Whale fountain in Harlingen
The city of Harlingen once depended on whale fishing. Today, rather than setting out to kill whales, we work to save the lives of these large and magnificent creatures. Especially now that they are increasingly venturing into shallow waters where they end up getting stranded. Why they do this is unclear. In the water at Zuiderpier in Harlingen there is a fountain that depicts a life-size sperm whale. The whale appears to be lost, but every now and again it sends up a powerful blast of water to show that it is still alive. The Whale fountain is a reminder of the huge impact humans have on all marine wildlife.