Speaking in Iceland on whale watching and, among other things, talking about brilliant new book Creativity, Inc., by Ed Catmull, President of Pixar, on how they made 1st feature computer film “Toy Story” and created successful Pixar studio in spite of, and at times because of, Steve Jobs. Fascinating study of how to create an atmosphere devoted to creativity. Some widely applicable lessons about how to market a brand, any brand, it could be the brand of a country too, through partnership with the customers...I also talked about another book I’ve read called Category of One. If ever there were a country that is a category of one, it is Iceland.

But the Icelandic government needs to decide upon and then protect its image. At present, people unfamiliar with Iceland are unsure if Iceland is a backward country that persists in whaling, or if it is a country of the future. It is certainly the best place to see whales in Europe. On our short visit, we had humpback and minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises, and blue whales blowing in the distance. In the past I have had some of my best blue, minke and killer whale experiences, the latter in the middle of February. Whale watching is being done to a very high standard in Iceland. More than 200,000 people a year go whale watching — one of every four visitors to the country.

Support the whale watching, visit whale friendly restaurants that don’t serve whale meat, and enjoy the pure, clean air, water and food. Best overall introduction to whale watching in Iceland can be found here: http://icewhale.is.

                                                                                       © Erich Hoyt 2015, may be used with permission