Thursday, 5 August 2021
✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 09:00
Report from Eldey: Weather was actually good during most of our tour this morning. Fairly heavy rain fell by the end of it. This one was tough, it was difficult to find cetaceans in the bay. Mostly because they were pretty elusive as they were probably up to other things around, especially the care of new born babies. After a brief sighting of a minke whale we encounter a pod of about 12 white beaked dolphins scattered around the boat. They were a bit reluctant at first to get closer to our vessel but after a while they found courage to even come with their calves. Lovely encounter.
- Jorge Pascual
✔ PREMIUM WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 10:00.
Report from Þruma RIB: We had the rare Reykjavík sun this morning as we set out on our boat. There was no wind at all so the sea was looking like a mirror – ideal spotting conditions. On our way out, with a stop to look at the Puffins in Eldey, our captain saw a pod of about 5 harbour porpoises, but they disappeared very quickly as they tend to do. A bit further out we found a large pod of about 12-15 white-beaked dolphins. Originally, we only saw 2 individuals, and later 2 more individuals close by. Then we started seeing these pairs of dolphins coming in to join the original pair we spotted, and soon they were all grouped together, clearly hunting. They had at least 2, maybe 3, calves with them, who didn't look more than 1 year old. It was fascinating to watch the dolphins hunt, even though they showed no interest in us and our boat, but they were not at all bothered by our presence and allowed us to observe their brilliant hunting skills and acrobatic jumps.
- Fróði Guðmundur Jónsson
✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE 13:00
Report from Eldey: Another fantastic afternoon on the water. The bay was extremely flat with great visibility. On our outbound journey a pod of 6-8 white-beaked dolphins consisting of mothers and calves were spotted. We approached slowly, being extra cautious that there were juveniles in the group and managed to get very good views on a couple of occasions as the dolphins passed alongside the boat but continued on their way. We decided to leave them alone, as they did not appear to be in the most friendly mood and a minke whale surfaced nearby. We followed the minke for a number of surface sequences gaining rewarding views. Again, we went in search of more cetaceans and found another pod of 8-10 dolphins.
- Mike Smith
✔ PREMIUM PUFFIN TOUR ON SCHEDULE 13:00
✔ SEA ANGLING TOUR ON SCHEDULE 13:00
✔ PREMIUM WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 14:00
Report from Þruma RIB: The weather was still very good from the morning, almost clear skies and the wind was non-existent. The puffins were active as always during our visit to Engey, setting the tone for a great tour. Very quickly, we found the same pod of about 8-12 white-beaked dolphins that we had been observing in the morning, but this time they were not quite as numerous. The pod was quite recognisable by one large individual with a scar on its dorsal fin and the presence of 2-3 small calves that were about 1 year old. We then had the word of a humpback and left the dolphins to go further up north in the bay. Soon after arriving to the area where the humpback was seen, we heard a blow behind us and turned around. There, we saw a humpback whale, lying on its side with the left pectoral fin high up in the air. For the next half an hour, we observed it coming up very frequently to breath. It did a few very slow and beautiful fluke dives, and ended its show with a huge lunge-feeding action.
- Fróði Guðmundur Jónsson
✔ CLASSIC MIDNIGHT WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 19:00
Report from Eldey: The wind grew stronger as the day progressed, building small waves on the ocean however, these hardly affected the spotting conditions or smooth ride. We journeyed for some time before finding a cetacean way out west. A minke whale that was zig-zagging across a particular area surrounded by birds made for difficult watching. The whale moved quickly and close to sun glare which effected our views. We lost sight of the whale and continued our search with little success, finding pockets of feeding birds without any cetaceans in sight. The tour finished with complimentary tickets being issued.
- Mike Smith
✔ PREMIUM WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 20:00
Report from Þruma RIB: The wind had picked up a bit from earlier in the day so the ocean was a little choppy and the waves larger. However, the weather was still very good and the midnight sun was amazing! Most of the puffins were posing very neatly for a photograph as we stopped to look at them in Engey before we headed further out into Faxaflói bay. Unfortunately, the whales were not very active, the crew only managed to spot for a moment about 2-3 harbour porpoises and 3-4 white-beaked dolphins, but they disappeared so quickly that the passengers didn't manage to see them We searched the bay thoroughly and followed large flocks of birds but in the end our efforts were not rewarded with whales. Therefore, we ended the trip by giving our passengers a complimentary ticket for one of our classic tours.
- Fróði Guðmundur Jónsson
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.