Whale watching boosts Grundarfjörður’s income in winter

It was fascinating to learn that winter tourism was non-existent in Grundarfjörður only two years ago. In fact, the town’s main hotel sat empty all winter long. When winter migration patterns brought large numbers of herring to the fjord, orcas followed. Whale watching industry enthusiasts saw an enormous opportunity. They worked with local authorities and entrepreneurs to set up whale watching operations for the first time in 2012.

In two years’ time, winter tourism has exploded, bringing income and additional employment to the community. The hotel is now fully booked all winter and planning with other entrepreneurs to set up additional attractions and expand economic opportunities to the town. We saw close to 80 orcas during our outing. It is too early to quantify the impact of whale watching, but it is clearly enormously beneficial to the community.

Can’t wait for the return of Game of Thrones

I’ve been counting the days until the return of Game of Thrones to Iceland on April 1. This gripping HBO series has an Icelandic connection as the film crew has been to Iceland twice to film a few scenes “beyond the wall.” We met some of the actors, extras, the director, and producers during one of their visits which made the series all the more interesting. Will Tyrion Lanister make a comeback? Will we see Daenerys’ dragons in action? Will Joffrey’ meanness surprise us? There are so many questions….

Grundarfjörður – a thriving community

We visited Grundarfjörður recently and had an opportunity to see a thriving community in a beautiful setting. Nestled in the mountains at the end of the fjord right next to the Kirkjufell mountain, Grundarfjörður is a fishing village known for its neatness and hospitality. We met Mayor Björn Steinar Pálmason and the Chair of the Town Council, Sigurborg Hannesdóttir who gave us a great overview of the town. We also visited two family owned fish processing plants, one of which proudly ships most of its cod, herring, and red fish to the United States East Coast. The other specializes in salted cod for the European market. The plants are family owned and have been in business since the 1940s. The local high school, Fjölbrautaskóli Snæfellinga, has unique facilities and offers a learning model suited for many of its students who travel many miles (some take the ferry from across the bay). It was our great and pleasant surprise to find out that Amila Crnac, one of a few very talented Icelandic students who received a prize in an English story writing contest organized by the Association of Teachers of English in Iceland, attends that school. We learned that the American connection to this innovative school came from the ideas that helped shape the physical layout which was provided by an American specialist.

Iceland and the United States in rock solid scientific partnership

During a visit to the Icelandic Heart Association (Hjartavernd) where I met with Dr. Vilmundur (Villi) Guðnasson, it became abundantly clear that the scientific partnership between the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Icelandic Heart Association is producing groundbreaking results in the fight against heart disease. Villi explained that since 2001, NIH has provided nearly $50 million in funding to the Icelandic Heart Association in support of its longitudinal study on aging and other groundbreaking research that is giving us a better understanding of heart disease risks and a foundation for preventive interventions in the population. The research facilities at Hjartavernd are among the best in the world and another manifestation of the great partnership between our two countries.

Our condolences to Iceland

AP Photo/Peter Morrison 2009

We were very distressed to hear about the tragic accident when Örvar Arnarson and Andri Már Þórðarson lost their lives when they were trying to get the most out of them. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these young men. We feel as if one of our own were involved.

Whale watching – a force multiplier for the tourism industry

Mary and I had the opportunity to go out and enjoy the wonders of whale watching just a few minutes outside of Reykjavik. The day was absolutely perfect with no wind and endless visibility. We saw hundreds of dolphins and majestic humpback whales cavorting in the ocean. One could see the joy in the tourists’ faces when observing these beautiful and graceful mammals only a few yards away.

I am told that over 170,000 tourists went whale watching in Iceland last year and that the industry has been growing at about 10% per year. This is a promising sector: whale-watching employs about 500 people in the 5-month summer season and indirectly generates many other jobs in the tourist industry. The impact is especially strong in Northern Iceland. There is no doubt that whale watching has become one of the most important drivers for generating tourism income in Iceland.

Reykjavik Fashion and Design are on the Rise

This week gave Reykjavik a chance to showcase Icelandic Design and Fashion and put Iceland on the world stage. In support of these events, we were honored to host a reception for Roxanne Lowitt, guest of honor of the Reykjavik Fashion Festival and world renowned fashion photographer, and Juliet Kinchin, guest of honor of Design March and curator for the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

I have no doubt these events are among the coolest in Iceland and that it won’t be long before Icelandic designers follow the path of Steinunn Sigurð and make a splash on some of the best known runways in the U.S. and Europe. As for Icelandic design, it is as bold as it is unique and judging by the facial expressions of fellow spectators, they enjoyed the festival as much as we did.

More photos from the reception can be found on the U.S. Embassy Reykjavík Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151384299634576.1073741826.98008554575&type=1