Friday, 22 October 2021

Today we will be operating our lovely vessel Eldey for the 09:00 and 13:00 Classic Whale Watching tours. 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. Masks are not mandatory but are recommended in areas where keeping distance from others is not possible.

The seas may be rough, so as always, we have sea sickness tablets available free of charge at our ticket office. Join us by booking online or contact us directly for more information (elding@elding.is / +354 519 5000).

Report from Eldey: We sometimes get the question: “do sighting chances diminish in cold and windy weather?”. Today was the perfect example that this is absolutely not the case – as cold and as windy as it may have been, the bay was full of marine life! Not long after we departed, two harbour porpoises surfed in the waves at the back of our boat, setting us off to a great start. Soon after, we spotted a big flock of more than 100 sea birds, so we decided to scan the area to see if some bigger animals were also feeding. While we were waiting for a whale or dolphin to surface, we had the opportunity to admire the myriad of seabird species around us: common guillemots, sooty shearwaters and many sea gulls flew very close to our boat. However, the sea birds did not hold our attention for long, as we soon saw a minke whale coming up for a breath! The minke whale was difficult to follow because it was surfacing unpredictably, but that did not matter today because there were plenty of other animals to admire. In total, we encountered at least six minke whales and when we thought we saw yet another minke whale, we were pleasantly surprised to see the back of a humpback whale! As if that wasn’t enough, six white-beaked dolphins showed up around the humpback whale. With sightings of four out of the four main species of Faxaflói, this tour was definitely worth facing the windy and cold weather!

- Eline van Aalderink

Report from Eldey: This afternoon we were once again lucky enough to see all four of the main cetacean species of Faxaflói. First, a harbour porpoise greeted us as our boat Eldey sailed into the rainy bay. Second, we saw two minke whales surfacing quickly around us. The minke whales were feeding so we decided to leave them alone and look for other animals. The third species we saw were the white-beaked dolphins. We caught a few glimpses of three of them before they disappeared into the sea. Last but certainly not least, we saw a humpback whale breaching in the distance! When we approached, we found not one, but three individuals in close proximity of each other and eventually even of our whale watching boat. They came so close that it was sometimes even difficult to take a photo with our cameras, but in our minds the memories of this encounter will certainly remain forever. The three humpback whales were surfacing regularly, showing us their heads, blow holes, dorsal fins, arched backs, and sometimes their tails. Despite the waves, we were perfectly able to see the whales underwater, where we could make out their “angel winged" white pectoral fins and admire their impressive bodies from above. A truly unforgettable tour with very special encounters.

- Eline van Aalderink