Sunday, 11 July 2021

✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE |  09:00

Report from Elding: The sea looked like a pond this morning providing fantastic conditions to find wildlife. Our tour started superbly too, soon after leaving the harbour, two minke whales surfaced nose to tail twice, before one continued its path whilst the second came straight to our boat. The minke whales curiosity took over and gave the passengers onboard an unbelievable show. The whale swam right up to the boat, showing a range of behaviours from spyhopping, to bubble blowing and rolling to display its belly as it gracefully moved around the stationary vessel. We stayed still for over 20 minutes allowing the minke to dictate our tour experience. After the whale moved away we continued our search, sighting many more minkes, maybe another 4 or 5 from a great distance due to the perfect conditions. Our next close encounter came from a large pod of white-beaked dolphins containing maybe 20 individuals that had separated into three groups within a close proximity. The dolphins effortlessly swam beside the boat, occasionally leaping from the water and coming for a close inspection under the bow. During the tour, three harbour porpoises were see, however we dd not spend time with them and admired from a distance as we watched the abundant minke whales.

- Mike Smith

✔ PREMIUM WHALE AND PUFFIN TOUR ON SCHEDULE |  10:00

The sea conditions this morning were sublime - next to no wind, the surface was perfectly still and the sun was peeking out from the clouds. We headed straight out into the open ocean as we had heard that the whales had been active this morning, and that is exactly what we found. We quickly encountered a pod of the tiny harbour porpoises and along with them a single minke whale. Very soon, a pod of white-beaked dolphins came to check us out. We did not really need to turn the engine on for the next hour, as the whale life around us was so abundant. We saw at least another 5 minke whales, another 2 pods of dolphins and another pod of harbour porpoises. We ended the tour with a stop at Engey to look at the ever-entertaining puffins. All in all, a fantastic tour.

-Fróði Guðmundur Jónsson

✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 13:00 

Report from Elding: Slightly more wind in the afternoon created the smallest waves that removed the complete stillness of the morning. Regardless, conditions were more than ideal for the afternoons activity and we were very optimistic after witnessing the abundant cetaceans earlier in the day. Again our first encounter came with a solitary minke whale. This whale was exhibiting more typical minke behaviour, surfacing a few times before lifting and rolling its back for a dive. We watched the minke for four or five complete surface sequences, before heading further afield. Another three or four minkes were seen throughout the tour, mostly under feeding birds. On our way to Reykjavik we stumbled upon a very accommodating white-beaked dolphin pod. The 4-5 members of the pod behaved in a similar fashion to the pod in the morning, calmly swimming by and eevr sdo often approaching the vessel in an inquisitive manner. A great day on the water for both trips.

- Mike Smith

✔ PREMIUM WHALE AND PUFFIN TOUR ON SCHEDULE |  14:00

The weather had taken a bit of a turn from the morning tour as the wind had increased and therefore the ocean was a bit more choppy, making it harder to spot cetaceans. Despite that, we quickly found a single minke whale, but it was not very interested in us so we moved elsewhere. We came across a pod of white-beaked dolphins, maybe around 5-6 individuals who were a bit more curious about our presence. After that, we went to look at the puffins before going back to the harbour. Alongside the puffins we got a quick glance at a seal from some distance, but it was very shy.

- Fróði Guðmundur Jónsson

Birds observed: northern gannets, northern fulmars, puffins, razorbill, common guillemot, arctic tern, greater black backed gull, lesser black backed gull, herring gull, kittiwake, arctic skua

Today we will be operating on Þruma RIB for our 10:00 Premium tour and our lovely vessel Elding for the 09:00 and 13:00 Classic tour. Make sure to dress appropriately for the tours as it is always colder on sea than on land. Join us by booking online or contact us directly for more information (elding@elding.is / +354 519 5000).

COVID-19: Keep in mind that passengers and crew are asked to ensure their own hygiene and safety at all times. Washing hands thoroughly with soap and using a hand sanitiser is advised. Masks are not mandatory but are recommended in areas where keeping distance from others is not possible.