WHY IT MATTERS
Nutrient rich waters are essential for the feeding grounds of our whales and the reason why the abundance of food for these gentle giants stays stable.
But why is there such an amount of nutrients especially in cold waters?
First of all, glacier melt delivers nutrients into the oceans. Those nutrients can drive blooms of phytoplankton, the base of aquatic and marine food chains.
Secondly, when surface waters are cold, it is easier for deeper water to rise to the surface (mostly through a process called upwelling), bringing nutrients back up to areas where phytoplankton can use them - on the sunlit surface. In other words, nutrients "fertilize" the surface waters, which leads to a high biological productivity.
When surface waters are warm however, the cooler and nutrient-rich water is trapped below, nutrients sink down to the bottom of the sea and are eventually lost.
An area where phytoplankton is concentrated, quickly attracts the next link of the marine food chain: zooplankton, crustaceans and small fish.
These are followed by carnivores - fish such as herring or mackerel. In the end, even though being good hunters, these fish will fall victim to one simple rule of the oceans: big fish eat small fish!
Lastly, the top predators of the sea are the fourth and last in the marine food chain. This diverse group includes vertebrates (such as shark and tuna), cetaceans (such as porpoises, dolphins and whales), specific birds and pinnipeds (such as seals and walruses).
Why does all this make specifically Skjálfandi Bay such a great feeding ground for whales?
At the southern end of our beloved bay two large rivers enter the sea. One of them is a fresh water river originating in the area of Mývatn. Fresh water plays just as much an essential role to the health of the coastal and ocean ecosystems, their productivity and balances.
The second river however is a glacial river, which is having its source at Vatnajökull, Iceland's biggest glacier and is consequently supplying this bay with the essential nutrients.
As you travel towards Húsavík, you're very likely to have stopped and admired this river as it's feeding one of the most popular waterfalls here in th e area: Goðafoss!
- Sarah
