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Whale Parade, March 22, 2017. Photo: Tommy Larsen

The Story of The Whale

The Whale project took its first steps on an afternoon in January 2014. A group of whale and tourism enthusiasts gathered at the whale center in Andenes to explore the idea of creating a new whale attraction in Andøy. Everyone at the meeting agreed: Andøy had the perfect conditions to become a world-leading destination based on whales and their environment—the ocean—and establishing a unique whale attraction was the right path to take.

After the meeting, the discussion continued over evening coffee at the home of Mayor Jonni Solsvik. It was that evening the decision was made: Andøy would fully commit to the idea, and The Whale was born.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Regent visited Andøy, where The Whale had the opportunity to present the project. Eight-year-old whale ambassador Elliot Meier delivered an inspiring speech to the Crown Prince. Photo: Svein Terje K. Eliassen

In 2016, the project was formally initiated. The local community has been actively engaged from the start, contributing ideas for the architecture, content, and location. Over time, the project has grown and is now firmly rooted locally and regionally, with increasing recognition at the national level.

In 2019, an international architectural competition was held to find the best design and the most talented architects to bring The Whale to life. The Danish architectural firm Dorte Mandrup A/S was selected as the winner in an exceptionally strong competition.

Dorte Mandrup visited Andøy following her firm’s selection as the winner of the architectural competition for The Whale.

Today, The Whale inspires enthusiasm worldwide. Just months after the unveiling of the winning architectural proposal, news about The Whale had been shared by over 200 websites in 30 countries. In June 2023, The Whale won its first architectural award, the prestigious Canadian "AZ Award 2023," for the best concept for an unbuilt project.

The Whale attraction is owned by The Whale AS, a company established in May 2018, with Andøy Municipality as its largest shareholder. The Whale AS is responsible for the development and construction of the attraction and will own the completed building. Its subsidiary, The Whale Drift AS, will handle daily operations. Both companies operate as non-profit entities.

The project is supported by