About us

We harvest Icelandic sea cucumbers using the most environmentally friendly methods possible under strict regulations and scientific oversight to ensure the continued responsible and sustainable harvesting of these unique creatures.

Wild Icelandic sea cucumbers are a remarkably potent food source but have long been overlooked and underutilized in Europe. Aurora Seafood is a pioneer in the sustainable harvesting and processing of wild sea cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) found in the icy seas surrounding Iceland. 

How we operate

Aurora Seafoods operates two of the nine boats allowed to catch
sea cucumbers around Iceland. In order to keep sea cucumber fishing around
the island sustainable, the government allows only a fixed volume to be
caught every season, which begins in July and ends in May, with fishing
slowing down over the winter. We are proud to be able to bring our product
to you responsibly and sustainably.

About Our Team of Experts

Aurora Seafood works because of our team of experts who each have a
wide range of knowledge and experience in a variety of fields.

Kári Ólafsson

is the founder of the first company to utilize sea cucumber in Europe and a food scientist with considerable experience in every step of the value chain.

Gunnar Þór Gunnarsson

is a processing expert with extensive experience in seafood processing and development.   

Davíð Freyr Jónsson

is an entrepreneur and business developer at the front lines of new and underutilized species.   

About Sea cucumbers

To Your Health

Wild Icelandic sea cucumbers, slowly absorbing and condensing the ocean’s bounty as they feed in the pristine depths of the cold North Atlantic Ocean, become dense in essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, making them a valuable, all-natural addition to a balanced and health-conscious diet.

What are sea cucumbers?

In general…

Broadly speaking, sea cucumbers are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body named for their resemblance to the cucumber fruit. Sea cucumbers, in general, are found on the seafloor worldwide. Sea cucumber as a harvested product is known by many names including trepang, namako, bêche-de-mer, or balate. As a vital part of the marine ecosystem, sea cucumbers help recycle nutrients, breaking down organic matter that falls to the sea floor.

In particular…

At Aurora Seafood, we specifically harvest the orange-footed sea cucumber, which can grow up to 20 cm (8 in) in length with ten branched oral tentacles ranging in color from orange to black, thus their common name. Orange-footed sea cucumbers have an oblong shape with a leathery skin that can be yellowish white to dark brownish-black in color and is covered with five rows of retractile tube feet. 

What makes them so amazing…

Sea cucumbers don’t just survive but thrive in the competitive and hostile environment of the deep Atlantic Ocean. They have achieved this through evolving two remarkable abilities, one is an unique skin expansion/retraction mechanic and the other is regenerative. 

Sea cucumbers can expand and retract their skin to an astounding degree. These remarkable animals can take in sea water, making themselves up to 8 times their original size, in order to travel with the currents, escape from predators and find more habitable places to live, before reducing back to their original size. 

As a result of not having an exoskeleton, teeth, spines or any other outward form of defense, sea cucumbers have also developed exceptional regenerative abilities to help them survive injuries that would otherwise be fatal.

The biological mechanisms that make these abilities possible for sea cucumbers are precisely what makes them so beneficial for humans.

About Iceland

Iceland is known for its pristine environment and that goes not only for the island itself but its surrounding oceans. And Icelanders are known for marching to the beat of their own drum, unafraid of taking risks such as developing a business around an underutilized species like the Icelandic sea cucumber. 

Much of Iceland’s prosperity originates in the bounty of the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters are rich in biodiversity, making it a prime source of exceptional seafood. Within these cold and nutrient-rich waters, the wild Icelandic sea cucumber thrives and by using sustainable harvesting, processing and packaging practices, we can offer you this treasure trove of nutritional benefits.