Wrap up and slideshow

Slideshow: the story of our tour of Iceland in words and pictures.

It's been four and a half months that I have spent here on the Rainbow Warrior. Today is busy with little last minute jobs, packing, cleaning, getting ready for sea or travel, but soon I am off. Our work here in Iceland turned out to be the perfect end to my time on board. Not as action packed as some of the things we've done, but an effective approach - and that's what counts.

To the crew - it's been great sailing with you; to the people of Iceland - beautiful country, great meeting some of you, I hope to come back someday when we have put whaling behind us; to the people reading this - it's been a pleasure posting for you, and remember to Take the pledge.

-- Andrew

Relentless in Reykjavik

Saturday - a cold wet day in Reykjavik.

Most of the crew and campaign were up early, hopeful of setting off to
go whale-watching. But the weather was terrible. And with waves that
size we wouldn't see any whales anyway (and may just have lost a couple
of journalists) - so it was called off.

Despite the bitter wind, hail and rain, we had an open ship this
afternoon. Stefan and Johanna braved the elements for hours, and you
could tell it was cold because even our most hardy Nordic crew member
had to relent and go and put a jumper on.

A Finnish visitor (who had sailed to Iceland for the winter) told me
he'd seen a lot of whales on his journey and thinks he even saw a Blue
Whale en route.

If only this morning's whale watching had been so successful!

The highlight of the day for me though was a visit by Abbi from the
Husavik whale centre. And his dog, Perla. They were in Reykjavik and
dropped in to see us on the ship. I'm glad we made such a good friend
in Iceland, and I think we all look forward to working with him in the
future.

-- Willie

Blogging off

This'll be my final log entry before the Rainbow Warrior leaves Iceland.
Sunday morning we'll try again to do some whale-watching with the
journalists (although the weather looks unpromising). In the afternoon,
the ship departs.

Time now to look on what this tour's achieved:

I think all of us have enjoyed our time in Iceland. The warmth of the
welcome in many places exceeded our expectations. Nowhere was that truer
than in Ísafjördur.

The beautiful weather in many ports added to the beautiful scenery.

We found the Icelandic people to be genuine and honest and, for the most
part, willing to engage with us. We think we've helped dispel a lot of
the 'myths' about Greenpeace with this tour, and we *know* we have made
some fantastic contacts, gained some keen supporters, and made some
wonderful new friends. Sorry if I'm gushing.

The media in Iceland have portrayed us very positively (again, we
probably didn't all expect that they would), and we have heard from many
important allies and colleagues in Iceland that they think this tour has
helped them, helped change some opinion, and more importantly helped
generate the debate on the whaling issue *within* Iceland that is so
sorely needed.

The Rainbow Warrior leaves Iceland today. But Greenpeace is not leaving
Iceland. This tour has marked the start of this campaign in Iceland and
we will continue to build on it in the months to come.

Globally we have had huge support for the 'pledge' with thousands of
Greenpeace supporters sending a positive message to Iceland, showing
that the future in Iceland lies in nature-based tourism. Whale-watching,
not whale-hunting.

I myself leave Iceland tomorrow. I look forward to coming back, by which
time I hope whaling will have been consigned to the past.

So, as they say in Iceland, "tak" for reading, and "bless" for now...

-- Willie

Pit stop thoughts

On the way back from Midsandur we stopped at a service station for a cup
of something warm, and a chance to use the facilities.

On the wall beside the door was a poster advertising 'whale watching' in
Reykjavik. On the far wall was a collage of photographs of Midsandur
whaling station, of a Fin whale being processed in the late 80s. The
contrast was stark.

The hot tea and coffee was welcome. The photos made us think. And the
cheese-falvoured popcorn just confused us...

-- Willie

Meeting with US Ambassador

This morning in Reykjavik Richard Page (UK) from Greenpeace
International and I met with U.S. Ambassador James Gadsden and his
staff. For more than an hour we shared our mutual concerns and
bewilderment that Iceland has so suddenly begun whaling again after 14
years. He indicated that he has also shared the U.S.'s official
opposition to whaling with Iceland's political leadership and was eager
to explore ways to get them back in compliance.

Both he and his staff applauded Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior tour of
Iceland and the constructive dialogue we have initiated with the
Icelandic people. They wondered if concerns about toxic contamination
in whale meat may also help galvanize public opinion against whaling.
They were also impressed with Greenpeace's offer to promote nature based
tourism in Iceland IF Iceland discontinues whaling. One Icelandic
embassy staffer pointed out that although pro-whalers claim that whaling
is an Icelandic tradition, Iceland itself only began whaling in the
1950s. Before that he said it was mostly Norwegians who were whaling in
Iceland. We left hopeful that our combined efforts will soon result in
Iceland abandoning whaling and embrace sustainable ventures such as
whale watching.

-- Rick

[Rick works for Greenpeace USA. He is in Iceland just briefly, mainly
to meet with the US Ambassador to Iceland and impress on him the
importance of this issue to Greenpeace USA members, but he also had time
to help us with our lines as we came into dock...]

