Monday, 5 July 2021

✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE |  09:00

Report from Elding: It was a lot chillier today, so the onboard overalls were definitely needed for those that were not dressed for the cold Icelandic winds. However, the visibility was perfect and again we were very lucky to have very calm seas, something that is also not that common in Iceland even in the summer. We got to see at least 4-5 minke whales feeding around lots of birds; puffins, gannets, arctic terns, arctic skuas and seagulls but the highlight of this mornings tour was definitely the white-beaked dolphins. They were so playful. There was at least 4-5 different pods and between 7-15 individuals in each. They plays around the boat, bow riding and leaping just 1-2 meters from us. We really could not get enough of them.

- Megan Whittaker

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

Report from Þruma : It was perfect conditions today, sunny, calm wind, flat sea. The fog from the previous days wasn't hiding the horizon anymore and the visibility was excellent. We first found 2 minke whales. They surfaced simultaneously and very close from each other. It is the first time I see that. We observed them surfacing a few times but there were going away. We went further out and found a pod of 10-15 white beaked dolphins that were busy feeding. A few came very close to the boat. We also found very close of the dolphins a feeding ground where 4 minke whales were feeding. After a while we went more south and found a humpback whale. The animal was very busy feeding, coming up only two times before it went back for a dive. We also spotted a minke whale it the same area a little bit further. We went a bit closer to Reykjavik and found a second humpback whale. We also spotted a third humpback further away. We saw it fluke diving two times and it was time to go back. Great tour !

- Miquel Pons

✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 13:00 

Report from Elding: It was still chilly out on the bay with north westerlies of 3-5m/s, we kept warm with the overalls and hot drinks and after just 40 minutes we saw our first cetaceans, minke whales feeding amongst flocks of feeding birds; puffins, arctic terns and kittiwakes mainly. We saw at least 3 individuals in this tour and one in particular was easy to follow, a very young animal that we could follow by watching for the smooth circular patches of water on the surface made by the upwards and downwards movements of its tail. We then found a humpback whale after about 2 more miles of sailing, it even started blowing bubbles right next to the boat. We were lucky enough to see even the fluke (tail) a few times as it went down for a long dive. Very busy feeding whales this afternoon.

- Megan Whittaker

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

Report from Þruma: The weather was very similar to this morning, with a bit more wind and slighlty more swell, but it was still pleasant and smooth to sail on the bay. We started heading to the island near Reykjavik to watch some puffins. We continued the tour heading were we finished this morning, and we found a humpback whale surfacing a few times. The animal was taking long dives so it was not easy to follow it. We still could have a nice sighting, seeing it slowly swim close to the surface, its white pectoral fin easy to spot through the water. We went in another area to see if we could spot something else and saw beautiful northern gannets plung-diving. We went back and found a lonely white beaked dolphin. The animal was moving fast, probably returning to its pod. 

- Miquel Pons

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

Today we will be operating on Þruma RIB for our Premium tours 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.