Photographer accidentally joined chase to seize Bandero

Photographer Árni Sæberg unexpectedly joined Iceland’s Coast Guard and special forces during an operation to seize the ship Bandero, mbl.is reports.

Sæberg, who has photographed for the Coast Guard for decades, was documenting a new hangar when a call came in for assistance in stopping Bandero, a ship linked to Paul Watson’s whale-hunting protest organisation. The crew was believed to pose a threat to the crew of Hvalur 9, an Icelandic whaling ship.

Sæberg saw an opportunity to document what he described as a historic pursuit and boarded a Coast Guard helicopter with his camera. The pursuit lasted more than four hours, and he photographed members of the special forces and the Coast Guard as well as Bandero from the air.

In an interview with Dagmál, Sæberg recounts the operation and discusses how access for newspaper photographers to historic events has declined over the years. He has photographed for Morgunblaðið for more than 40 years.