Hvalur 8 RE-388 explained

Hvalur 8 RE-388 is an Icelandic whaling ship built in 1948 in Norway. It has been a part of the Icelandic whaling fleet operated and owned by the company Hvalur hf. since 1962.^[1]

In 1973 she was requisitioned by the Icelandic Coast Guard, repainted and armed with a cannon and subsequently used as a patrol vessel during the Second Cod War dispute with the United Kingdom.^[2] Unlike its sister ship, Hvalur 9 which was renamed Týr, Hvalur 8 kept its name while in the ICG service.^[3] It was returned to its owner by June 1974.

Between 1987 and 2006, commercial whaling ceased in Iceland and the whaling ships remained unused at pier. After 20-years of inactivity, Hvalur 8 was brought back into action in June 2009.^{[4] [5]} As of 2022, the ship remains active.^{[6] [7]}

External links

• Skipaskrá - The Icelandic ship registry

Notes and References

1. News: Nýtt og stórt hvalveiðiskip . 25 July 2022 . . 3 June 1962 . 2 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
2. News: Hvalbátarnir snarir í snúningum og hentugir í Þorskastríðið . 25 July 2022 . . 13 September 1973 . 16 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
3. News: Hvalur 8 fær ekki guðanafn . 25 July 2022 . . 28 February 1974 . 1 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
4. News: Til veiða eftir 20 ára hlé . . 25 June 2009 . 2 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
5. News: Elsta hvalveiðiskipið 64 ára . 25 July 2022 . Sjómannadagsblaðið . 7 June 2009 . 11 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
6. News: Hval 9 verður gert til góða í slippnum . 24 July 2022 . . 22 March 2022 . Icelandic.
7. News: Kristján Már Unnarsson . Forstjóri Hvals býst við fyrsta hvalnum á land fyrir helgi . 24 July 2022 . . 22 June 2022 . Icelandic.