Føroya Sjósavn: Arctic Oceanarium – just a ripple away from reality

With plans to create a state-of-the-art Arctic Oceanarium by 2028/early 2029, the Føroya Sjósavn aquarium in Tórshavn aspires to become a powerhouse for marine education, local engagement, and tourism. In December, the project received an impressive donation of 35 million DKK from the A.P. Møller Foundation and is thus now closing in on its fundraising goal.

Set against the waterscapes of Tórshavn, Føroya Sjósavn aims to immerse visitors, especially children, in the vibrant marine life of the Faroe Islands. To do so, the aquarium is hoping to create a new 2,230 square metres oceanarium with large aquariums in various shapes as well as a café and educational spaces for school groups to gain hands-on marine knowledge.

While continuing fundraising efforts to raise the last 35 million DKK needed to reach the projected cost of the new oceanarium, Føroya Sjósavn is simultaneously expanding its current activities. Heini Hátún, director of Føroya Sjósavn/Arctic Oceanarium, explains: “Children already love our small but lively aquarium, which currently sees around 14,000 visitors each year, of which 3,000-4,000 are children. They love that they get a chance to see the ocean’s wonders up close. Moreover, the expanded activities at our current aquarium give us a chance to both test out new systems for water flow, the exhibition and so on and to build on the existing excitement and enthusiasm among the local population.”

As an enthusiastic diver with a background in fish farming and aquaculture as well as a degree in Management and Innovation from the London School of Economics, Hátún shares the enthusiasm of his fellow Faroese. “I worked on many different projects, but working with this feels like coming home,” he says. “Marine biodiversity has been a cornerstone of Faroese society for centuries. The sea is woven into identity through songs, folklore, and literature; it’s a part of who we are.”

Children’s activities during the holidays.

Real-life experiences

Indeed, the Faroe Islands is home to an astonishing variety of marine life, from local cod and herring to the elusive Greenland shark and the rare porbeagle shark, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Allowing the children of the Faroe Islands to experience this rich marine abundance is one of the main visions of the aquarium.

Last month, during the winter holidays, the aquarium offered a fully immersive experience for children aged 6-12. During the event, children got to see how fish is dissected close up, watch the experienced diver Bogi Krossteig dive into the biggest tanks of the aquarium, and taste the freshly prepared seafood of Birgir Enni, a well-known local food and marine enthusiast amongst other things. “Our children need real-life experiences to maintain contact with nature – we have a role to nudge them away from the screens and social media to reconnect with each other and the ocean that surrounds them – that’s one of the things we want to achieve with the new oceanarium, and which we had a taste of this winter holiday,” stresses Hátún.

The new oceanarium is specifically designed to bring the sea up close with an extraordinary central tank extending through the building’s roof. It will be designed to bring visitors as close to the marine environment as possible, with natural light filtering through an open ceiling. The open-roof design allows visitors to look down into the tank. “We want people to feel like they’re at the edge of the ocean, watching life beneath the surface,” explains Hátún.

Powerhouse for knowledge

Of course, the new Arctic Oceanarium will not just be for the locals but also for international visitors to connect and explore the rich marine ecosystem. “We envision it as a powerhouse and a bit of a landmark for Faroese tourism,” says Hátún. “Our location is close to the beach and the ocean so bio safaris and other excursions will be easily accessible. There are so many things to explore along the coast and in the depths, which is central to attracting biologists and other professionals as well as tourists.”

At the oceanarium visitors will be able to experience many of the approximately 250 fish species in the Faroe Islands, and the new facilities will also incorporate spaces dedicated to school groups and educational workshops. This includes classrooms and experiment stations to engage and get the children curious about the rich marine life of the Faroe Islands. “Our job is to help preserve both nature and our connection to it. To help children understand how deeply the sea shapes our lives here in the Faroe Islands,” says Hátún and rounds off: “If we don’t maintain this connection, we won’t realise the importance of preserving nature.”

When the last funding has been raised, it is hoped that the Arctic Oceanarium will be completed in 2028/early 2029.

Render of the new Arctic Oceanarium.

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