in partnership with whales of iceland museum
The sea is a living, breathing storyteller
Beneath the surface
An entire world reveals itself, whales carving migration routes across oceans, jellyfish and plankton blooms drifting with the currents, seals moving effortlessly between shore and sea.
All life on earth is sustained by the sea
…from the deepest depths to the birds soaring above, feathering the connection between earth, sea and sky.
sjórinn talar
Whales are architects
of the ocean
A keystone species cycling nutrients that fuel an entire ecosystem and they are vital in regulating the planet’s carbon balance. Seabirds like gannets and puffins dive from the air for food, their survival intricately tied to the abundance below.
sjórinn talar
Whales are architects of the ocean
A keystone species cycling nutrients that fuel an entire ecosystem and they are vital in regulating the planet’s carbon balance. Seabirds like gannets and puffins dive from the air for food, their survival intricately tied to the abundance below.
sjórinn talar
This photography exhibition invites you to explore these wild edges, the unseen world beneath the surface, where science meets story, igniting curiosity, sparking wonder and awe.
Yet beneath this beauty the ocean is in peril
Climate change, pollution and human impact threaten these delicate ecosystems, placing the species that depend on them at risk. To witness the sea in this way is to deepen our connection to it. To understand its messages is to awaken to its urgency, to answer the call and stand as guardians of the ocean and all that it sustains.
announcing
Sjórinn Talar
the sea speaks exhibition
Ljósmyndasýning 8. júlí – 30. september 2025
8th July -30th Sept 2025
WHALES OF ICELAND – REYKJAVÍK
JOIN US
Opening night
Tues 8th July 2025
18.00 – 20.00
Free event
Join us for the opening night of Sjórinn Talar – The Sea Speaks – where I’ll be unveiling the new exhibition at Whales of Iceland museum.
All welcome – free event
announcing
Midnight Sun
Whale Watching
A special tour with
Special Tours
Tues 8th July 2025 – 21:00
Immediately following the opening, Whale Wise and I will join the Midnight Sun Whale Watching tour with Special Tours to discuss their research and I’ll answer any photography questions people have. The tour will be departing from the Old Harbour at 21:00.
Tickets can be purchased with a 10% discount when using the discount code WHALEWISE.
Amazingly, they will have generously shared 10% of all proceeds from the tour will be donated to Whale Wise.
**make sure to choose the 21:00 departure on 8th July.
ABOUT the museum
Whales of Iceland
Whales of Iceland museum is the largest whale exhibition in Europe, immersing visitors in the underwater world of these majestic marine mammals. Located in Reykjavík’s Grandi harbour district, the museum features life-sized models of 23 whale species found in Icelandic waters, paired with interactive exhibits and a strong focus on ocean conservation. It’s a place to learn, connect and be inspired by the incredible lives of whales and their role in the ocean’s delicate balance.
Finding the Sjórinn Talar exhibition
WHALES OF ICELAND
Fiskislóð 23-25
101 Reykjavík
Iceland
Ocean conservation
Whales of Iceland
Whale Wise is a charity dedicated to advancing marine mammal conservation through scientific research, advocacy, and public engagement. Our team works to understand the complex interactions between whales and human activity, focusing on evidence-based protection, sustainable practices and the involvement of local communities.
It is an honour to serve as President of the Board of Trustees & 10% of profits from print sales from my Print Shop are donated to Whale Wise.
creative residency
Arctic Canvas
Arctic Canvas is a creative residency and artist retreat for rent in West Iceland on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Surrounded by raw nature with views of the Snæfellsjökull glacier, the Atlantic ocean, mountains, and ancient lava fields, it’s a serene sanctuary.
It offers artists and storytellers a place to slow down, reconnect with nature and create in alignment with the rhythms of the wild. This residency gave me the opportunity to gather ghost gear from the surrounding beaches and translate my time in nature into an impactful body of work.
kind words
Hosting Sjórinn Talar – The Sea Speaks at Whales of Iceland was an incredibly meaningful experience for our team and our visitors alike, both in its organization and its execution. Working with Rebecca throughout this project was an absolute pleasure; her passion, creativity, and commitment to meaningful storytelling shone through in every detail.
The life-sized whale fluke, covered in pieces of discarded fishing nets and surrounded by beach debris, powerfully illustrated the real-world consequences of unsustainable fishing practices on marine life. It made a lasting impact on our guests, while her stunning nature photography brought the message home even further.
Sjórinn Talar was a perfect extension of Whales of Iceland’s dedication to environmental education and awareness. Since 2019, we’ve featured exhibits on plastic pollution and whale entanglement, and this collaboration built beautifully upon that mission, encouraging both empathy and action. The exhibition reached more than 20,000 visitors from around the world, offering countless people the chance to pause and reflect on how human activity affects life in our oceans.
What stood particularly stood out to me during this project – besides the incredible pieces themselves – was Rebecca’s deep respect for not only Icelandic nature, but also its culture. While we often host international artists, Rebecca immediately embraced the opportunity to give her exhibition an Icelandic title, creating a stronger and more meaningful connection with local visitors. We’re truly grateful for the collaboration and for the opportunity to share her extraordinary work with our guests. Thank you, Rebecca!
“Working with Rebecca throughout this project was an absolute pleasure; her passion, creativity, and commitment to meaningful storytelling shone through in every detail.”
find out more
about rebecca here
Bio
Rebecca Douglas; Edgewalker, Way Shower, Liminal Being, Ocean Advocate, Storyteller of Nature. Her photography exhibitions invite audiences to step into the wild edges and liminal spaces. Where the know gives way to the unknown and we cross over a threshold.
A bridge between worlds, Rebecca’s work connects science and myth, intellect and intuition, structure and liminality, translating nature’s stories into compelling visual narratives through photography, video, drone, speaking and writing.
The antithesis of homogenisation and formulaic storytelling, Rebecca’s exhibitions create space for stories to unfold naturally. Trusting in the radical authenticity and alchemy of the moment. Her work is both a celebration and a reckoning, evoking awe while holding space for the urgent realities facing our planet.
Her academic background in Geography and Marine Resource Management, sixth-sense connection to nature, and innate ability to tell human-centred stories uniquely position her as a sought-after artist and visual storyteller.
Rebecca’s work has been exhibited internationally, including Hold Still, a landmark portraiture project by the National Portrait Gallery in London, where one of her images is now part of the gallery’s permanent digital archive.
An ocean advocate and President of the Board of Trustees for Whale Wise, Rebecca has created stories that amplify nature’s messages and messengers. She has worked with Visit Britain, Fujifilm and Dryrobe, with features in National Geographic and NASA. She was awarded 2nd place in the 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year, Conservation / Impact category, with her image currently being exhibited internationally in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.
Her solo exhibition, ISLANDNESS in partnership with National Trust at Scotney Castle runs from Mon 28th April until October 2025. ISLANDNESS explores liminal moments at the wild edges of earth, sky & sea.
Whether exhibiting images of the aurora’s ethereal glow, the stark beauty of the ocean’s depths, or the fragile meeting points where earth, sea, and sky converge, Rebecca’s mission remains: to ignite collective curiosity and awe, spark awakened action and rewild our connection to nature.