'Whale fjord'

'Whale fjord' is the literal translation of Hvalfjordur, a fjord on the
west coast north of Reykyajik. Apparently some 17 species of whales,
dolphins and porpoises are found here.

What we found there today was quite different - Midsandur Whaling
Station. It was a wet, cold, windy day, and a bleak, forbidding
location. John Burton was with us and described vividly how and where
the whale would be processed once it had been towed up the slipway from
the fjord. By his estimates the station was big enough to process Fin
whales, the second biggest mammal that has ever lived.

The whole place was eerie. Almost Marie Celeste-like in appearance - all
the equipment was run down and rusty, everything was covered in peeling
paint - but it still seemed like the place had just been abandoned
before we got there. Maybe it had been looked after in the intervening
years.

There were boots and jackets hung up on the lockers, and harpoons
propped against the wall in the metal workshop. There were even flat
packed cardboard boxes which said 'frozen whale meat' in English above
some Japanese lettering.

This station was used to process the whales the last time Iceland did
'scientific whaling' in the late 80s. Fin and Sei whales were processed
into pet food, animal feed, oil and meat - over half of which was
shipped to Japan.

A quite distressing place - but one I'm glad to have experienced.

-- Willie

The pledge

"I would seriously consider taking a vacation in Iceland if the
Government of Iceland stopped whaling. I would be willing to receive an
email about the options available for Icelandic tourism, an email that
would be sent to me if the Government of Iceland ends its whaling
program."

Take the pledge.

This pledge is a very important part of Greenpeace's strategy to
convince Iceland that whaling is a bad idea. The number of people who
have signed on to this pledge is closely watched here in Iceland by the
media, tourism industry and the government. This is a very effective
way for you to help Iceland choose a future without whaling.

Our thanks to the thousands who have already taken the pledge. If you
haven't yet, please Take the pledge now.

The email with details about visiting Iceland comes from
Greenpeace. We will not give out your email address to anyone, and you
will not be put on any of our email lists. You are signing up for a one
time email only.

-- Andrew

Pop culture

I just made a brief foray into Reykjavik city centre. I say brief
because it is VERY cold out. strange to think we were all wearing t-
shirts in Húsavík and Seydisfjördur a few days back.
Today when we tied up there were flakes of snow falling.

I passed the bar 'Kaffibarinn' which is owned by the popstar Damon
Albarn (of Blur). story goes that he came to Iceland and liked the
place so much he bought a bar. Apparently Bjork is a regular visitor
there.

On my way back to the ship I passed what appears to be the Icelandic
version of 'Popstars' or 'Pop Idol' - the TV show where they audition
members of the public to become popstars.

As a citizen of the UK I apologise unreservedly to Iceland for us having
started this programme - which now seems to have been exported around
the globe. Or rather 'inflicted' around the globe.

-- Willie

New faces on board

Since we're in port some of the crew are having a well-deserved night
off.

There have been some changes in the faces onboard (again). Today we're
oined by a press officer, Louise, from the UK office, and Richard, a
Greenpeace International campaigner. With them is John Burton, a
British ex-whaler who now works with Greenpeace occasionally to help
convince people that whaling is something that we should all leave in
the past.

John is quite inspiring. I met him for the first time today - although I
have heard much about him in my time in Greenpeace.

It sounds like perfect PR, but John was first sparked to thinking about
the whaling 'issue' whilst watching footage of Greenpeace activists
confronting a whaling ship. Those images, together with countless others
of whales from TV documentaries, helped make him change his mind.

-- Willie

The last leg

Okay so maybe the weather *did* get a little stormy. It was certainly a
bumpy ride from Höfn. But I think weathermen are fair game for a
bit of ribbing, what next? You'll me I'm not to make fun of estate
agents?

We crossed the North Atlantic ridge yesterday, the area of volcanic
activity like a zipper in the mid Atlantic. Iceland sits on this - it's
how the island was formed - as the American and European plates pull
apart and new land is made by volcanic eruptions in the middle.

We passed close by the volcanic islands of Surtsey and Heimay, in the
island group of Vestmannaeyjar - which is where the Irish settled
(albeit not through choice) allegedly before any Scandinavians found
Iceland.

It made me think - would an early Irish settler recognise Heimay today?
The island is now 1/3rd bigger in size since a volcanic eruption in
1973.

Also - maybe the fairies, gnomes and other little folk who are said to
inhabit Iceland can trace their own ancestry to leprechauns travelling
with those early settlers...

-- Willie

Reykjavik - open boat Friday

Arrived Reykjavik this morning to find hundreds of people on the dock
waving little whale flags, and holding banners reading, "Whaling was a
big mistake. We promise not to do it again.", and "Whale watching makes
more economic sense than whale hunting!". It was really fantastic.

Then I woke up. Damn, dreaming again.

When we did arrive in Reykjavik, there were a few curious on lookers on
the dock, and on our trip around Iceland, we did find that support for
commercial whaling is not as universal as some would have you believe.
Although, granted, there's are also still a lot of people here that
don't want to let go of whaling.

