Iceland’s two whaling vessels, Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9, put to sea on Faxaflói bay on Monday as the country prepares for the coming whaling season, according to Morgunblaðið (mbl.is).
The outing was short by design. The crews took the vessels out specifically to calibrate the compasses and run the engines through their paces — standard pre-season checks before commercial operations begin. No whaling took place during the trip.
Both ships returned to harbour after the tests were completed. The brief sail across Faxaflói, the wide bay that opens west of Reykjavík toward the Snæfellsnes peninsula, was enough to confirm the vessels are mechanically ready for the season ahead.
Iceland’s Whaling Fleet Prepares for Annual Season
Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9 are operated by Hvalur hf., the company that holds Iceland’s fin whale hunting licence. The firm is owned by Kristján Loftsson, who has been the dominant figure in Icelandic commercial whaling for decades. Fin whales — listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List — are the primary target of Iceland’s large-whale hunts, and the catches have drawn sustained criticism from international conservation groups and several governments.
Iceland is one of only three countries — alongside Norway and Japan — that continues commercial whaling despite the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 moratorium. Iceland formally objected to the moratorium and resumed commercial whaling in 2006 after a pause.
The pre-season compass calibration and engine testing reported by Morgunblaðið is a routine step that typically signals the fleet is days or weeks away from beginning active hunts. Faxaflói provides a convenient testing ground: it is deep enough for manoeuvring and close to the home port, and the bay’s generally predictable summer conditions make it well suited to short technical runs.
Debate Over Whaling Licences Has Continued Into 2026
The status of whaling licences has been a recurring political question in Iceland. In recent years, the Icelandic government has at times imposed pauses on operations — citing animal welfare concerns about the time it takes to kill fin whales at sea — before ultimately allowing the season to proceed. Whether any such conditions apply to the current season had not been confirmed in reports at the time of publication.
Public opinion inside Iceland on whaling is more divided than international coverage often suggests. A segment of the population views the industry as a legitimate part of the country’s maritime heritage and economic life. Others, particularly younger Icelanders and those working in the whale-watching tourism sector — a significant industry in its own right, operating out of Reykjavík’s Old Harbour and ports around the country — argue that the two industries are in direct conflict.
Whale watching has grown considerably as a tourism draw, with operators in Reykjavík, Húsavík in the north, and Ólafsvík on the Snæfellsnes peninsula running tours throughout the summer. Húsavík in particular has built much of its identity around whale watching, drawing visitors who come specifically for encounters with humpbacks and minkes in Skjálfandi bay.
What Happens Next in the Whaling Season
With the compass checks and engine tests now complete, the vessels are understood to be operationally ready. The timing of any departure for the hunting grounds — typically in open ocean waters beyond Iceland’s coastal shelf — will depend on conditions and on the operational decisions of Hvalur hf.
The season and any catches made will likely draw renewed attention from international media and conservation organisations, as they do each summer. How the Icelandic government responds to that pressure, and whether the current licence terms place any restrictions on the hunt, will be the key questions to watch as the season gets underway.
Original source: Morgunblaðið (mbl.is)
