Author: Örvar B. Eiríksson

On July 27th, the Great Seal Count took place when about 35 volunteers walked the coastline from Reykjaskóli to Sigríðarstaðavatn, a total of over 100 km. The count began with a lecture and ended with a barbecue for the volunteers. Since this was the 15th count in the Seal Center’s 20th anniversary year, it was a special occasion.

Unfortunately, the result this year was not what we had hoped for, as 445 seals were counted, compared to 550 in 2024 and 549 the year before. It should be noted, however, that in 2012, 422 seals were counted and in 2015, 446, so hopefully the count will show better numbers next year. This, however, is a reminder that we must closely monitor the development of seal populations around Iceland, especially in light of the fact that the Icelandic harbor seal is in endangered.

We would like to thank the great response to our Secret Word Game last week. A total of 54 people took part and we decided to draw 4 winners instead of 3 due to the good participation.
The following winners now have 6.000 kr. credit in the Seal Center store.

• Antonin Trávnicek
• Julie Hen
• Saga Mjöll Einarsdóttir
• Sigurður Hugi Þórarinsson

If anyone has yet to try the game and wants to give it a try, it will remain at the museum at least until next week.

According to tradition, the Great Seal Count takes place on the last Sunday in July, i.e. on July 27th. Everyone is welcome to help with the count. More information about how the count is carried out can be found here.

Please register your participation by sending an email to selasetur@selasetur.is no later than Thursday, July 24th.

There have been many whales in Miðfjörður-bay in recent weeks and it is fun to watch all the life in the sea outside the Seal Center. Last night there were a few humpback whales swimming very close to land which was amazing to watch.

Last week, an LTT2 (Learning, Teaching, Training) event took place in Turkey in connection with the Erasmus+ project Climate Challenge Adventure, which is managed by the Seal Center. The host school was Bilnet School in Balikesir, a city of over 300,000 people in western Turkey.

All project partners met there, and students and teachers from Iceland, Denmark, and Turkey came together to test innovative ways to address climate change and promote sustainability through game-based education, digital storytelling, and environmentally friendly practices.

The event was a great success and it was great to experience Turkish culture and hospitality. Part of the trip was a stop in Istanbul, which is an amazing city, both in terms of size and history.

Next on the project agenda are small local events for all project partners to be held in late May and early June. The next LTT event will be in Hvammstangi in mid-September.