revenue for local communities. 

Ethical considerations: Whaling supporters contend that animals used for human consumption, such as sheep, cattle, and fish, experience inevitable pain and anguish during capture or slaughter. Opponents of whaling maintain that even with animal welfare laws, 24% of whales caught in Iceland in 2023 did not die from the first shot. They add that since whales are highly intelligent animals with complex social structures, it is ethically unacceptable to allow whaling. 

After touring the Whale Museum and especially after exploring Greenland for three weeks following our Iceland trip, where there is a substantial indigenous population that relies on whaling, my feelings toward whaling were no longer so cut and dry. This information panel helped us realize that no part of the whale was wasted. It was not hunted for pleasure or sport, but for necessity. But, is the keyword in that sentence "was"?

Alarming climate change in the Arctic: The most extreme climate change of any region on earth is happening in the Arctic, where air temperatures are increasing at four times the global rate. Recent winters have been up to 6°C warmer than the average between 1980 and 2010, with the strongest warming occurring in the European Arctic. As a sub-Arctic nation, Iceland has not been immune to global warming.

Upstairs were ten full-size whale skeletons! Look at the remarkable similarities between a human hand and a minke whale's flipper!

After a sperm whale beached itself in the West Fjords in December 1997, it had to be euthanized due to its size. When Marine Research Institute staff discovered its lower jaw was missing, they initially thought it was due to a birth defect. The Whale Museum transported the 12.3-meter-long, 25-ton remains of the male sperm whale to Húsavík and nicknamed him Jawless! 

On further examination, researchers found 14 teeth buried in the remainder of his lower jaw, so Jawless had not had a birth defect, but had broken his jaw a long time ago. Staff, using one of the discovered teeth, were able to peg his age at 23. When another sperm whale beached itself in northeast Iceland in January 1999, its lower jaw was recovered to add to the Jawless skeleton. So, it is now a complete skeleton of a sperm whale!

Humpback whales are the most frequently spotted types during whale-watching tours from Húsavík, and that was the type we had seen a couple of days earlier. They are very recognizable due to their extremely long flippers and the distinctive black and white markings on the underside of their flukes. This humpback whale calf skeleton was found beached on Grimsey Island off the north coast in August 1999. On the way back to Húsavík, the staff noticed a small rock in the calf's throat and called it Steina, meaning stone. The 7-ton calf was estimated to be from six to eight months old when she died. She was probably born in the early spring in the Caribbean and followed her mother all the way to Iceland. Humpback calves stay with their mother for up to a year and will drink 500 liters of milk a day!

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are at the top of the food chain in the ocean. The ones in Iceland's waters are termed 'resident,' as each one has a fixed territory. Despite the name 'killer whale,' they are actually the largest members of the dolphin family, a fact I didn't know or had long forgotten! They have from 20 to 28 teeth in the upper and lower jaws, which help them consume an exceptionally diverse diet that includes 150 species globally! In the wild, their average lifespan is from 29 to 50 years. This skeleton came from an orca that was found stranded on the southeast coast in January 2001. Its dominant feature was the teeth!

Remember the Free Willy movie from 1993 that starred Keiko, the world's most famous orca? It was one of several orcas that were captured in the waters around Iceland from 1976 to 1987 and sold to amusement parks around the world. 

This skeleton was of an 80-foot-long blue whale that came ashore in the summer of 2010 on the Skagi Peninsula in north Iceland. It was displayed on its back to represent its natural stranding on shore.

I could see why the Húsavík Whale Museum, with its eleven full-size whale skeletons and its unapologetic look at the country's whaling, was one of the most visited places in Iceland. If you visit the country, try to make time to stop at the museum - you'll be glad you did!

You may recall I mentioned a couple of posts ago that Húsavík was not only famous for being one of the top whale-watching sights in the country, but also for being the setting for the 2020 Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Since Steven and I had watched it just before our trip, we wanted to hunt out the movie's few local landmarks. On a hill by the harbor was the Jaja Ding Dong Cafe, which was named for a song in the film.

Outside were three little red elf houses, replicas of the ones the film's star visited in the movie.

In the cafe's back room was an exhibition about the movie and the Eurovision Song Contest itself, which I first learned about when I lived in Geneva for a year, beginning in 1974.

The exhibition contained a letter stating that since the Norse settled in the area over a thousand years ago, the town's survival had been based on fishing and farming until tourism became its primary activity 25 years ago. But, like all places whose primary income is tourism, Húsavík was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The spirits of the people in the community were greatly lifted with the release of the film and the Oscar-nominated lead song, "Húsavík: My Hometown," which gave them hope during a dark time. The film reinforced Iceland's tradition of storytelling, which dates back to the medieval sagas.

Húsavík residents and storekeepers put tiny Oscar replicas in their windows to celebrate the song's nomination in 2021.

The Eurovision Song Contest is an internationally televised songwriting competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union that features participants primarily from Europe. Each participating country selects one original song and singer to compete at Eurovision, generally held in May. 

Fun facts: 1,717 songs representing 52 countries have been performed on the Eurovision stage as of last year. 

TV ratings are through the roof, with 204 million people watching the contest one year. 

The most covered Eurovision song is Volare, made famous by Dean Martin, David Bowie, and others. 

Celine Dion, a little-known, 20-year-old French Canadian, won the contest in 1988 when she sang for Switzerland!

ABBA is the most successful Eurovision winner, according to the exhibition, but I would argue that Dion is. 

Four years after Olivia Newton-John came in fourth in 1983, she starred in the musical Grease with John Travolta. 

Displays from the movie:

Imagine the reactions of the town's residents when a Hollywood crew landed in Húsavík, ready to film a movie that would star Pierce Brosnan, Will Ferrell, and Rachel McAdams, and a big-name director, David Dobkin from Wedding Crashers. The residents were unsure whether their town's actual name would be mentioned in the film.

They were thrilled to discover, in June 2020, when they watched the film for the first time, that not only did Húsavík appear in a lot of scenes, but it was also the hometown of the main characters. To top that off, they discovered that the characters dedicated a moving song to Húsavík.

 A photo of the elves' houses in the film!

Next post: Exploring Iceland's Eastfjords including puffins!

Posted on September 3rd, 2025, from home in Denver, a tad tired after baking 45 loaves of zucchini bread today for my annual baking binge when zucchini is in season! Make sure to take care of yourself and your loved ones.