Reykjavik's original whale watching operator
Elding is a family owned company that began with a personal interest in wildlife, boats and people. Whale watching tours were the perfect way to unite these interests while giving locals and tourists the chance to experience Iceland’s marine life.
We started in 2000, and over the years our products and services have developed a great deal; from small-scale seasonal tours to year-round products, and whale watching is now one of the top three tourist activities in Iceland. We are proud to be the original whale watching operator in Reykjavík.
Decades of experiece and year-round tours
Elding Whale Watching offers the most talked-about whale watching and sea adventure tours in Iceland. With decades of experience, we provide responsible whale watching tours, year round. Our other tours include incentive and exclusive tours, and the ferry to Viðey Island.
Expanding the 'Elding' brand
In early 2016 we began operating out of the heart of Akureyri in North Iceland where we now have two types of vessels and thus experiences to choose from (one 200 passenger catamaran and two 12 seater RIB's). Our first year we had 100% whale sightings and we continue to see multiple whales daily! The unbeatable closeness to nature and wildlife is unlike any other. As an added bonus, our complimentary tickets (in case there are no sightings on our tours) are now valid in either Reykjavík or Akureyri.
Experience and enthusiasm at Elding
We believe in using our experience and enthusiasm to make the best tours available for our passengers. We truly put great care into the business, and whale watching has become a lifestyle for us. As our tours are authentic wildlife tours no two tours are the same.
Responsible whale watching
We follow IceWhale’s codes of conduct for responsible whale watching as well as following our own stricter guidelines. We take part in international cooperation on the future of whale watching, e.g. IWC and Planet Whale. To advance our knowledge we participate and support marine biologists reserach on wildlife in our area. Elding also is the first environmentally certified whale watching company in Iceland and is now the only Earth Check Gold Certified whale watching company in the world.
Respecting nature
Our crew and team members work hard on implementing our environmental policy and make it as efficient as possible. We ask all our passengers to take part in the environmental work we’re doing on board as we consider their contribution important. We are proud certificate holders of EarthCheck (advisory group for travel and tourism), Vakinn (quality and environmental system) and the Blue Flag (world renowned eco-label).
Importance of sustainability
We strive to maintain an essential ecological balance and help conserve natural heritage and biodiversity. Our goal is to operate on sustainability principles which is a suitable balance of the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development. We try to offer the best quality services and facilities available each time. Learn more about our efforts and sustainability timeline.
Our team is brought together by family ties and friendship. Three generations of family have worked together with many great employees over the years to make Elding what it is today.
Enjoy your tour in comfort - our boats are equipped with restrooms, on-board cafés, large viewing windows, big outdoor platforms and all necessary safety equipment. During the tours you can either relax in our indoor saloons or enjoy the view outdoors. To make the tour even more enjoyable, we even provide warm and buoyant overalls as well as rain coats and blankets.
Right in the heart of Reykjavík you find Elding's ticket office well positioned at the charming Old Harbour. It has become one of the city's liveliest quarters with its quirky little shops, galleries, restaurants and a range of marine activities. Our boats are conveniently located just a little further down the road to our ticket office. Boarding is through our stationary boat, Fífill, which also serves as a Visitor Center, Wildlife Exhibition, Café and Souvenir Shop.
Here are a few ways you can get in contact with our team. We'd be happy to assist in any way we can and try our best to respond within 24 hrs. (with the exception of weekends and holidays). Please read through our FAQ page, send an e-mail or call us directly if you have any questions.