But, whether you are for or against commercial whaling, you are welcome
to come down to our open boat.. Meet some of us, take a look at the
Rainbow Warrior and maybe talk a little about the whales.

Open boat Reykjavik:
1:00 to 4:00 Friday and
1:00 to 6:00 Saturday

See you there.

-- Andrew

In conflict - whale watching and whale hunting

Here is some news about the whaling in whale watching areas issue. The Morgunbladid (a major Icelandic newspaper) reported that the Icelandic Marine Research Institute claims:

"The expedition leaders from HAFRO (The Icelandic Marine Research Institute) have been given specific orders to keep out of the usual whale-watching areas and they should try to get information about the whereabouts of the whale-watching ships. These rules have been followed, but unfortunately the managers of the whale-watching ships Hafsulan KE and Gestur KE have not been willing to cooperate."

That's from the Morgunbladid website (http://www.mbl.is). Meanwhile, in yesterday's paper...

"There was never an official agreement of specific borderlines. It was discussed, but we did not find it in our jurisdiction to make such agreements at this time," says Gisli Vikingsson, head of whale research at HAFRO.

Sounds to me that what is happening here is an inherent conflict between whale watching and whale hunting. The best places for spotting whales are probably also the best places for hunting whales. That makes sense.

But are there specific areas set aside for whale watching only, or not? The first statement (from a press release) seems to indicate there are, the second statement (by a spokesperson) implies there are not.

Also, if, this year, when they are only taking 38 whales and they still can't keep the two activities separate, what happens next year, when hundreds of whales are being caught?

Remember, the whale watching industry already today brings in more money than whaling did even back before the moratorium. Plus, whale watching is a fast growing business. Iceland's reputation as a nature tourism destination will suffer if the whaling here continues. No doubt having tourists to face the prospect of seeing a whale cut up won't help. So why are these government officials taking the side of the whaling industry, instead of trying to protect the whale watching industry (which would make more economic sense)?

It could be that some people are emotionally attached to the idea of whaling. But that is only a guess on my part.

-- Frode (Greenpeace oceans campaigner)

Weather

Time to call it a day. More about the situation with whaling in whale
watching areas, tomorrow. There was a statement in today's Icelandic
papers from a spokesperson for the Marine Research Institute. Our
people on land have no doubt bought a copy of the paper, and will supply
a translation when we meet them in Reykjavik tomorrow morning - so
details then.

The other news is that the weather's turned worse here. It's pretty
rough. Good sized waves, strong wind...you could almost call it, ahem,
stormy.

But not stormy enough to keep me from sleeping like a log, I think.

Goodnight.

-- Andrew

Re: Storm in a teacup

Hey guys,

Why piss off the forecasters?

Especially Icelandic forecasters - partly the forecasts we get are
through Goonhilly (situated in the UK).

I guess forecasters are used to being made fun of - I hope they get paid
for it. And I hope they don't mind these silly remarks.

-- Hans

Hard rock, loud

Actually, the Sound of Music thing is (indirectly) my fault.

Somehow some of the crew found out how much I despise the Sound of
Music, and all of it's ilk - so now they torment me with it. Now, I am
wearing quality headphones with Rage Against the Machine turned all the
way up. I see their mouths move, and their little improvised "dance"
routines, but thankfully that is all.

-- Andrew

Storm in a teacup

There are gale warnings for this part of Iceland. That has alarmed a few
people on board who are already feeling a bit queasy.

But the gales should have been here by now. As it happens we had to stop
using sail power and turn on the engines because the wind dropped so
low. It seems that Icelandic weather forecasters have no incentive to
get the forecast right. En route to Húsavík, AND
Seydisfjördur storms were predicted - but never came.

Perhaps they should be paid by how accurate they are.

Or, as one member of the crew suggested, public floggings of weather
forecasters who get it wrong may encourage them to get it right in the
future...

-- Willie

'The real problem is the Americans'

I think today spent in Hofn is probably like what I envisage when I hear
stand-up comedians talking about a difficult audience... they weren't
such a receptive bunch. But that made the ones we could talk to all the
more important I guess.

The ship's berth wasn't too hot - people had to make a drive out to find
us, but many did. There seemed to be a lot of families with young kids
and a lot of teenage boys.

I have to applaud Johanna for enduring one particular visitor today
though, a somewhat paraphrased conversation went thus:

Him: - The REAL problem is the Americans catching dolphins with their
tuna nets.

Johanna: - Yes, that's an issue that Greenpeace has done a lot of work
on in the past.

Him: - I know what it's like, that's my fishing boat over there (*points
to boat opposite*) and I catch 400 - 500 dolphins in my nets each year.
Because I have more than one boat. And there are so many dolphins around
here. Most of them I just throw over the side, sometimes I give people
the meat...

-- Willie

Day at sea

It's restful getting a full day at sea. Got the sails up, engine off.
Making decent time. Earlier passed Vatnajökull - the largest ice
cap in Europe, and the third largest in the world (behind Greenland and
Antarctica).

