Sædýrasafnið, also known as the Hafnarfjörður Aquarium, was a small marine zoo located in the town of Hafnarfjörður, Iceland. It opened on May 8th, 1969 displaying fish and marine life found in Icelandic waters. It was founded by Jón Kr. Gunnarsson and operated by the Hjálparsveit Skáta, a local Icelandic scout rescue team. The aquarium is infamous for capturing killer whales, housing some of worlds most well known killer whales such as Keiko, Kiska and Tilikum. The aquarium shut down in 1987 due to financial issues.
Killer Whales kept at Hafnarfjörður[]
Below is a list of every killer whale that was housed at the Hafnarfjörður Aquarium. The list includes the date when the killer whale arrived to the aquarium, and the date when they left the aquarium via either transport, death, or release.
| NAME: | ARRIVED: | LEFT: | TRANSFER (T:) / RELEASE / DEATH: |
|---|---|---|---|
Founding and Early History[]
Sædýrasafnið was founded in 1969 by Icelandic captain, journalist, and editor Jón Kr. Gunnarsson. Gunnarsson was also known for directing and managing a large majority of the Icelandic killer whale captures.[1] The aquarium opened on May 8th, 1969, but despite its name the aquarium did not limit its collection to just marine animals. Over the years, the aquarium grew bigger and more species were added to its collection. Many of the animals on display were exotic species of non-native origin. The aquarium became a very popular past time among Icelandic locals because of these exotic animals.
Killer Whale Captures[]
Between 1975 and 1989, killer whales were frequently collected from Icelandic waters to be sold to marine parks worldwide.[2] A total of 61 whales were captured in Iceland, and 45 of those were housed at Sædýrasafnið.[3] including some of the worlds most famous killer whales, such as Keiko, the killer whale who garnered worldwide fame through his role as Willy in Free Willy, and Tilikum, the central focus of "Blackfish."
Out of these 61 whales, only two are still alive as of December 2025. They are Ulises (resides at SeaWorld San Diego) and Stella (resides at Kobe Suma Sea World). Following protests and a growing opposition for killer whale captures among the Icelandic public, no more live-capture permits were issued after 1989. The last killer whales to be captured in Iceland were Sharkane, Ran, Ai, and Tanouk, in October of 1989. They remained at the aquarium until 1990.
Incidents[]
The conditions in which the animals were kept in were often described as inadequate and extremely poor. Among the many animals kept at the aquarium was a polar bear named Björn. Björn was a popular attraction and Gunnarsson's most beloved animal. In 1984, at the age of 15, Björn stepped on a broken shard from a glass bottle that had been thrown into his enclosure days prior. The keepers did not notice the shards of glass in the enclosure and first began realising that something was wrong when Björn began limping. Björn's wound became infected and he died from septicemia shortly after.[4]
Another incident that was reported happened when Tilikum attacked his trainer, Sigfús Haldórsson, when he was trying to get Tilikum to move between two holding pools. Tilikum refused to move and reportedly pulled Haldórsson down and ended up tearing a large chunk of fabric out of Haldórsson's wetsuit.[5] Tilikum was three years old at the time of the incident.
There had been multiple occasions where an animal held at the aquarium attacked or bit a visitor. A woman had reportedly entered the aquarium while under the influence and reached into the lion's enclosure to pet it. The lion bit her hand and pulled it towards the bars of the enclosure, severely wounding and breaking the womans hand. In 1972 a chimpanzee reportedly bit the finger of a young child. [6]
Closing[]
Sædýrasafnið declared bankruptcy and closed to the public in 1987 after losing a court case over the unlawful sale and export of a killer whale, but remained an active part in the live-capture business until 1990. Sædýrasafnið's main source of profit was the capture, display, and sale of live killer whales, and after live-capture permits were no longer issued, the aquarium could no longer support itself. Although the owners of the aquarium intended to reopen again once they reached financial stability, it never came to fruition. The remaining animals were euthanized and some were taxidermized.
In December of 1988, one year after Sædýrasafnið's closure, four wallabies were discovered in one of the aquarium's older buildings. They had been left behind in their habitats following the closure, and were still alive. The animals were seized and euthanized a week later.[7][8]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Jón Kr. Gunnarsson's obituary.
- ↑ ‘Heartbreaking’ Footage of Orca Training in Iceland
- ↑ The Icelandic live capture fishery for killer whales, 1976-1987
- ↑ Largest polar bear in the world dead; Stepped on a glass shard and died from blood poisoning
- ↑ Icelandic trainer barely escapes an attack by a killer whale
- ↑ Ljón beit konu. (A lion bit a woman)
- ↑ Kangaroos left in the cold and draft in Hafnarfjörður
- ↑ ''Rekstur safnins var alla tíð þungur og lá starfsemi þess meðal annars niðri í um ár vegna rekstrarerfiðleika. Svo fór að lokum að þessi eini dýragarður landsins sem þá var lagðist af árið 1987. Í frétt Morgunblaðsins frá því í febrúar árið 1987 kom fram að dýrunum var fargað eða þau stoppuð upp.'' via https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/1488295/
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