Category: News - Iceland Monitor

The killer whale was saved just before midnight on Friday.

The stranded killer whale was saved

10:57 GMT The orca or killer whale that was lying stranded at Gilsfjörður on Friday was rescued in a flood at midnight that night. The rescue team Ósk received assistance from rescue teams from Reykjavík with crews, lights and a drone.

The grave of Guðmundur Kamban in Fossvogur cemetary.

The name of Kamban's killer finally publicly revealed

yesterday On the day the Danes celebrated the end of the German occupation on 5 May 1945, several people were executed, without a judicial order, by members of the Danish Resistance. Among their victims was the Icelandic author Guðmundur Kamban.

Jóhannes Svavar Rúnarsson, managing director of Strætó, says that the company’s bus drivers have noticed fewer private cars on the streets.

Fewer private cars on the roads today

22 Sep Many people used Strætó’s free of charge service this morning, and Jóhannes Svavar Rúnarsson, managing director of Strætó, says that the company’s bus drivers have noticed fewer private cars on the streets.

The killer whale can be seen in the middle of this picture.

Killer Whale stranded at Gilsfjörður bridge

22 Sep An orca, or killer whale, was found stranded at Gilsfjörður bridge, south of the Westfjords, yesterday. Rescuers are now working to get it a float.

Wanted criminal detained in Iceland

22 Sep The National Court has ruled that a Romanian man is to be detained until October 16, but the man has been wanted in his home country since his conviction for thefts he committed in 2015.

Búðárfoss before and after the massive rainfall.

"Seyðisfjörður has never been more beautiful"

21 Sep “I just think it all goes back to normal once the alert is lifted,” says Aðalheiður Borgþórsdóttir, a resident of Seyðisfjörður and the director of employment and culture at Múlaþing.

“Does Mom Just Have Dementia Three Days a Week?”

21 Sep “If you have Alzheimer’s, you need services. Not only sometimes but always,” says Ragnheiður Ríkharðsdóttir, chairperson of the Alzheimer’s Association.

"This is not the law"

20 Sep Sveinn Andri Sveinsson and Einar Oddur Sigurðsson, the defense lawyers of Sindri Snær Birgisson and Ísidór Nathansson, who are charged in the so-called terrorism case, argued this morning in a long defense on why the prosecution’s charges should be dismissed. Prosecutor Karl Ingi Vilbergsson asked that the claim be rejected.

Free bus services for the car free day

20 Sep There will be free bus services in both the capital area and the countryside on Friday for the Car free day 2023.

Four excellent guest chefs will be showcasing their culinary art in the Westman islands at the festival.

Tasty days ahead in the Westman Islands: Seafood Festival MATEY starting

20 Sep The seafood festival MATEY will be held for the second time on September 21-23rd, with a bang. It is true that the Westman Islands are already on the world’s culinary map, and the festival has attracted a lot of attention around the world. In recent days, foreign media, foodies, and food aficionados flock to the Westman Islands to participate in the festival.

When the roof blew off debris flew all over the area and caused some damage and one house needed to be evacuated.

Roof blew off a house in Siglufjörður

19 Sep The roof of a house on Aðalgata in Siglufjörður blew off in a gust of wind last night. Most of the roof blew off, resulting in debris being scattered over a large area, the police in North Iceland announced.

Evacuations in designated areas in Seyðisfjörður will still be in effect today.

Landslide outside of the town and evacuation order still in effect

19 Sep “We assume that the evacuations that have been carried out will continue today,” says Kristján Ólafur Guðnason, the East Iceland police chief, but yesterday it was decided to evacuate houses in Seyðisfjörður due to a precipitation forecast.

Whaling in Iceland. The whaling vessel, Hvalur 9 coming to shore

Whaling reduces carbon dioxide emissions

18 Sep The net emissions from each fin whale during its life span is about 1,770 tons of carbon dioxide. The average age of caught fin whales is 26 years, meaning that each animal emits 570 tons of carbon dioxide. From the age of 27 years onwards, annual emissions are estimated to be 1,200 tons, but by hunting fin whales it would prevent the release of such a quantity of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Each fin whale is estimated to emit a corresponding amount of carbon dioxide a year as more than 30 cars, that burn six liters per hundred kilometrs driven annually for 14 thousand miles.

Houses evacuated in Seyðisfjörður

18 Sep The police in East Iceland have decided, in agreement with the Icelandic Met Office and the National Police Commissioner, to evacuate some houses in Seyðisfjörður due to precipitation forecasts in East Iceland.

The rain forecast in Iceland at 9 PM tonight.

Orange alert in the East Fjords tomorrow and danger of landslides

18 Sep An orange warning will be in effect in the East Fjords tomorrow, if the weather doesn’t change, due to intense rain. The Met Office warns of an increased risk of landslides in the East Fjords and East Iceland.