Finding a seal you think is in trouble
The 3rd Icelandic Seal Center symposium
On the 17th of May The Icelandic Seal Center will hold it´s third symposium on nature research. Many interesting presentation on various topics.
The symposium will be held at The Icelandic Seal Center Strandgötu 1 and is open for everyone to attend and is free.
New Intern
Please welcome Colin, who is currently doing an internship at the Icelandic Seal Center in collaboration with the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute and is supervised by Dr. Sandra Granquist. Colin is a third-year undergraduate student in environmental science and terrestrial resource management at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is interested in climate modeling and researching the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems. Throughout his internship at the Icelandic Seal Center, Colin will analyze the potential changes in habour seal haul-out patterns and site conditions under climate change projections (CMIP6 projections), as well as regularly assist in fieldwork and seal surveys. His aim of the research study is to guide conservation actions to ensure sustainable management of harbour seal populations in Iceland amid the ever-changing climate.
Illugastaðir is now closed during the nesting period
Seal watching spot Illugastaðir is now closed from 6. May till 20. of June because of the eiders nesting period. Please respect nature and this closing.
However there is no need to worry since Hvítserkur is still open. It is one of the biggest sealcolonies in Iceland. Take the path that goes straight to the beach. Seals are also often visible from the Vatnsnes-road specially during the low tide. Check out places where the road is close to the beach, like Hamarsrétt. For further information you can visit us at the Icelandic Seal Center in Hvammstangi.
The International Seal Day
Today is the International Seal Day. It was first held on 22. March 1982 to draw attention to the status of the seal that was overhunted and their population was declining. The U.S. Congress saw a reason to intervene by giving the seal this day. It also took various actions to raise awareness to the importance of protecting the seal.
Seal hunting has been banned in Iceland since 2019, but seals can live for a long time, so it takes time for the population to grow. The Icelandic harbour seal is classified as endangered and Icelandic grey seal is classified as at some risk. It is important to be aware of situation and make sure that the seal population in Iceland reaches the targeted minimum number.