The deckhands are spending the morning cleaning the hold, maintenance
climbing gear, and painting and greasing shackles. Erika's at her
computer, of course. Willie is on the bridge deck with a French
journalist looking for whales. Amanda is cooking (as she does seven
days a week). Hans, the radio operator, puttering around the radio room,
doing paper work and working on little projects. I'm looking at photos
from the trip so far, and thinking about posting a slideshow.

-- Andrew

Cows and monkeys

The longer you're onboard the ship the more you find out.

Today I found out that some of the crew refer to the noise the rudder
makes (when the boat is sailing without engines) to 'the cow' down below
because it makes a noise like a cow - allegedly (it's a bit of a stretch
but you can just about make out what they mean).

Yesterday I found out that the below-deck area which houses the cabins
for deck-hands and various unimportant guests like media and campaigners
is referred to as 'Shanty Town'. I guess the similarity depends on who
you share with...

But best of all - I found out that the roof of the bridge, where crew
sometimes catch a few rays on a sunny day, is called 'Monkey Island'.

Seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up.

-- Willie

Q: when is a pony not a pony?

A: when it's an Icelandic horse.

Apparently one of the worst things you can do is refer to the ubiquitous
Icelandic horses as ponies. Icelandic horses are famed for their
hardiness and apparently for a gait particular to them called the
'tolt'. To look at them (albeit from a distance) they remind me of
Shetland ponies.

In many ways Iceland reminds me of the Shetland Islands, where I used to
live, except everything is bigger. More sky. More horizon.
Bigger fjords. And (slightly) bigger horses. Both are communities 'on
the edge' which depend on fisheries and tourism. Both have fiercely
independent people, with a strong sense of self-identity, and who have
been blessed by oceans rich in resources.

That connection was most evident in Seydisfjördur where the ferry
terminal comes in from Shetland.

Just down the road from Seydisfjördur there is another comparison
with Scotland, as a nearby lake is home to a 'monster' called Laggi,
by all accounts similar to the one in Loch Ness. Distant cousins
perhaps?

-- Willie

The seas are alive...

... with the sound of music.

You know how you get a song stuck in your head? And that by
humming/singing it you get it stuck in other people's heads?

Well - at present it seems that the boat has been infested with songs
from the Sound of Music.

Erika, the press officer, started it whilst strumming on a guitar,
although thankfully she stopped short of dressing up like a nun.

-- Willie

Panorama Höfn

No fjord here, but plenty of mountains - you can see what I'm told is the highest point in Iceland from where were docked. And the glaciers. Big ones. Wow.

Check out the 360º panorama (326K Java) or the smaller panorama photo (52K jpeg).

Whale taken in whale watching area

We just received alarming news from Abbi (the manager of the Whale Centre who we met in Húsavík). According to him, yesterday the whaling boat Njordur was found taking on board a minke they had just killed - inside a whale watching area.

According to Abbi, both Iceland's Fisheries Minister and members of the Marine Research Institute had stated that no whales would be killed inside the whale watching areas, and that whale watching companies would be called before any whales were taken near whale watching areas.

A whale watching boat was on the way to the location with 16 officials from tour operators around the world - looking forward to seeing whales in their natural environment - but the boat turned back once it got word of the take.

This incident highlights the problems with trying to be both a whale watching, and a whale hunting nation. And while, for all we know, it may have been a simple mistake on the whalers part, it still raises questions of credibility. If this year, only 38 whales are being taken, why was even one (that we know of) taken in an off limits area? However, at the least, an explanation by the Fisheries Minister is called for.

-- Andrew

Early morning wake up call

Waking up with the mother of all headaches ("that's how some people experience seasickness", I was told) it was a hard job to prise myself out of my bunk to get on deck. Well, to be fair, getting out of a bunk that size is always an ordeal for me - it's impossible to achieve with any grace or dignity. But the early morning chance encounter with a whaling vessel (complete with freshly killed whale hitched to the back) wasn't a good way to start the day.

News from Húsavík was that the whale-watching association was up in arms, as a Minke was killed yesterday in a prime whale-watching area - despite assurances that whales in those areas wouldn't be targeted. If ever anything encapsulated the conflict between whaling and whale-watching - this was it.

-- Willie

Drive-by culture

It seems that Icelanders like to stay in their cars.

A feature of every town we visited is that people drive by (often in 4x4s) and slow down to look at the ship, but unless approached, they rarely stop or get out.

I think this makes some of our activists feel like they should have a squeegee mop and a bucket of soapy water when they go to talk to people. Hey, maybe it'd be a good way to fundraise...

Another strange thing (well - to me it is) is that they have 'boy racers' in Iceland. You know what I mean, young guys in souped up cars where the windows are down, the stereo is up and there are fluffy things hanging from the rear-view mirror... I had hoped that that was a peculiarity to the UK. Anyway, those cars sitting so low to the ground can't be much use when the snow comes or they have to use an un-tarmac-ed road.

-- Willie

Where are all the trees?

