✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 09:00
Report from Eldey: This morning started very cloudy and unsure about what the weather might bring. But the wind was blowing low and there was no wave to be seen, really perfect conditions to watch whales. After spotting lots of atlantic puffins on our way into Faxafloi Bay, it took us about 45 minutes to spot our first pod of 4-5 harbour porpoises next to our boat. As those animals are very shy, we did not approach them, but slowly continued our journey. And after less than an hour we spotted a large flock of sea birds feeding near the water surface and decided to check it out. And this is where we spotted our first of 5 minke whales. There was another pod of 4-5 harbour porpoises we could watch infront of our boat and more minke whales further away from us during the tour, but it was simply too many to check them all out. It really was another perfect morning at sea with even the sun coming out behind the clouds on our way back into the harbour.
-Christina Winkler
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 10:00
We had some low clouds this morning, so it was quite misty when we headed out but it was warm and the sea was perfectly calm. We sailed for about an hour until we got to an area where our other boat had already spotted some whales. And just as we got there, we spotted our first minke whale! It surfaced a few times about two hundred meters away from the boat and it seemed to be a bit elusive, so eventually we lost track of it and kept going. Just a few minutes later we spotted 2 other minke whales swimming in the same area, they were very relaxed and even came very close to our boat! Later on we spotted 2 other minke whales and one of them we recognized as Tap, one of our regulars, seen every year since the year 2007! It was a wonderful sight, and the clouds had mostly cleared away so we got some warm sunshine to finish off this beautiful tour!
-Kristín Viðja Harðardóttir
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 13:00
Report from Eldey: The wind had picked up a little bit since the morning tour, but it was still nice to be outside and we also got a bit of sunshine during this tour. Our first encounter of this tour was a minke whale, which we found after sailing for about 50 minutes. This whale was rather elusive, coming to the surface 3 or 4 times before disappearing. We also saw a big blow in the distance and decided to keep going. After searching a little longer we came across a humpback whale. This individual was coming up rather close to the boat and we all got a good look at it's tail, when it went for a deeper dive. Another blow caught our attention. And then another. It was 2 blue whales! They were swimming very close to the surface, rolling in the water and also feeding. It was an amazing encounter. On the other side of the boat 2 more minke whales surfaced as well, so we were surrounded by wildlife. Another incredible tour out in Faxaflói.
- Diana Besel
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 14:00
Report from Elding: This tour was INCREDIBLE!! The sea was calm to begin with but the wind picked up throughout the tour. We were sailing to the area of the morning tour, at least 1 hour out into the bay of Faxaflói when we got word of a big blow. The other whale watching vessels were telling us a blow from a humpback whale but as we got closer and could see the animal much closer we could see it was the largest whale in the world, A BLUE WHALE, not just one but two. I was getting a bit worried about all the boat traffic in the area, but then noticed the behaviour of the blue to be actually liking the attention, circling the boats, blowing bubbles, rolling about, showing its tail. The crew were just in AWE! These whales are quite often seen this time of year in the north of Iceland and in my 10 years of Elding, never have I seen or heard of a blue whale in the bay. Of course we all know that when working on the wild seas, anything is possible and today marked not only Iceland's independence from Denmark but also the day blue whales were seen in Faxaflói Bay. I will be smiling all day. I really really really hope they stay around.
- Megan Whittaker
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 17:00
Report from Eldey: After the last tour, the wind did definitely pick up on this tour and waves got a little higher. The tour started oretty well, with still a few atlantic puffins around us and even a northern gannet. After about an hour sail we spotted huge splashes ahead of us and were trying to follow them. They appeared again in different directions and we were trying to follow by adjusting our travel direction. But in the end we had to give up on our hunt, with the whale staying too far away from us to reach it. On the way back of course we did keep our eyes open and tried our best to find other whale activity in the bay, despite the pretty choppy ride. But unfortunately we were out of luck this time. As this tour therefore did not meet the standards and what we want to show to our passengers and offered complimentary tickets for another tour with us within the next two years.
-Christina Winkler
✔ TOUR ON SCHEDULE | at 20:30
Report from Eldey: The last tour of the day certainly turned out to be the windiest. While at times the wind pushed the waves against our boat that they broke and splashed onto us, mostly our knowledgable and experienced captain kept our boat steady and sailing with the waves. For the first hour of our tour, as we were still close to Reykjavik, we had the pleasure of seeing quite a few puffins flying through the bay, probably out to catch their dinner. It was after almost 2 hours of searching that, from a distance, we saw a minke whale breeching over and over. It was clearly enjoying the thrill of the waves. However, as we got closer, a big tanker ship crossed the area and may have been a disturbance to the whale. We did not see it again after, despite waiting for several minutes. Unfortunately it was time to keep moving into the direction of Reykjavik again and as further sightings did not happen, we passed out complimentary tickets to all our passengers to come join us on another ocean safari.
- Inês Cunha
Bird species identified today: atlantic puffin, arctic tern, northern gannet, manx shearwater, razorbill, northern fulmar, arctic skua, common guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, eider duck, european shag, black-headed gull.
We are sailing from the Old Harbour in Reykjavík today at 9:00, 10:00, 13:00, 14:00, 17:00 and 20:30. There might always be some movement of the ocean so if you are prone to getting sea sick, we do have sea sickness tablets available free of charge at the office and on board. Make sure to dress warmly and make use of our warm overalls as it is always colder on sea than on land. For more information contact us by email elding@elding.is or by phone +354 519 5000.
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