Monday, 25 November 2024

Monday, 25 November 2024

  • CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 09:00, 13:00

All whale watching tours are on schedule today from Reykjavík! Remember to dress according to weather and feel free to borrow our thermal overalls if needed!

CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 09:00

Report from Eldey: We set off with a beautiful sunrise this morning that lasted throughout most of the tour. We had a spectacular sky of orange, blue and pinks. About 30 minutes into the trip to the north east of Videy we spotted a lot of seabirds and a bit closer to us a humpback whale appeared! We got to watch this individual for a long time. To begin with they were resting but then their activity levels picked up with the sun and they started to feed. This individual was pretty small and came really close to us quite a lot. We also got to see many fluke dives. We then carried on and found a big pod of white beaked dolphins, approximately 15 individuals. Even more exciting was that this pod contained 3-4 calves, one of which was really tiny though and likely at most a few days old! After a great sighting with the dolphins swimming all around us and jumping lots we headed home after a great, but cold morning.

-Rob Hyman

CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 13:00

Report from Eldey: Our sunny but cold whale-watching tour started with almost no wind and little to no waves, quite a calm afternoon. After 10 minutes cruising along the coast a blow was seen, so we did a 90º turn and waited.. and waited... and waited.. until another blow was seen not too far from the first one! On the way there, we saw some harbour porpoises that quickly disappeared. We had spotted a humpback whale! It seemed to be traveling close to the cruise ship harbour and following a school of fish. It came so close to land that it had no space to lift its massive tail! After half an hour with this individual, we searched for more activity and not too long after that, another humpback was spotted! This one was doing something different, lunge feeding! It's coming up to the surface fast with its mouth open and closing it right on the water line so that the fish don't escape! Another mammal was in the area, a harbour seal, the cute type! After a few good moments with this whale, it was time to go back the the harbour.

- Pedro Teixeira

Bird species seen during the tour include:

Iceland gull, glaucous gull, razorbill, guillemot, eider duck, black headed gull, greylag geese, black legged kittiwake, black backed gull

Wildlife encountered today:

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The Humpback Whale is quite spectacular undergoing the longest migration of any mammal (5176miles/8334km one way), attracting females by singing to them and of course their energetic nature. On many occasions humpbacks have been seen breaching, tail slapping, fin slapping, blowing bubbles and spy hopping just to mention a few. The humpback is also one of the larger whales we encounter

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The white-beaked dolphin is the most common dolphin found in the surrounding waters of Iceland and is seen not only in the summer but winter too usually in larger numbers, hundreds sometimes. When feeding they show energetic behaviour such as breaching out of the water and coming down with a big splash and bursts of fast swimming. 

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Seals and Sea lions are collectively called Pinnipeds. Harbour Seals are the most abundant in Iceland and are frequently encountered on Akurey (puffin colony). There has been 7 species of seals recorded in Icelandic waters but only two of these species breed here; the Harbour Seal and Grey Seal. 

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