A JOURNEY THROUGH HELLISSANDUR’S RICH MARITIME HISTORY

A journey through Hellissandur’s rich maritime history. The first of a series of features by Fish Focus, starting with our spotlight on Iceland. We will be posting an article every day, covering this amazing trip and showcasing the Icelandic Seafood industry, Icelandic heritage and the hospitality of the Icelandic people. You can read the whole publication here
Hellissandur, one of Iceland’s oldest fishing villages, was once a bustling fishing hub. In the 1700s, the village boasted around 60 seasonal fishermen’s huts. Today, the combined population of Hellissandur and its neighbouring village, Rif, is approximately 544.
The Fishermen’s Garden and Maritime Museum
After a wonderful couple of days in Reykjavik, we travelled to the small coastal village of Hellissandur, on the northwestern tip of Snæfellsnes peninsula We stayed in a hotel with the incredible backdrop of the Snæfellsjökull glacier, made famous by Jules Verne in his science fiction novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
Like many towns and villages in Iceland, Hellissandur has its own museum, offering a fascinating glimpse into the lives of local fishermen.
The Fishermen’s Garden, established by local fishermen in 1977-78, showcases the tools and instruments used by fishermen in earlier times. Among the garden’s unique features are enormous whale bones from a whale that washed ashore, giving visitors a tangible connection to the area’s natural history.
Jöklarar: A Monument to the Glacier People
The Fishermen’s Garden is also home to the Jöklarar monument, created by the artist Ragnar Kjartansson, known for his statue of Bárður Snæfellsás at Arnarstapi. Unveiled in 1974, the statue
celebrates the local fishermen and their annual celebrations. It was recently restored and bronzed in Germany in 2018-2019 due to weather damage. This monument is one of Kjartansson’s
oldest artworks and is owned by the lifesaving association department Helga Bárðardóttir.
Inside the Maritime Museum, we saw the eight-oar rowing boat Bliki, the oldest preserved fishing boat in Iceland, dating back to 1826. This boat was used by local fishermen until 1965,
representing a vital link to Iceland’s maritime past.
A massive cod, one of the largest caught in Iceland, weighing 54 kilos and measuring 164 cm long is another of the museum’s treasures. This impressive fish was caught in 1990, seven miles
north of Rif, highlighting the rich fishing grounds around the village.
Local historian, Thora Olsen, gave us a history of the area and the vital importance fishing has played in the lives of the people of Hellissandur, how the fishermen risked their lives to feed their
families, in the sometimes-treacherous seas around Iceland and the pride that the people in Hellissandur have for their fishermen.
For those seeking to understand the profound connection between the people of Hellissandur and the sea, a visit to the Fishermen’s Garden and Maritime Museum offers an insightful and engaging experience