An anti-whaling stencil on a wall in the North Icelandic port town of Akureyri
The small town of Husavik in north Iceland is more picturesque than any postcard could depict. Clean, brightly coloured houses greet you cheerfully, whatever way you aproach the town. The most noticeable thing about Husavik though is the whales. Whales are everywhere. On signposts, buildings, boats, shops - the town has reinvented itself as 'the whale-watching capital of Europe'.
When the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Husavik on Friday the 12th September, as part of it's circumnavigation of Iceland asking the country to choose nature tourism rather than whaling, the boat was escorted into the harbour by three wooden whale watching ships. The town has a population of 2,500 - which is relatively large by Icelandic standards. The local mayor met the Rainbow Warrior on the quayside and presented the captain with a flag of the town. The manager of the local whale centre, and the town's marketing director were also glad to welcome Greenpeace to their community.
Over the past ten years whale-based tourism has thrived in Husavik, and nowhere is the conflict between whale-watching and Iceland's decision to resume whaling more apparent. These small family-operated businesses depend on tourists, and they are worried that the tourists who come to watch whales will not want to come to a country which hunts them.
Finding people who will publicly oppose whaling in Iceland is not easy. But they are there in Husavik. Many - like the owners of the whale centre and the whale watching boats - know full well the ramifications that a return to whaling may have for their livelihood. There is something quite wonderful about a town where the old whaling boats have been converted to whale-watching boats, and the old whale-processing plant now houses a the whale centre - which is so much more than just a museum. The people in the town are so optimistic too, they know that whales are worth more to their community alive than dead.
When I joined the Rainbow Warrior in Husavik I was stunned. As if the flight into the tiny airstrip at Akureyri, and the journey through spectacular countryside wasn't enough - Husavik offered us a warm welcome, a specially thrown party at the whale centre - and weather we could only have dreamed for.
But the news from Husavik is not all good. The fair weather we enjoyed was part of a particularly warm summer - where the numbers of whales spotted had fallen on previous years. It's thought that the warm weather affects the plankton distribution - and hence the distribution of whales. The whale-watchers of Iceland need all the support they can get.
Visit the Rainbow Warrior crew's weblog
