Skana Art goes M/S SULA!

Let's say there is a place in this world where orcas and humpbacks gather

in large numbers. A beautiful place, surrounded by spectacular mountains, with a regular display of Northern lights, up in the Norwegian Arctic, with lots of herring. Wait, what?

The Norwegian herring is a great source of food for both people and animals. But the herring has its own millennial/ generation Y equivalent in their schools, making them change their wintering area every six-or-so years as the new generation takes the lead. As of winter 2017, that new wintering area is Skjervoy. And where there's herring, there's whales. Hundreds of them.

While visiting this precious part of Norway last week, I bought a small Skana painting to give to Olav Magne Strömsholm and Pierre Robert de Latour; An orca captain and an expert in orca behaviour who gave me the opportunity for four consecutive years to see both orcas and humpbacks up close during this incredible feast described in many nature documentaries.

This is not an easy endeavour. With little daylight and unpredictable weather, sea sickness pills are of better use than sunscreen. While searching for the whales with a small boat, your toes and fingers go numb and your face will fall off due to the cold, making yourself question why you're doing this.

It all makes sense once you see sharp, black dorsal fins cutting the surface of the water, or when spotting the blow of a humpback whale. You immediately forget about the cold as excitement warms you up. And at this very moment, you also realize once again how incredibly important it is to protect our world, its nature and the creatures that are part of it.

But as you return to your daily life, that sense of urgency slips away.

How can you contribute? At Skana, we give you a painting in return for your contribution: A painting for change. And every little contribution matters. It can help fuel a research boat for a day, finance an underwater camera or support lab research.

Did you get curious? Then go and check out Skana's paintings for change.

Pierre Robert de Latour (left) and Olav Magne Strömsholm, holding the gift from Skana

#Skjervoy #Norway #Lofoten #killerwhale #whales #research #IcelandicOrcas #IcelandicOrcaProject #Sula