Saturday, 3 January 2015

Report from Hafsúlan: today we started the tour in Keflavik, as we ended there yesterday, but ended in Hafnarfjörður. Even if it requires almost an hour long journey by bus to get there, it is always interesting to go out from there and besides, the conditions off Reykjavik were bad today so it was either that or to cancel the tour, which we always hate to do as our passengers have often been looking forward to their trip. So we went out of Keflavik harbour and first followed Garðskagi Peninsula and then turned towards northeast so that we could end in Hafnarfjörður. Some time into the tour we thought we might have seen a dorsal fin passing through the water but despite sticking around, scanning the surface of the water carefully, we did not find what it might have belonged to. Perhaps the owner just did not want to be watched today. On went the journey and we saw some northern gannets, always a delight, as well as several other species of birds along with the snow-covered landscape of the Reykjanes Peninsula. However, sadly, once we got closer and closer to Hafnarfjörður, it became evident that this tour would be one without sightings of whales, dolphins, or porpoises. All passengers were therefore provided with complimentary return tickets so that they can return to us for another whale-watching tour free of charge within the next two years.

- Baldur Thorvaldsson

Birds seen on today's tours: eider duck, northern fulmar, common guillemot, northern gannet, glaucous gull, kittiwake, black-backed gull, and european shag.