Author: Páll Línberg Sigurðsson

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New manager at Icelandic Seal Center

Notice from the Icelandic Seal Center. The ISC has hired Örvar Birkir Eiríksson as managing director as of the beginning of the year.

Gunnlaugur Ragnarsson is chairman of the board ISC and Örvar Birkir Eiríksson is the new manager.

Örvar is born in 1976 and grew up in Syðri-Vellir in Kirkjuhvammshreppur in Vestur-Húnavatns county. He has been a frequent visitor to the homestead through the years, where his parents still live. Örvar, therefore, has a great and strong connection with the community in Húnaþing vestra.

Örvar has a Bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Iceland and also studied for an MA in the same subject and a diploma in marketing and export studies. Most recently, he completed his M.Ed. degree in teaching social studies from the University of Iceland. Örvar is married to Erla Björgvinsdóttir, a developmental therapist, and they have a total of five children.

Örvar worked i.a. for about 7 years in Viðey in cultural tourism and for 9 years as a store manager in an international retail chain. In recent years he has worked as a teacher.

The board of ICS welcomes Örvar to work and looks forward to working with him. At the same time, the board thanks Páll L Sigurðsson very much for his cooperation and work well done and wishes him all the best in the future.

Old and new manager of ISC

Gunnlaugur Ragnarsson
Chairman of the Board ISC

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Icelandic Seal Center renews its agreement with the Marine & Freshwater Research Institue

The Icelandic Seal Center (ISC) and the Icelandic Marine & Freshwater Research Institute renewed their cooperation agreement at the end of October 2022. The agreement stipulates the strengthening of research on seals in Iceland at the Hvammstanga facility. In particular, monitoring the population size of wild and land seals. In addition to carrying out data collection and research that contributes to the improvement of advice in accordance with the management objectives of the government.

The parties agree to look for ways to increase the number of employees so that the research activities of the Seal Center and the Institute of Marine Research in Hvammstangi can be strengthened. The agreement is open-ended and Seal Center s is optimistic about the future.

Seal site and research area in Illugastaðir Vatnsnes
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Good attendance so far this year 2022 – over 19 thousand visitors

There has been very good attendance at the Icelandic Seal Center so far this year, and over 19,000 visitors have already visited us. It is therefore safe to say that the Selasetrið and the new Rostunga exhibition have attracted the well-deserved attention of domestic and foreign tourists this year.

Individuals from 58 nations have visited us from all continents. Most of the visitors have come from the USA, Germany, Iceland, and France.

Create memories at Iceland’s Seal Center 😊🦭💙

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Advisory report: Resident Survey 2022 has been published

The Icelandic Seal Center made a survey to learn about the community’s opinion on tourism and how it should develop in the years to come. It was Sarah Walter, a summer student at Icelandic Seal Center, who did the survey this summer under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Aquino.

The survey findings show that residents of Húnaþing vestra have a positive perception of tourism overall. The majority of respondents are happy with tourism in general. They feel that tourism has improved the quality of life and perceive the municipality as a good tourist destination.

Here is a link to the Advisory report