Thursday, 13 October 2022

Today we will be operating on our lovely vessel Eldey for the 09:00 and 13:00 Classic Whale Watching tour. Make sure to dress appropriately for the tours as it is always colder on sea than on land.

• CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 09:00
• PREMIUM WHALE TOUR | 10:00
• CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 13:00
• PREMIUM WHALE TOUR | 14:00

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.

Report from Eldey: This morning we set sail in glorious sunshine. Even though it was very sunny, we still had to scrape ice off the benches for the first time this season - I guess winter is coming! After about an hour of sailing we found our beloved humpback whales: Mariupol and Neila again. They were in a fun and flirty mood, bringing their flukes and pectoral fins up and rolling closely around each other. We noticed they were surrounded by 7 white beaked dolphins! The dolphins were also very active and jumping around. Then - a breach! The whole crew was in complete awe of this spectacle as one of the humpback whales lifted their full body out of the water within 50 meter of our boat. There was also a flock of birds with a minke whale underneath, so we really chose a good spot that appeared to be full of marine life. This tour was such a beautiful celebration of nature and it was incredible to feel the connections between the two humpback whales with each other, with the dolphins, and with us. 

- Eline van Aalderink

Report from Eldey: The sun this afternoon brought some warmth to the cold wind that was blowing in the bay today. We headed in the direction of our ´hotspot´ of the morning and were immediately lucky to spot a pod of 7 white-beaked dolphins who were showing off their acrobatic skills. The jumps were impressive: a few meters high, some almost like somersaults. A little later we caught the glimpse of a minke whale as it came up to breathe close to our portside. Next, our attention was diverted by a larger, more vertical blow but on the way we got distracted by the two humpback whales Mariupol and Neila, who were still together socialising. Hoping to discover whether our suspicions about the animal that made the vertical blow earlier were true, we set out to chase the blows of two or three orcas. The orcas were fast and elusive, so although we could all see the blow it was hard to actually observe their impressive dorsal fins and black-and-white bodies. As time was running out we decided to make a quick stop back to Neila and Mariupol to say goodbye, and we were so happy we did because we had the most incredible encounter. The two whales were logging 5 meters away from our boat with their heads directed to us - clearly participating in a bit of human watching. Then Neila rolled onto her stomach and lifted both pectoral fins in the air for about a minute. The two humpbacks then arched their backs and went for a deep dive, leaving us in awe and filled with unforgettable memories for the way back to Reykjavík. 

-  Anna Richter