A TASTE OF THE RESEARCH IN THE BAY
There are no words to truly capture the magic of this bay. Skjálfandi Bay, famous for its whale watching activity, designated a Hope Spot for its rich biodiversity, rich in local traditions and history, and home to some of the kindest people I’ve ever met.
There’s always something happening here, but there’s also a lot of research going on.
What impresses me the most is how such a small place can host such a wide range of scientific activity. The Húsavík Research Centre (established in 2007, part of the University of Iceland) offers countless opportunities for diverse research projects. Sometimes, researchers join us aboard our whale watching tours; other times, you can spot them at sea in their own vessels, conducting impressive fieldwork with techniques you might never have imagined.
One of the most significant long-term projects is cetacean photo-identification, which began years ago. Much of the data comes directly from whale watching boats. The project involves photographing flukes and dorsal fins (essential for identifying individuals) as well as recording weather conditions and behaviour at each sighting. This includes species like humpback whales, minke whales, and white-beaked dolphins. In some cases, drones are also used for identification and extended research.
Of course, once a researcher has access to this growing archive of data, the possibilities for analysis seem endless. One fascinating use of the photo-ID dataset, for example, is tracing the sources of scarring on humpback whales.
Beyond visual data, the centre also collects acoustic recordings. These can go far beyond standard cetacean vocalization studies like helping to explore migration patterns, presence of species outside the bay, or even compare sound data with visual sightings inside the bay.
While much of the work may sound technical or rooted in biology and ecology, there are broader dimensions as well. Can we study this complex activity in combination with social science? What about the human perspective in this ecosystem?
Absolutely. Some projects explore exactly that, incorporating interviews with local captains, guides, and community members to understand sustainable marine tourism from a regenerative perspective to whale watching in the Arctic.
Like I said, this is just a small taste of the research happening in the bay. Even with these few examples, you can feel how many different things are going on, and how important this place is for research, for whales, and for people who want to learn more about them.
For any young researcher, it sounds like a dream!
Text & Photos: Dimitra (guide, former researcher at Húsavík Research Center)
