Chasing the midnight sun

Whalecome!

This summer I will be spending my time at SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary on Heimaey Island within the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago in the south of Iceland. This sanctuary is the world’s first for currently captive cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) to retire and live the remainder of their days with dignity in a natural setting. Through a partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), Merlin Entertainment and SEA LIFE Trust are leading the way to create innovative sanctuaries such as this to end captivity and I am so excited to be a part of this journey and to take you along with me!

Welcome (Velkomin) information for Vestmannaeyjar from the mainland.
Vestmannaeyjar from the Seljalandsfoss waterfall.
Seljalandsfoss and all her glory. The drop is 200 feet and the white dot towards the bottom of the falls is a person.
Seljalandsfoss and other falls coming from the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajokull.

Project details:

The novelty of this project has led to, at times, nerve wracking and stressful moments (I am sure we all felt this at one time, and likely still do). For starters, as I have learned and will continue to learn, Icelandic culture is very casual-laidback-leisurely and the “rapid” communication response times I have grown accustomed to are simply nonexistent. As such, my arrival time, specific daily tasks as well as overall goal for my placement has been left in limbo with only initial written proposals that were deemed “brilliant” (his word’s, not mine). My anticipated and briefly discussed daily tasks will include:

Puffin rescue and rehabilitation center
Educational presentations of the Sanctuary and its residents
Aquarium care and maintenance
Husbandry care and enrichment of belugas

In addition to these daily tasks I will be working with Michel, the current Sanctuary General Manager, to identify and create educational and outreach materials, collaborate to identify potential partnerships with stakeholders and universities for research, internships and externships, as well as drafting guidelines and operating procedures for future sanctuaries. Given the Sanctuary is so innovative and ground breaking, having the opportunity to work with an organization to set the standards and develop deliverables such as these is really exciting!

Now and then:

As previously alluded, my arrival time and date were flexible. Thus, I arrived in Iceland on May 28th and have been getting to know the land of fire and ice. I plan on traveling to Heimaey Island on June 2nd, if mother nature is feeling gracious and allows it. Until then, I will continue to chase the midnight sun, waterfalls, and extremely cute animals on the side of the road.