SATURDAY, 31 AUGUST 2019

 TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 19:00

Report from Elding: It started out a bit gloomy, with that drizzle of rain that we have had all day still going and clouds now hanging low. But we know that whales really don't mind getting wet, only we would be bothered by the rain if it were not for our overalls to protect us. But as we got further out, the clouds broke apart and we had a beautiful rainbow arch above Akraness and a stunning sun beginning to set to it's west. We sailed through the area that had been so great all day, but unsuccessfully. Despite no sightings, the scenery was absolutely memorable today and we hope that all passengers will use the complimentary ticket we handed out to them to return. 

- Miquel Pons

 TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 17:00

Report from Eldey: The weather was still really calm and nice although the rain decided to keep us refreshed almost the whole trip. Nevertheless, there were a lot of adventurous passengers that decided to stay outside with me the entire trip, just enjoying the flat seas and the, probably, once in a lifetime experience. We were sailing througout the bay and we were surprised that, even with a great visibility, we spent a long time without any more company than some northern fulmars and 2-3 harbour porpoises that dissapeared really quickly. But our patience was, finally, rewarded. A black shape appeared in the distance. 2 minke whales were having a fest with a lot of northern gannets. We were trying to approach them in a really respectful way and we had the opportunity to have one of the whales literally 1 cm from the boat. Such an amazing sighting!

-Elena Gutiérrez Ruiz

 TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 14:00

Report from Elding: The clouds had pulled together and winds picked up, but after such a great morning tour we were excited to go out again. Naturally, we aimed for the area where we had seen the many gannets and minke whales and still found 2 minke whales there. They obviously still had an appetite, as they were feeding. One minke came so close to our boat, less than 15 meters, and in such an angle that we even saw it's white lower jaw! That was just awesome!! Hopefully they will still be hungry for our evening tour.

- Sabrina Voswinkel

 TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 13:00

Report from Eldey: The sea conditions were much better than the day before and we could not start better this tour. Once we got out from the harbour we had our first encounter with a minke whale exactly next to the lighthouse call it Grotta. We stayed for a while enjoying with this animals, but the show must go on! so we headed towards our usual area. Suddenly another minke whale showed up to say hello, it was so amazing. This did not finish yet 5 minke whales were waitting for us. We had the opportunity to see them very close and got really nice pictures of them. In between we saw also the cutest cetaceans of the bay a small pod of harbour porpoises. It was undoubtedly one of the best tour of the summer.

- Jose Manuel Marco Valero

 TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 10:00

Report from Elding: This was more the weather we like, winds having calmed and the ocean as well. The visibility was great and so it was not difficult for us to spot many northern gannets from far away as they were diving for fish. This is always a very promising sign as birds feeding on the surface often means there may be something feeding alongside them underneath. Sure enough, as we got closer we encountered a total of 4 minke whales lifting their upper jaw out of the water over and over again as they engulfed the fish. We stayed for over an hour, having countless extremely close surfaces of the whales next to us. Also the gannets were an absolute show today with their bomb diving and flying all around us. A GREAT start and we can't wait for more!

- Sabrina Voswinkel

 TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 09:00

Report from Eldey: The weather was amazing this morning! What a great difference between the strong winds from yesterday. Flat seas, almost no wind (quite cold though) and cloudy sky; perfect day for whale watching. We were sailing West enjoying the views of the mountains when a few small harbour porpoises started to show up all around the boat. At least, 10-15 harbour porpoises in a few minutes. These animals are usually really fast and elusive so we continued our way until a dark shape appeared in the distance. We reached the area to discover 2 minke whales feeding! We had the chance to encounter them really close to the boat and enjoy their feeding show together with dozens of northen gannets. We enjoyed the lovely company for a few minutes until we decided to continue our way to try to find something else. Luckily we suceeded because we found a pod of 4 white-beaked dolphins, travelling in a really calm way. Such a nice way to start the day.

-Elena Gutiérrez Ruiz

Birds seen today: northern gannet, northern fulmar, eider duck, common guillemot, black-backed gull, black-legged kitiway, manx shearwater, common redshank.

We are sailing from the Old Harbour in Reykjavík today. 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.