Saturday, 12 July 2025

• CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 20:30
• PREMIUM WHALE TOUR |10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 20:00

Report from Eldey: We headed out into the open ocean under calm seas and sunny skies — perfect conditions for a day of whale watching.  In the distance, a huge splash broke the surface — the unmistakable sign of a breaching humpback whale. Though far off, the whale continued to breach repeatedly as we slowly approached, putting on a spectacular show that had everyone in awe. Even from afar, its powerful leaps were breathtaking — a truly unforgettable sight. As we reached the same area, things got even more exciting. We encountered four more humpback whales, including a mother and her calf, peacefully resting at the surface. Watching them sleep side by side was a rare and moving moment — a glimpse into the quieter side of whale life. The area was teeming with marine activity. All around us, elusive minke whales surfaced briefly before vanishing again. We counted at least 20, popping up in every direction — just enough time to catch a glimpse before they disappeared below the waves again. On our way back, just as we thought the day couldn’t get any better, a pod of five white-beaked dolphins joined us. Sleek and fast, they darted through the waves with effortless grace, surfing alongside the boat and delighting everyone on board.

-Aleksandra Lechwar

Report from Hafsulan: Oh wow. What. A. Tour! First, we started we the best conditions to spot anything, as the sea was very flat and there was basically no swell! Then, after we started sailing out, we got to an area where we spotted a minke whale, and we did not expect to see so many throughout the tour. Then, we spotted two blows together, leading us to a pair of humpback whales, side by side, sleeping and logging! This couldn't be any more special, because they were mother and baby, a very rare sighting in feeding grounds like Iceland! We stick around with them, quietly watching them while they napped. In the meantime, we could see innumerous minkes, popping up here, there and everywhere! I believe it was about 20 minkes spotted, in different distances and directions. Then, in the same area, we headed to a pod of about 20 white-beaked dolphins, with a few juveniles amongst the group, feeding! They also took time to come and say hello, sometimes bow-riding. A couple hundred meters from us, we spotted another humpback, this time going for dives and showing its beautiful fluke. And again always seeing minkes everywhere! We then started to head back home, so happy with the bay full of life!

- Milla Brandao

Report from Eldey: With sunny skies, we put our sunscreen on and headed out into the bay. It was so clear that we could see all the way to Keflavik International Airport, which was excellent spotting conditions. After having a lovely journey, we spotted the blows of two humpback whales! These humpbacks gave us quite a show with many blows and multiple surface sequences. One even came nice and close to check us out. It is always amazing when our whales are as curious about us as we are about them.  After a wonderful viewing with our humpbacks we headed onward and found one  minke whale! This was a great viewing for we got really close surfaces about four times! One surface even included their face coming fully out of the water. This usually elusive species was really species to see. We then started making our way back to port when we came across another set of two humpback whales resting together. As we got closer we got a nice surface sequence before these humpbacks gave us a glorious fluke dive! With four humpbacks and one minke, we counted ourselves lucky and headed back to port. What a great tour!

-Samantha Smith

Report from Hafsulan: Another great afternoon! This time, we started heading not into directly to the middle of the bay, as usual. We decided to go a bit South, finding a pod of about 20 white-beaked dolphins swimming around! They were mainly passing by, so we decided to continue our way. We started spotting many minke whales in different directions, about 12 all around. Sometimes we would see some very close, allowing us to take a good look at it. Then, heading towards the center of Faxaflói, we spotted 2 blows. Getting there, we realized we had 4 humpback whales, including a mom and a calf! So interesting to see them, since it's not a common sighting here in cold waters. They were just swimming, when the calf became very active: endlessly slapping the tail, the pectoral fin, rolling and rolling and showing off its fluke while it was with its belly facing up. We stayed for a while with this group, laughing and having fun with this very playful calf! The other adults started to move more as well, moving away from the calf that seemed to be everywhere and very close to its mum, that was trying not to get in the way of the baby. After, we decided to head back, so satisfied with this amazing day! Amazing sea conditions and our favorite animals!

- Ricardo

Report from Eldey: We headed out once again under a brilliant sun and glass-calm seas — the ocean perfectly still, as if waiting to reveal its secrets. For a while, we cruised through the open water, scanning the horizon, until we spotted a concentration of seabirds diving and circling — a sure sign of feeding activity below. Not long after, a tall blow appeared — a humpback whale! It was feeding deep, taking long dives, but we managed to catch sight of it a couple of times as it surfaced. As we explored the area further, we realized there were five humpbacks in total. We had the chance to check them all out, each one surfacing at its own rhythm, giving us multiple chances to admire their grace. Among the humpbacks, three elusive minke whales made brief appearances — just quick enough for a lucky glimpse before slipping away again. Nearby, a small pod of five white-beaked dolphins surfaced and darted around, adding their own energy to the scene. But the true highlight came near the end of the trip. We found a humpback mother with her calf — and the calf was full of life. It repeatedly tail-slapped, rolled, and even attempted half-breaches, clearly enjoying the calm seas and sunshine. Then, in a powerful finale, the mother gave a single massive tail slap of her own. The difference in size between them was striking — a beautiful display of the bond between them and a perfect way to end the day.

-Aleksandra Lechwar

Report from Elding: We headed into the bay in the beaming rays of the setting sun, with calm, flat waters. We quickly spotted out first blow ahead, but were distracted by a huge group of white-beaked dolphins. 4-5 pods, forming a group of over 40 individuals scattered all around us, some in tighter groups near us, some further away in the distance, we were absolutely surrounded. The dolphins were very active and curious, leaping from the water, coming to take a close look at our boat, splashing in the distance, and even bow-riding as we headed further into the bay! We headed towards some huge splashes in the distance, a breaching humpback whale! As we started heading over, this very acrobatic individual started demonstrating even more behaviours, such as tail slaps, head slaps, pec slaps and even a spy hop! As we got closer, it appeared the whales in the area had calmed down and started travelling. As we followed them, we realized thy were converging on a specific spot in the bay, also marked by some very excited birds at the surface, a clear indicator of a feast just beneath the surface! On our way, we also spotted 5 minke whales making brief appearances in the background, but one of them was particularly curious, as it surfaced mere meters from us! It was close enough to see the bright pectoral band shining through the surface of the water! As we headed over to the focus area of all the bird activity, we realized at least 10 humpbacks were heading for the area, all going for gorgeous fluke dives as they got close. We kept out eyes on the birds as well as the surface of the water, and sure enough, we began seeing bubbles! This huge aggregation of humpback whales had begun bubble-net feeding, demonstrating lunge feeding as they surfaced! The beloved mother-calf pair, of course, was present for this feeding frenzy, with mama whale showing off her huge fluke and impressive lunge at the surface. The feeding frenzy continued, with humpbacks, white-beaked dolphins and minkes all around us, as we turned to head back to port, with the setting sun painting the water orange behind us. What an amazing tour, what incredible creatures!

- Orsi Stipsicz

Atlantic puffin, Northern gannet, black-headed gull, common gull, herring gull, black guillemot, common guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, black and lesser black-backed gull, common eider, Northern fulmar