Friday, 2 July 2021

✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE |  09:00

Report from Elding : Reykjavik was under the clouds and the bay was very foggy this morning. If the visibility was not great, the sea condition was perfect with a very flat sea. The fog was giving to our tour a very mystical atmosphere and even without a good visibility we were able to find a nice playful pod of 6-8 white beaked dolphins. There were coming under the boat playing around the bow it was such a wonderful moment with them. The water being calm we were able to easily see the animals through the water. We continued our tour and saw a black form slowly moving through the frog. We approached and found a humpback whale very relaxed and sleepy, staying near the surface. We could stay with this young individual for a very nice moment. We also saw a minke whale very quickly during the way back. When we arrived in Reykjavik we find out the sky was completely blue and that the day turned out to be very sunny.

- Miquel Pons

✔ PREMIUM WHALE AND PUFFIN TOUR ON SCHEDULE |  10:00

Report from Þruma RIB: What a day! Conditions were incredibly smooth but a blanket of fog sat in the bay. During these conditions communication between the vessels plays a vital role in locating the cetaceans. After receiving word of a sighting we knew exactly where to focus our search. A humpback whale was found whose temperament perfectly mirrored its surroundings. The whale was very tranquil, resting in the upper layers of the water column, regularly breathing. When it dipped below it remained in full view. Its large white winged pectoral fins highlighting its position and giving a real sense of the width and size of the individual. Once other tour operators left the area we were treated to an unforgettable moment. The whale slowly moved towards our vessel whilst our engines were off, lifting its enormous head as if it was inspecting us on board. It swung its pectoral fins to one side, effortlessly contorting its body on the spot to move alongside the boat, then resumed restfully breathing in place. 

- Mike Smith

✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 13:00 

Report from Elding : We started this new tour in a very thick cloud of fog. The sea was very calm but we could only see a few meters away. After half an hour sailing, the fog disappeared and we could admire a beautiful sunny ocean. With this visibility, we started to see dolphins everywhere. I could not count the dolphins we saw during this tour, we were crossing pods of white beaked dolphins during almost two hours, maybe 10 different pods. We also found the humpback whale from this morning again. The beautiful animal was a bit more awake than this morning, swimming very close to our boat, under us, and with the very clear water it was an amazing moment. The whale was interacting with some dolphins, rolling on its back. There was a minke whale further away, but the humpback was so friendly that we stayed with it for a while. During the way back we found, obviously more dolphins, jumping and playing in the waves produced by our boat, but also a minke whale that disappeared quite fast. We went back with the sun on our face, with new memories that will last for a long time.

- Miquel Pons

✔ PREMIUM WHALE AND PUFFIN TOUR ON SCHEDULE |  14:00

Report from Þruma RIB: Another ridiculously good trip which involved three species. The great ocean conditions persisted but by the afternoon the sun had burned through the fog, supplying beautiful blue skies. We journeyed to a similar area to the morning, hoping for much of the same. We first encountered the same humpback whale from the morning which was exhibiting the same restful behaviour but also attracting some interest from other boats. In order to reduce pressure or stress on the whale we decided to watch a pod of white beaked dolphins that were sighted a few hundred metres away jumping and playing. On our approach the group of 5-6 started to bow ride briefly before losing interest and slowly made their way towards another pod of 4-5 animals. These appeared to have young in the group which were performing acrobatics, leaping and turning the body in mid air, striking the surface with force. Once the larger boats had left we returned to the humpback again. it was amazing to see this whale at such ease. Much like the morning, the whale decided to come in for a closer look to within 3 metres of our astonished passengers. Lastly, while watching the humpback, a minke whale surfaced several times, before lifting its back and rolling over for a deeper dive. 

- Mike Smith

Bird Species ID´d today: Northern Gannet, Atlantic Puffin, Manx Shearwater, Common Guillemot, Arctic tern, Arctic skua, Northern Fulmar, Kittiwake, Eider Duck, great-black backed gull, lesser black-backed gull.

Today we will be operating on Þruma RIB for our 10:00 Premium tour and our lovely vessel Elding for the 09:00 and 13:00 Classic tour. Make sure to dress appropriately for the tours as it is always colder on sea than on land. Join us by booking online or contact us directly for more information (elding@elding.is / +354 519 5000).

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.