A swimming cow is immortalised
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (360605)
Rockingham, Australia
August 12, 2025 4:02am CST
We visited a friend a few days ago. A while back, she had visited Iceland and came home with the can you see in the photo.
Being a lover of all farm animals, I was intrigued by the story behind the labelling on the can. Back in 1987, a farmer had to get rid of some of his cows because of new laws about cattle quotas. A cow named Harpa was sent off with others to the abattoir. At the entrance to the slaughterhouse, Harpa broke loose, trotted off to the shore and set off to swim across the cold, Atlantic Önundarfjörður fjord.
After about an hour, Harpa made it to the other side of the fjord where the farmers thought she deserved another chance of life. They purchased her and she had a calf eight months later, meaning she was already in calf when she made the swim. She was renamed Sæunn, meaning ‘the wave of the ocean’.
When she died six years later, she was buried near the place where she had reached shore. Since then, the Sæunnarsund swimming event has been regularly held with people attempting to swim across the fjord from Valþjófsdalur valley to the town of Flateyri – a distance of about 2.5 km (a mile and a half).
Isn’t that a nice story?
20 people like this
19 responses
@xFiacre (14128)
• Ireland
12 Aug
@judyev Now this is why I'm a non-practising vegan. That cow knew what was what and was having none of it. We were originally intended to be non meat-eaters according to the book of Genesis but God accommodated the human decision to eat animals after they went ahead and did it anyway.
3 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (50228)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
12 Aug
Yes, a nice story and I hope it's true.
Now, just let me say, I wish there was a quota on idiots running for political office...
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (54300)
• Canada
12 Aug
That is quite a story.
The place that we buy our meat from is an abattoir, which means that the butcher carves, wraps and labels the meat packages of the quarter that we order, immediately after it has hung to age for 28 days.
I have used the term 'abattoir' on the site, but was questioned what it meant. I had to gently ask them to search it.
2 people like this
@aninditasen (17530)
• Raurkela, India
12 Aug
A lovely interesting story indeed. Glad he got an affectionate owner.
2 people like this
@aninditasen (17530)
• Raurkela, India
8h
@JudyEv Yes, Every animal has the right to live its life.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (360605)
• Rockingham, Australia
13h
Thanks. I'm glad you thought so. I thought it was cool too.
@Deepizzaguy (113006)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
23h
Thank you for sharing this nice story.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (197583)
• United States
13h
A mile and a half in cold water is an accomplishment. I'm glad she survived.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (360605)
• Rockingham, Australia
11h
It's a nice story and now there is a brand bearing her name.
@LooeyVille (75)
• United States
12 Aug
I didn't see those cans or hear that story a couple of months ago when I was in Iceland
2 people like this
@JudyEv (360605)
• Rockingham, Australia
13h
My friend brought the can back with her. It has mango milkshake written on it.
It makes me happy to think of it.
@allknowing (151536)
• India
23h
What a touching story this is. Glad she got a second chance and a VIP status
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (87950)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Aug
How delightful and so glad Harpa made that decision, It is truly a heartwarming story,
1 person likes this
