Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Tour at 13:00 Report from Hafsúlan: We sailed out from Grindavík today in strong winds but we sailed with the wind for most the tour which gave relatively smooth sailing. We ended the tour in Sandgerði and on the way we saw a lot of seabirds and ORCA!! There was at least 2 maybe 3 families of Orca most likely 15-25 individuals all together some far away and some close. The males were particularly impressive with their huge triangular dorsal fin as they usually come closer and inspected the boat or protect their females and smaller brothers and sisters as the males stay with their mothers through out their life. It was just great to see them, just a bit of a shame the sea conditions where not better and the sun did not show itsself. One of the passengers even got a very zoomed in picture of a puffin, which shouldn´t be around yet but we couldn´t think what other ocean bird that had a black-back, white belly and orange feet. It could be possible! However, it was not the clearest of pictures, it is a bit like those pictures of UFO´s or the Big Foot always a bit fuzzy :)

Birds seen on today´s tour; Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Glaucous Gulls, Black-backed Gulls, Razorbills, Eider Ducks, Cormorants and maybe a Puffin.

-Megan Whittaker