by Rebecca Douglas

From 8th July to 30th September 2025, Sjórinn Talar – The Sea Speaks is on display at Whales of Iceland, the largest whale museum in Europe. This solo photography exhibition invites visitors to explore the wild edges and unseen worlds beneath the ocean’s surface, where science meets story, igniting curiosity and sparking wonder.

Photographs made in deep connection with the sea, shaped by years of returning to Iceland’s coastlines, and more recently, by my work with Whale Wise.

Beneath the surface

An entire world reveals itself. Whales carve migration routes across oceans. Jellyfish and plankton blooms drift with the currents. Seals move effortlessly between shore and sea. From the deepest depths to the birds soaring above, all life on earth is sustained by the sea.

Whales are architects of the ocean, cycling nutrients that fuel entire ecosystems. 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.

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.

Creative residency and the Ghost Fluke

This exhibition was installed during a creative residency at Arctic Canvas, a remote artist retreat on the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. Surrounded by lava fields, glaciers and wild coastline, I gathered ghost gear from the surrounding beaches and built a sculptural whale fluke at the museum.

This 4-metre-wide, life-size fluke, made from marine debris and driftwood, is the centrepiece of the exhibition. It illuminates what is often hidden from view and the peril that impacts on all life, as the ocean sustains the whole planet. More directly, whales, seals, dolphins, seabirds and ocean creatures suffer from the impact of entanglement but they also end up ingesting the plastic, which can impact on the their overall health, life expectancy and reproduction, filling their stomachs with plastic, releasing toxins and taking up space that should be filled with nutritious food.

It invites people to take a closer look – see how thick rope breaks down into individual threads, see how these threads start to flake as they break down into tiny pieces called microplastics.

A personal and shared journey

This exhibition is rooted in years of work and devotion to the sea. In 2024, I became President of the Board of Trustees at Whale Wise, 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 collaboration with local communities.

One of the most profound moments in my time with Whale Wise was helping to rescue a whale named Bird, entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Iceland. It’s impossible to do that kind of work and not be changed. This exhibition holds that story too.

Why visual storytelling matters

I believe storytelling can rewild our connection to nature. Through awe and wonder, people are empowered to protect the things they love. Every image I create is shaped by this mission: to awaken curiosity, to evoke feeling and to offer new ways of seeing. My work always aims to strike the balance between beauty and urgency, between enchantment and truth.

10% of all profits from Sjórinn Talar print sales are donated directly to Whale Wise.
Explore the print shop: shop.rebeccadouglas.co.uk/sjorinn-talar-the-sea-speaks

About the museum

Whales of Iceland is 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.

Whales of Iceland
Fiskislóð 23-25
101 Reykjavík, Iceland

About the Visual Storyteller

Rebecca Douglas is an Edgewalker, Way Shower, Liminal Being, Ocean Advocate and Storyteller of Nature. Her exhibitions invite audiences to step into the wild edges and liminal spaces – where the known gives way to the unknown and we cross over a threshold.

Her 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. 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.

With an academic background in Geography and Marine Resource Management, Rebecca brings a rare blend of analytical depth and sixth-sense connection to nature. Her images are held in collections including the National Portrait Gallery and have been exhibited internationally. In 2024, she was awarded second place in the Ocean Photographer of the Year, Conservation / Impact category.

Her solo exhibition ISLANDNESS with the National Trust is on display at Scotney Castle until October 2025.

Whether photographing aurora or underwater ecosystems, her purpose remains:
To ignite collective curiosity, spark awakened action and rewild our relationship with the natural world.

Learn more and support the work

Whale Wise is building a future where humans and whales can thrive.
Support our conservation work here: whalewise.org