Trees and wood are in short supply in Iceland. Some say the first
settlers chopped them all down to make houses and boats, or just
to burn. That would seem a tad simplistic. It's more likely that they
never re-established themselves after the last ice age. And when
you're sitting in the shadow of Europe's biggest glacier, Vatnajokull,
you realise just how close that ice age still is.

Anyway there are trees in Iceland. Just not very many, or very tall.
There's a saying in Iceland apparently that if you are lost in a forest
in Iceland - just stand up.

Speaking to people in Seydisfjördur we began to understand more
about what's important in Icelandic life. Apparently a survey of
older Icelanders to find 'the best invention ever' came up with
rubber boots as top of the list.

Another local explained to me about the colourful houses. She said
that every house had a different coloured roof, that way, when
there was heavy snow, you could still find your own house...

-- Willie

Whaler off the starboard bow

Bit of a surprise this morning. Near Höfn, our next port of call, we
came across the Sigurbjörg Hölmavik - a whaling boat at work.
They had landed a minke, and were hauling it in. Naturally, we launched
one of our boat, not to interfere, but to at least take pictures and
bear witness.

The whalers didn't like that, and their captain radioed the Rainbow
Warrior asking that he recall our boat. Derek informed him that our
boat would not interfere, and would stay safely to stern while
observing. The whaling captain replied by citing a new Icelandic
maritime regulation, which prohibiting motor vessels from coming within
one mile of a whaling ship at work. Hmm, would that include all ships
or just Greenpeace ships?

He also said he was hunting, but there was no one at the harpoon and no
one in the crow's-nest spotting for whales. Then again, the ocean is
very calm and visibility is good - maybe they can spot whales fine from
the bridge in this weather, and we are here to talk to the Icelanders,
not make trouble with the authorities. Our boat reluctantly breaks off
and returns to the Rainbow Warrior.

Most of us did not expect to see a whaling ship at work during this
trip. Our route and schedule is public - the whalers must have known
there was a chance we'd be passing by. Maybe they liked the idea of
landing a whale in front of a Greenpeace boat. More likely they were
just going about the business of whaling, and didn't much care one way
or the other what we saw. Maybe they didn't even think that we would
document their hunt - of course that is part of what we are here for.

If the whaling captain (sorry, didn't get your name), or any of his crew
are reading this, we'll be in Höfin all day. You're
welcome to visit and discuss the issue of whaling.

Derek (captain of the Rainbow Warrior) talks to the captain of the Sigurbjörg Hölmavik by radio. (177K mp3 audio)

-- Andrew

Twenty-three countries sign protest over Iceland's renewed whaling

The countries that signed the international protest called Iceland's
whaling, "unjustified and unnecessary". They also said Iceland's whale
hunt violated the spirit of a moratorium agreed by the International
Whaling Commission last June.

The UK ambassador delivered the protest, which was also signed by
Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Sweden, the United States,
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Kenya,
Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Peru, San Marino, Spain and
Switzerland.

We've been told many times by during this tour that Icelanders are
fiercely independent, and do not like outsiders telling them what to do.
It will be interesting to talk find out how they feel about this new
protest. I hope they remember that a lot of the countries that signed
this petition are close friends and allies of Iceland.

It's important to listen to your friends and allies, and unwisely
arrogant to rashly ignore them. And I'm saying this as a citizen of the
United States - a country whose friends and allies have lately offered
plenty of unwanted, but often needed, criticism and advise.

-- Andrew

Seydisfjördur panorama

Just a little one (even though Seydisfjördur deserves a full 360)...

View panorama photo

Crew bios are up

About the Rainbow Warrior and about us.

-- Andrew

New crewmember - Willie from the UK

Joining the boat at Húsavík seems to have been a good plan. I flew in to the impossibly small airstrip at Akureyri, and went from there through spectacular landscapes to Húsavík. The warm welcome at Húsavík was way beyond what I was expecting, as was the picturesqueness of the town itself.

En route to Seydisfjördur I saw a couple of minke whales, lots of dolphins and porpoises, and the stunning coastal scenery more than made up for my nausea during my first night at sea. Ironically, I missed the best bit of whale watching as a friendly minke passed right by the boat as we turned into the fjord towards Seydisfjördur. I was busy below deck trying to get my email working - the things we sacrifice just to be able to contribute to a weblog...

-- Willie

More on Seydisfjördur

Seydisfjördur - a sleepy, almost *too* clean town nestled at the bottom of a fjord. As a town which depends on a declining fishing industry - I don't know hat we expected here.

With approximately 200 people visiting the boat, however, we had about a quarter of the population onboard - a figure not to be sniffed at. That included all 100+ children from the local school (kindergarten - 16 yrs). Apparently the school were going to have a debate on whaling the day after we leave.

We also managed to get a few pictures drawn by the local kids. Many were of the boat, others of whales or dolphins. And only one featured a harpoon! Stefan seemed to be a hit with the local girls, being given at least one present and getting two portraits drawn.

Probably the most interesting debate of the visit however was trying to work out who decided which animals should appear on which Icelandic coins. Dolphins, it seems, are only worth 5 Icelandic Kronur...

