Saturday, 15 June 2024

• CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 20:30
• PREMIUM WHALE TOUR | 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00
• PREMIUM WHALE TOUR | 20:00

Today we will be operating our Classic Whale Watching on our lovely vessel Eldey at 9:00, 13:00, 17:00, 20:30 and our just as lovely catamaran Hafsúlan at 11:00, 15:00. Our Premium Whale Watching tour will operate on Þruma I-V at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00.

Report from Eldey: we set off this morning with clear blue skies and a near-flat ocean. After only 20 minutes, we spotted our first Minke whale! This really set the tone for this morning as not too much later, we found ourselves a second minke! This one seemed to go on quite long dives, so we moved onward rather quickly. We were then rewarded with 2 pods of very active white-beaked dolphins! They were jumping all around us very often and even bowriding some of the other boats in the area. While we stayed here, 2-3 minkes joined the show as well, so we could just enjoy the wildlife all around us for the longest time! After that it was sadly time to head back to port, so we sailed back while soaking in the sunlight and enjoying a refreshing drink.

- Milan Vansteelandt

Report from Elding: Today the sun decided to stay with us during the whole tour and we got that taste of summer that we were waiting for a while. Now, we just wanted to see what the bay had to offer us! So sailing out for about 40min, we spotted a tiny dorsal fin not far from us, and we saw we had 2 harbour porpoises around! These ones were very predictable and hanging around for a couple of minutes before disappearing, but we looked away and we spotted a minke whale in the same area. This minke was feeding next to us, coming very close. There was also another individual doing the same thing! To join the party, a pod of 5 white-beaked dolphins came to say hello, and  they started bowriding in a very calm way. We could track them through the surface as they would come and go, but always very close to our boat. We drove slowly while these dolphins were following us, and it led us to another area with 3 other minke whales, feeding a lot. One minke even came very close and the sea was so calm that we could see the white belly through the surface while it lunge fed under our noses, right in front of our bow. The smell of these area from our beloved stinky minkes also told us they were having a feast, together with the many Northern gannets around. The dolphins continued to stick around while we were seeing the minkes, but it was time to slowly say goodbye. The amazing weather kept everyone outside enjoying the breeze and the sun. How fun!

- Milla Brandao

Report from Eldey: During our afternoon we enjoyed the sunny weather with perfect sea conditions and amazing views around Faxaflói bay! We sailed out towards the area where we were lucky this morning with the hope of another great trip. It took us about 45 min before we spotted a large flock of birds with multiple Northern gannets diving into the ocean! We approached the area and suddenly we saw a dorsal fin under the birds! A minke whale! we saw her resurfacing a couple of times but at the same time we noticed some splashes at the distance so we left to investigate! A pod of white beaked dolphins! Around 15-20 individuals swimming gently very close to our boat! the sea conditions were so good we could see their silhouettes under the water while bow riding! We spent some time with the dolphins before we decided to continue our adventure further out! as we were moving we continue to spot more minke whales, stopping every so often to observe before they would dive and disappear in the water. Unfortunately as the time ran out we needed to head back to the harbour, but not before we have a brief encounter with a small harbour porpoise! We saw her 3 times before it dove down and then we said goodbye to another lovely afternoon at sea!

- Maria Ernesto

Report from Elding: After a wonderful tour at 11:00, with calm seas and lots of animals, our crew started the 15:00 tour with a lot of positivity, hoping for a similar tour. Yet, the winds had become slightly stronger, and the waves bigger. But this was not enough to discourage our crew and passengers! And nevertheless, the tour turned out to be spectacular. Our first sighting included a pod of 10 white-beaked dolphins, who approach the ship, bow-riding it for a few minutes. The dolphins left, and we soon encountered a 2nd species, a minke whale. This individual only stayed for a brief moment, but its presence was rapidly substituted by a new pod of white-beaked dolphins. And together with the dolphins, two majestic humpback whales also showed-up, providing some incredible 30 minutes of dolphins and whales feeding together, accompanied by a variety of marine birds. Truly a National Geographic kind of moment!

-Ricardo Mendes

Report from Eldey: The skies were clear still and a light breeze had set upon us when we left the harbour this evening. Excited by the previous sightings of today, we sailed out into the bay. After a while, we found ourselves a humpback whale! This one appeared to be quite elusive so when we spotted a pod of 5-7 white beaked dolphins leaping out of the water in the distance, we headed into their direction. As we got closer, the dolphins were jumping and playing all around us, so we had an amazing time with them! After a while, we decided to give the humpback another shot, as it was still hanging out fairly close to us. This time, it was a lot less shy and we saw it surfacing multiple times very close to the boat! Finally, after another quick run with the dolphins, it was time for us to head back home while soaking in the sunset.

- Milan Vansteelandt

Report from Elding: The previous tours of the day were already fantastic, with a lot of wildlife around us, and this one was not different! The wind has picked up a little bit and the sea was a bit choppier than earlier, but we still enjoyed the beautiful sunlight slowly turning into this amazing golden hour. Sailing out to the same direction where we went on the previous tours, we first spotted a blow in the distance! We went to check it out and it was a humpback whale. However, it looked like the animal was trying to break the diving record, as after one surface sequence we never spotted it again.

In the same area we also spotted a minke whale, but it wasn't alone. Around 4 minkes were also around, and we were right in the center of this very productive spot. If it wasn't enough, we spotted a pod of about 25 white-beaked dolphins that came to say hello. Some of them were very active and even jumping multiple times. 

-Aleksandra Lechwar

Atlantic puffin, northern gannet, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, northern fulmar, arctic tern, black legged kittiwake, eider duck, black guillemot