Our Boats

A range of boats for the best tours possible

Elding has a wide range of boats that we use on various tours. By the charming Old Harbour in Reykjavík you will find HafsúlanElding and Eldey that are mainly used on our Classic Whale Watching and Northern Lights tours. Elding II is mostly used for incentive and exclusive tours, Skrúður for our Sea Angling and Puffin watching tours and Gestur as the Viðey ferry. We also have several RIB's named Þruma I-V that are used for our scheduled Premium Whale and Puffin tours and also incentive tours upon request. Fífill is our Wildlife Exhibition / Visitor Centre which also has an onboard café, souvenir shop and wildlife exhibition where entry is free to all Elding guests.

Additionally, we have several vessels operating out of Akureyri in North Iceland. Hólmasól, Ambassador and Konsúll are mainly used on our Classic Whale Watching tours. We also have a couple of RIB's named Sólfar I & II and Diplomat I & II that are mainly used on our Express Whale Watching but also private and incentive tours upon request.

Enjoy your tour in comfort

All our boats have inside and outside areas (except the RIB's). They are equipped with restrooms, on-board cafés and safety equipment. So, during the tours you can either relax in our indoor saloons or enjoy the view from our outdoor viewing platforms. To make the tour even more comfortable we provide warm, buoyant overalls, rain coats or blankets.

Safety is our top priority

Safety is a top priority for us, and we take every possible precaution to guarantee a safe and enjoyable tour. Crew members have gone through STCW training from the Maritime Safety and Survival Training Centre and regularly attend courses in maritime safety and lifesaving.

Our boats undergo strict inspection in compliance with rules and regulations of the Icelandic Maritime Administration. Safety vests are naturally available for all passengers to wear, but we require that children 12 years and younger wear them at all times during the tour.

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    Elding was originally built as a rescue boat but came into the hands of the Elding family in 2000. Since then we have made many changes to the boat to make it better suited for whale watching and other adventures at sea. It's mainly used for whale watching and private fishing tours in the summer time but increasingly also for Northern Lights Cruises in the winter time. 

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    The luxurious yacht Elding II was built in England in 1987 and came into the Elding family in 2001. Having been used previously as a ferry boat in Norðfjörður (East Iceland), it is well suitable for the various adventures at sea such as puffin tours, fishing and private whale watching. 

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    Eldey (formely known as M/S Sund Buss Erasmus) was built in 1971 by Lindstölds Skips og Båtbyggeri A/S, Risør (Norway) along with her two sister ships: M/S Sund Buss Magdelone and the M/S Sund Buss Jeppe.

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    Hafsúlan was originally built as a ferry boat in Norway but brought to Iceland in 1998 to serve as a whale watching boat. It came into the hands of the Elding family in 2007 and is now our main whale watching boat. It's also used for Northern Lights Cruises in the winter time and various private tours with larger groups. We have made many changes to the boat to make it better suited for whale watching and other adventures at sea, such as adding the rooftop viewing deck. 

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    Our RIB boats are especially made for Icelandic waters and are ideal for small group wildlife watching. Þruma I-V are used for our Reykjavík express whale watching and puffin tours as well as incentive tours upon request.

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    Skrúður was originally built as an ambulance boat in Norway but was brought to Iceland in 1988 to serve as a ferry boat. It came into the hands of the Elding family in 2012 and will be used mainly for private tours and as a ferry boat to Viðey Island. We have made a few changes to the boat to make it more suited to the adventures at sea we offer. 

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    Gestur was originally built as an action boat in the US but brought to Iceland in the late 90's and was at the time the main whale watching boat in southern Iceland. It came into the hands of the Elding family in 2007 and to begin with we used it mainly as a ferry boat to Viðey Island. We have made a few changes to the boat to make it more suited to the service we provide. 

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    Elding's Whale Watching Centre is facilitated on board Fífill, an old fishing vessel permanently placed by the pier. There guests can utilise our complimentary WiFi, sit down with a coffee or light snacks from our on board café, browse through our souvenir shop or check out the wildlife exhibition located below sea level.

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    Hólmasól (formerly Fjørtoft and Codrington Arrow) was manufactured by AA MARINE BRODRENE - HYEN, NORWAY in 1988. Prior to joining the Elding family spent some time in Norway, England and the Caribbean (st. Kitts and Nevis) as a ferry boat.

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    ambassador boat

    The m/s Ambassador has been referred to as one of the best whale-watching boats in Iceland, due to her six observation platforms. She was originally built in Hamburg, Germany in 1971 as a police vessel. In 1998 she was refurbished as a pleasure yacht and later sold to Sweden. She was brought to Iceland in 2012 and was refurbished and specially designed for whale-watching in Iceland.

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    The m/s Konsúll was originally built in Norway in 1985 and served there as a ferry boat. In 2016 she was brought to Akureyri where she has since served loyally as one of the fastest and most agile whale watching boats in the country.

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    Two RIB boats, docket at a pier in front of big round building called Hof.

    Our RIB boats are especially made for Icelandic waters and are ideal for small group wildlife watching. Sólfar I & II are mainly used for our Akureyri express whale watching but also incentive tours upon request.

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