-- Willie

Arrive Seydisfjördur

On our way into the port of Seydisfjördur, we pass local fishing boats on their way out. There is a friendly honk from one, and a shout of, "Get a job!", from another. The few people who meet us at the dock are who are friendly enough, and help us with our lines.

Later a youngster comes by with a cardboard sign that reads, "Go away, We want whaling". We admired his pluck, if not his sentiment, so we invite him on board. Martin talked to him for a while and found out he was under the impression that Greenpeace sinks ships (not true, we were once even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize), and that whales are eating all the fish (not true either, over fishing is a man-made problem - fish and whales were both much more plentiful until industrial fishing came along).

Martin also learns that the fish freezing plant in town may soon close, which puts worries about fish shortages in perspective.

We'll stay here until tomorrow, which gives Stefan and Johanna plenty of time to stand out in the rain (like they are doing right now), and talk to locals about whaling.

-- Andrew

One last update about Húsavík

Had such an enthusiastic response there, I'm still catching up.

Shortly before we left, Erika interviewed Fridrik Sigurdsson, Chairman of the Húsavík Marketing Council. His message to the government of Iceland, "Stop whaling and don't start again."

Full quote, and about the incompatibility of whaling and whale watching.

About Greenpeace's offer.

-- Andrew

Talking with Abbi

Asbjorn Bjorgvinsson is the manager an visionary behind the Husavic
Whale Centre, which covers all aspects of the whale, from evolution to
man's history and relationship with the mammals. He has also been a
strong advocate for whale watching, over whale hunting, as a sound
economic choice.

"The key point of this museum is to get local people in Iceland to understand that there is more to whales than sour blubber and meat."
Asbjorn Bjorgvinsson

I had a chance to interview him the other night. Here's more from him
in his own words...

On Icelandic whaling
On people and whales
On his favourite exhibit

-- Andrew

Good-bye to Húsavík

Erika, our media officer in residence, reflects on the good times and good people of Húsavík.

More.

A Thank you to Húsavík

So yesterday all the crew was invited for a party in the Húsavík
whale center. First we had a look around the place, and I've to say that I'm pretty amazed by the wonderful job done there... You can tell all the energy that was put in, and how involved these people are.

After a documentary about whale watching all around the world, we enjoyd a drink with people from the center and crew from the whale watching boats that welcomed us this morning. It's a beautiful kick from the history to see these old whaling and fishing boats turned into whale watching boats, and to know that they help people see these animals alive.

I'm glad to have the good luck of meeting these people, here in Húsavík.

It is rising up my spirit when I see how very welcome we were, and all the trust and hope they are putting in our presence.

So Ábbi and your team, keep it up, I wish you all the best and my thanks one more time for the beautiful time shared with all of you yesterday.

And see you again soon I hope.

-- Alain (deckhand)

Correcting misconceptions

To say that in the past, the reputation of Greenpeace, and envirionmental organizations in general, has suffered unjustly here in Iceland would be the understaterment of the current tour.

To explain that it is too cold for me to walk around in barefeet today is something they seem to relate to.

To prove it is NOT a cannabis joint I have in my hand, by rolling up another Port Royal (New Zealand tabacco) for them to "spark up", is acheivable.

To tell them I am not a vegetarian & that my favorite meal is a "Sunday Roast" of lamb at my mothers house seems to be almost "pushing the envelope" of comprehension too far.

To show them a photographic history of the "other campaigns" past & present on the walls of our alleyway, seems to suddenly turn on a switch, "so hassling Iceland about whaling is not you're only work?"

To debate the pros & cons of whaling with a fisherman of 30 yr's when the
only words of mutual understanding are "why" & "why not" is not very satisfying, but we do find agreement in my closing comment of "Beautiful Land" sealed with a handshake.

We are making progress, we are opening lines of communication, we have established a foundation to build on, I hope the construction continues after the ship leaves!

-- Haussy (ship's electrician)

Early wake up

We went to a reception (Ok, party) last night at the Húsavik
Whale Centre. Nicely done museum, and many of the people in this town
are very supportive of our work because they credit whale watching with
saving the local economy.

But can I stay out for the party? No I can not, because I am on the 12
to 4 watch. So while everyone else goes off to the town's outdoor hot
pool, where they sit in the steaming water admiring the northern lights,
I return to the ship for two hours of sleep. My watch is quiet. A quiet
watch is a good watch. To bed at four thirty. Think that at least I'll
get to sleep in till eight - maybe even nine. Greatly looking
forward to it.

Six fifty in the a.m. Fire alarm. Out of bed into overalls, shoes in
hand run to bridge. False alarm.... Argh!

Now up and well awake. Tried drinking some milk, but didn't help. Sigh.

Might as well do something since I'm up - so here's a morning
panoramic photo.

-- Andrew

Warm welcome at Húsavík

We arrived at Húsavik this morning. Three beautiful old whale
watching boats came out, to escort us into the harbour as a gesture of
welcome.

I spoke to the Thorunn Hardardöttir and Heimir Hardason, brother and
sister, who run a whale watching company in Húsavík, and who
brought their boats out to great us.

