Friday, 2 August 2024

Today we will be operating our Classic Whale Watching on our lovely vessel Eldey at 9:00, 13:00, 17:00 and 20:30 and our just as lovely Hafsúlan at 11:00 and 15:00. Our Premium Whale Watching tour will operate on Þruma I-V at 10:00, 14:00 and 16:00.

• CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00
• PREMIUM WHALE TOUR | 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 20:00

Report from Eldey: 

Today's conditions were ideal for whale watching, with overcast skies, a gentle breeze, and calm seas. We departed from the harbor, excited for the adventures that awaited us. After approximately 40 minutes, we spotted our first blow in the distance. As we approached, we were thrilled to find a humpback whale feeding. Its behavior was quite predictable, with short dives followed by brief surface intervals, making it easy to observe. After spending some time with this magnificent creature, we continued our journey through Faxaflói Bay, which seemed to be teeming with life. Just a few minutes later, we spotted three more blows in the distance. As we drew nearer, we discovered three additional humpbacks, also busy feeding. It was a breathtaking sight, surrounded by these gentle giants and accompanied by northern gannets and Arctic terns diving for fish. As the tour drew to a close, it was time to head back to the harbor. The sight of these majestic whales, coupled with the vibrant birdlife, left everyone on board in high spirits. 

Report from Hafsulan: This morning's sailing adventure began under favorable conditions, with the sea relatively calm and just a hint of wind. About half an hour into our journey, we spotted our first whale blow. Approaching cautiously, we were thrilled to witness a humpback whale surfacing and fluking repeatedly before it moved on. Excited by this encounter, we continued our exploration. Soon, another blow appeared on the horizon. As we neared, two more whales emerged, offering us an incredible display as they dove and resurfaced multiple times, sometimes coming very close to the boat. In the distance, more blows were visible, suggesting the presence of around 7-8 humpback whales in the area. After a rewarding morning of whale watching, we sailed back to the harbor with hearts full of joy.

-Maria Ernesto

Dear diary (Report from Eldey),

I really like my new apartment and my new housemates are very nice. Moving in was very easy but it still took a while to get all my stuff inside. When I woke up this morning I was very tired and not sure how to think about going to work so early. My mood changed when I heard about the great sightings of the previous tours. Excitement started to kick in and I wanted to find the whales myself. We sailed out in a calm bay of Faxafloi and the conditions were nearly perfect to find the whales if they are around: (Nearly) no white caps, low swell and low wind intensity. After about 40 minutes we had our first sighting: We spotted a large blow in the distance and tried to approach carefully. The blow was caused by a humpback whale that was very active at the surface as it seemed to be feeding. Soon after the first encounter we were basically surrounded by at least 6 individuals. They kept surfacing very close to our boat and showed us their beautiful flukes many times. That was a great tour and it made me forget about my lack of sleep.

-Lasse Roggenkamp

Report from Hafsulan: The wind picked up a little bit this afternoon, but we couldn´t have asked for a more perfect whale watching tour. First, we encountered a pod of 6 white-beaked dolphins, some of them coming very close to us and others swimming and doing their own thing. Then, we reached humpback whale territory and we could see blows literally everywhere! There were probably around 8-10 individuals in the area, most of them probably feeding as they were accompanied by lots of arctic terns. We had non-stop sightings, because just as one whale went down, the next would come up, and the next, etc. Sometimes we did not even know where to look! Two whales came exceptionally close to us and gave us a full birds-eye view of their bodies. Then, out of nowhere, another individual started breaching! He kept going, and we could see his full body out of the water - unbelievable! 

- Eline van Aalderink

Report from Eldey: 

What an epic day on the water! The wind picked up a bit since this morning, giving us some white caps and a bit of swell. After about 30 minutes of cruising, we spotted a huge splash way off in the distance. We raced over to check it out and found a humpback whale going wild with peduncle throws! It was like it was putting on a show just for us, repeating the move over and over. After enjoying that spectacle, we moved on and, just a few minutes later, we saw three more blows ahead. As we got closer, one of the humpbacks started bubble net feeding right by our boat. It was incredible to watch it in action so close. Just when we thought the trip couldn't get any better, on our way back to the harbor, another humpback stole the show with not one, but TWO breaches right in front of us! The whole boat was buzzing with excitement. It was the perfect end to an amazing day on the water.

Report from Elding: We started our tour with passengers happy to go out into nature and into contact with our wildlife. And wildlife is what we had for the whole duration of the tour. Soon after we left the harbor, we came into contact with a multitude of marine birds. From puffins and guillemots, to a various species of gulls. After a short period of search, we found what we were looking for, humpback whales. The area where we were in had multiple humpbacks, which could be seen throughout the horizon. Soon we realized that we had at least, 8 humpback whales feeding around us. Eventually, we ran out of time and headed back to Reykjavík, with a beautiful sunset behind us.

-Ricardo Mendes

Northern fulmar, common guillemot, razorbill, Atlantic puffin, Arctic tern, great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull, black-legged kittiwake