Last weekend, the Whale Museum in Húsavík celebrated the museum's 20th anniversary. Originally, it was planned to celebrate the anniversary last year, but due to major changes in the museum's staff team, it was decided to postpone the celebration by one year.
The program began on Thursday evening with the Whale Conference, which was now being held for the fifth time. A number of speakers gave talks, including four who came to the country from England for this purpose. Among them were museum acquaintances Richard Sabin, curator at the Natural History Museum in London, and the American whale and dolphin expert Erich Hoyt. Both have been in contact with the museum since its inception and often come to Húsavík. The whale conference was well attended and there were around 70 spectators.
On Friday at 18, the whale museum's history exhibition was opened with pomp and show. The exhibition spans the museum's history from the time it was founded due to the popularity of whale watching, which was a relatively new industry in Iceland at the time, and up to the present day.
On Saturday between 14-16, there was a special festive opening where birthday cakes from Heimabakárí and other delicacies were offered. Entry to the museum was free and the turnout was excellent, about 200 people. It was very gratifying to see the locals showing such interest in the museum and taking the opportunity to see its other exhibits along the way.
The Whale Museum would like to thank all those who came to the events of the anniversary festival, the speakers at the Whale Conference and those who helped in one way or another to make the festival a reality.
