✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 20:30
Report from Eldey: Since yesterday, wind and waves had calmed down, so we headed out from the bay really positive. We sailed to straight into the middle of the bay and once we got there we spotted 3 harbour porpoises, it was quite difficult to saw them again, so we decided to salied towards Akranes and we saw at the distances a pod of 4-5 white-beaked dolphins. All were clearly hunting the fish, jumping out of the water and tale slapping, trying to scared the fish to make the life easier to another individuals. After this amazing behaviour we headed back to the harbour playing some good music on the radio with the satisfaction of a good job well done.
Jose Manuel Marco
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 17:00
Report from Eldey: And just as the weather had changed for our afternoon tour, it did another 180 degree turn this evening. Swell was less but now we were in for a rainy tour. But a bit of water from the sky does not and will not stop us. Braced with our overalls, we sailed out into Faxafloi once more in search of cetaceans. After about 45 minutes we stopped in an area where we saw a blow of most likely a minke whale. Around were also several northern gannets, a promising sign for an area with a lot of food. Sadly, we only saw this one blow and thus continued our journey. Clouds and fog got a lot thicker and visibility was not the best, decreasing our chances to spot, but definitely not making it inpropable. Dissapointingly, this tour did remain without a sighting. Naturally, each passenger was given the opportunity to return for another trip, free of charge, using our complimentary tickets.
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 14:00
Report from Elding: When we headed out from the harbour it seemed like the weather was perfect but suddenly turned in a couple of minutes to remind us this is Iceland. Our braves passenger stayed at the outside deck trying to see one of the singals that let us know a whale could be close. Beautifull seabirds were flying next to the boat like the atlantic puffin or the northern gannet. We were scanning the area around long time but it seemed like our cetaceans were really busy catching the fish and few times went up to the surfaces. Once we got back to the harbour we offered to our passenger the opportunity to come again with us for free.
Jose Manuel Marco
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 13:00
Report from Eldey: So nice when the weather forecast, which was predicting rain and fog, is wrong. Instead, the clouds lifted a bit since this morning and also waves were slightly calmer. We sailed to where we had seen the minke whale previously, but suddenly the bird rich area had become quiet and we had to aim our boat towards the west, crossing through Faxafloi. And what we spotted then was a pod of probably 7 white-beaked dolphins leaping in the air, using the momentum of the waves to propeller themselves even higher. Especially a juvenile individual was giving us a great show. They stayed with us for some time before suddenly deciding to go on their way and leave us. So, we kept searching and although no other cetaceans were seen, the incredibly playful dolphins certainly were a pleasure to see.
- Sabrina Voswinkel
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 10:00
Report from Elding: The sea was still quite rough today, but it had calmed down a bit from yesterday. The sun was hiding behind clouds again and we also had to put up with some light drizzle for some part of the tour. Still, we were in a good mood, eager to find cetaceans. We had to search for about 50 minutes, until we had our first sightings. It was 3 minke whales. They surfaced at various points around the boat, sometimes a little closer, sometimes further away. Everybody got to see these lovely animals, before we kept on going, as they were getting farther away from us. We were already turning back towards Reykjavìk, when another minke whale surfaced next to the boat. This animal was up two more times, so we could also have a proper look at it. All in all a nice tour out in the bay, despite the difficult weather.
- Diana Besel
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 9:00
Report from Eldey: We sailed out in what felt a bit like a pirate movie. Winds were very calm and waves were long, making it feel like properly being on the ocean, but the fog was what made it feel so unique. At times one could loose all orientation with visibilty being less than 200 meters into any direction. Eventhough we could not see where we were, we arrived in an area super abundant with numerous bird species, which likely meant a lot of fish. It did take us almost 2 hours, but then out of nowhere 2 white-beaked dolphins popped up that soon led us to the rest of their pod and a minke whale near by. And eventhough we saw 2 species today, both encounters were of a short duration. Thus we offered complimentary tickets to be able to offer a longer encounter on a return trip.
- Sabrina Voswinkel
Birds seen today include: atlantic puffin, northern gannet, common guillemot, razorbill, northern fulmar, black-headed gull, black-legged gull, arctic turn, kittiwake, eider duck.
We are sailing from the Old Harbour in Reykjavík today at 9:00 &10:00, the rest of the tours are pending. Tthere might always be some movement on the boat so if you are prone to getting sea sick, we do have sea sickness tablets available free of charge at the ticket office and on board. Make sure to dress warmly and make use of our warm overalls as it is always colder on sea than on land. For more information contact us by email elding@elding.is or by phone +354 519 5000.