Hardardöttir, on the history of his boat (115K mp3), which used to
be a whaling boat, and is now a whale watching boat.

Hardason about the whales they have seen here (97K mp3).

More info on local whale watching on their website (Icelandic only for now,
English section will be live next week).

The mayor also was waiting at the dock for us. He presented Derek (captain)
with a flag of the city, and some warm words of welcome.

-- Andrew

About Hans and the anemometer

Here's an update by Han's. It's about one man's struggle to fix a piece of ship's electronics located far above the deck, or maybe it's about the nature of Greenpeace.

A small device, the wind direction meter on top of our main mast, today
first ruined, but then made my day.

Yes! Finally the weather's right, there is some time, we are in the port
of Akureyri, Iceland and it's a go. Derek the captain has but one wish
in life: the indication of windspeed and direction via the device on top
of our mast. Though not essential, it still is one of the little luxuries that
one likes to enjoy once in a while. But the system we have doesn't work,
and hasn't properly for years now.

I've gathered all info I could from Derek, and Haussie the elec, and
Andrew who is the previous radio guy (now our web man). Our technical
people ashore have contacted the manufacturer of the device. Maybe we
should exchange it? No: we'll have one more go at fixing. No giving up
just yet.

All kitted up with climbing harness, carabiners, ropes and a device that
goes around a steel cable to save my life if I happen to fall off the 35
meter high mainmast. I wait for Grant. He is our bosun who briefed me,
and who will look after me. After all, I realize (once more), 35 mtr is
not nothing and the wind sensor is in the highest spot on the ship.

Walking towards the mast I realize: I'm a radio man, those antennas up
there are 'mine', safety standards have gone up over the years, and we
along with them and it's all ok. Or is it?

We are having an open day so there's plenty of people around, camera's
around their necks and as I climb the first set of steps I feel those
human as well as electronic eyes burning in my back. Grant once more
explains the basics and up I go. We have to get that faulty unit down.
Then, maybe only 5 meters up, and a shocking 30 meters to go, I freeze,
stare up and just can't do it. I climb down and feel bad. How on earth
will I get that bastard down now?

While I take a break to gather some courage for the next attempt, good
old Grant is already up there and takes the sensor down. I've never been
the type that swings around masts like a gibbon through a forest, but
I've been up these masts before and now I've chickened out:
feeling...(peep).

It's an hour later when the captain and Pelle the projectleader, who
used to be a mate on this ship, are blowing against the sensor to make
it work, when Grant says: "no worries mate, and I'll put it up for ya if
you've fixed it", when Haussie and I are brainstorming on how to fix the
wiring of the unit, it's then that the word "teamwork" comes to mind.

We get things done here - sometimes not in a streamlined and planned
way - but it brightens my day after enjoying another of Amanda's
fantastic dinners to reflect on the power we have as a group to fix, in
the end, even the trickiest things to fix. That feeling - that you're
not alone even though you have to do a job which is maybe difficult for
you, fills me with strength and the, perhaps not easilly explainable,
desire to have another go at climbing that mast and put the repaired
unit back myself.

-- Hans

Panoramic view

Photograph wise, Iceland is best as a panorama. So, here's a panoramic photo of Akureyri.

And while I'm at it, here's one of Ísafjördur.

-- Andrew

Rowboat

Kjartans Jakobs Haukssonar came by today to pick up his boat. If you live here then you already know that he is trying to be the first person to row all the way around the coast of Iceland solo, without landing to rest.

He left from Reykjavik on August 27th - heading clockwise around the island to take advantage of the currants. On September 7th, he ran into some unexpectedly rough weather.

Kjartan found some shelter in a bay, where he put out his anchor and tried to ride it out. This worked for a while then the wind and waves broke the shackle on his anchor chain, and he began to drift towards shore. Taking to the oars, he tried to get back out to sea, but wooden oar after oar broke as he rowed against the strong wind. Although he had two emergency beacons, Kjartan decided not to use them, preferring to continue fighting to save his small boat, and judging from experience that there was enough of a margin of safety.

After all four of his oars were broken there was little he could do to keep his boat off the coast. It foundered, then capsized. He and the boat rolled in the surf, both taking a beating. Fortunately, he managed to grab his communication gear before swimming to safety.

Kjartan was later picked up on shore by a rescue team, but there was no sign of
the small rowboat. Days later, we found it by accident - further out to sea and around the coast then when he had last seen it. We retrieved it, which is the normal thing to do under standard maritime practice, and returned it to him here in Akureyri.

Although it didn't sink, the little foam, fibreglass and plastic boat is pretty beat up, and will probably never sail again. As for Kjartan, he is undeterred by the mishap, and already building a second boat. Next year he plans to leave in June when the weather is generally better. His goal will be the same as this year - circumnavigate Iceland in about six weeks time.

This is all being done to benefit Sjalfsbjorg, the association of disabled in Iceland, and you can read more on their site (mostly in Icelandic, but some English pages).

We wish him fair weather, and safe sailing for his next attempt.

-- Andrew

The rowboat being taken away

Arrive Akureyri

Another amazing trip up a fjord this morning. This time to the city of
Akureyri. It's the largest city in northern Iceland, and its roots go back
at least as far as 1602, which makes it old by Icelandic standards. One of
the big industries here is fish processing, but the tourism and recreational
business are also important economically. I'm told we passed the best
downhill skiing area in Iceland on our way in.

Throughout the day we'll let people on board to visit the ship, and meet one
on one with some of the locals. There's also a big university here. Some of
the students have shown interest in hearing our side of the whaling debate,
and comparing it with the whaler's.

-- Andrew

Audio from meeting

Here are a couple audio clips from the last night's meeting with the people
of Ísafjördur.

The
Mayor of Ísafjördur makes the case for whaling.

Greenpeace campaigner Frode looks for common ground.

-- Andrew

Boat found

Earlier today we found a strange looking boat floating at sea with no one on
board. The boat has no engine or sails, and it's small - a one man ocean
going row boat. A little strange, but the mystery was quickly solved when
we realized this is a very famous boat here in Iceland.

We took it on board - which is the normal thing to do - and will return the
boat to its owner tomorrow. I'll fill in the details once I get the full
story from him.

-- Andrew

Talking and listening

Last night we held a meeting in the hold with the mayor, Halldór
Halldórsson, and some of the towns people. It was a sort of debate
where the mayor, and Frode each stated their position then people fired
questions at Frode. My impression was that all of the locals were in favor
of the current whale hunt. They asked some tough questions, which is fair
enough, and they were also polite and even friendly. A lot of questions
brought out how these people see their relationship with the sea.

Harald, a fisherman who wants to catch whales and whose father was a whaler,
described Icelanders as "farmers of the sea". He went on to say that a good
farmer does not take more then nature can give, and said Icelanders are not
the kind of farmers that would, "shoot the last cow" (because then you would
have no more cows).

Harald, and others at the meeting, were also very honest about wanting the
government to allow the sale whale to the Japanese, but argued that they
could be trusted to do this in a responsible way. Frode answered that it is
not a matter of trusting small fishing communities like
Ísafjördur, but knowing what has always happened in the past
when there is big money to be made by whaling - too many whales are taken
too quickly. Control over how many whales are killed is taken away from the
fisherman, and decisions made by bureaucracies, which are susceptible to the
pressure of money. And species after species of whale declines in numbers
till in danger of extinction.

-- Andrew

Frode, Greenpeace campaigner, with the harpoon

After last night's meeting, Harald presented Frode with an unusual gift - a
very old whaling harpoon. It's hard to know how to interpret such a thing,
but he had a friendly smile when he gave it to Frode. I don't think we
changed anyone's mind here about whaling, but we did have a productive
dialog. We also found that we have much in common with the people of
Ísafjördur on other environmental issues - like toxic waste,
nuclear reprocessing, climate change and so on.

In all, it was a very good visit. I feel privileged to have been to such a
place - seen it and talked to its people. But in the end, I am convinced
that commercial whaling will have to end, either now or in the future, after
minke stocks have been decimated (though not by the Icelanders alone). That
is my opinion, the people of Ísafjördur each have their own -
and no doubt many of theirs differ from mine.

-- Andrew

Actually it's ÍSAFJÖRÐUR, but I can't figure out how to do
the "Ð" in lower case (sorry). Either way, it's a small town in the
Westfjords, and an amazing place to arrive at by boat. A fjord, for those
you who (like me) don't usually get to use the word in everyday
conversation, is "a narrow inlet of the sea between steep
cliffs". I'd never seen a fjord before in real life (sure, you see them in
the movies all the time, but it's not the same), and I recommend it to
everyone.

-- Andrew

Arrive Isafjordur

Arriving in Isafjordur we slowly sailed into the fjord, surrounded by
mountains and in the company of birds following us on our path to meet the
3,000 inhabitants in this west coast village. This community has a long
whaling tradition, and when we pulled into port fishermen and whalers were
waiting for us on the quayside.

Curious and a little shy as we approach them inviting them to join us on the
ship, have a walk around and speak their thoughts about Iceland and whaling.
Words exchanging, positive feedback, complaints about why we are trying to
change Icelandic traditions, and national politics - they see the whaling as
any business of outsiders (even though minkes migrate as far as Antarctica).

A whaler came to the ship on his lunch break, thanking us for engaging in
dialogue and for our effort to listen to what they have to say. Earlier, a
school class showed up. They had prepared a song for us that they performed
on the quayside, which created bravos and applauds from the crew and other
visitors.

Tonight we will have a debate onboard with the mayor of Isafjordur,
representatives from the tourism industry and local people.
All in all, Isafjordur is a beautiful place with beautiful people in the
west fjordlands of Iceland. It will remain in our hearts for a long time
ahead.

-- Erika

Reykjavik

After we leave Reykjavik, we turn right to sail along the coast. We'll sail
around Iceland - visiting towns around the coast to talk to Icelanders about
choosing whale watching and nature tourism over whale hunting.

-- Highlights
from Reykjavik