Thursday, 17 July 2025

• CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 20:30
• PREMIUM WHALE TOUR |10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 20:00

Report from Eldey: This morning we were greeted by a calm ocean as we set sail West in search of whales. There was a cloud of rain following us, but that didn't matter, because we soon found an area where many minke whales were feeding and one even lunge-fed! There must have been at least 5 in this area alone, and we took a look at them before we moved on. Soon enough, we found another area with an even larger aggregation of minke whales! Here, there were at least 20 minkes feeding! In this area, we also found 20-30 white-beaked dolphins being very active and playful! We even saw 4 jumping in sync! At this point, the rain had caught up with us so we enjoyed watching the dolphins and the minkes for a few more minutes before retreating into the warmth and dryness of the boat, as we headed back to the harbour after a great tour!

-Sigrún Helgu

Report from Hafsulan: We set sail under dense cloud cover, relieved that the drizzling rain had stopped. It didn't take long to spot our first sighting, an elusive harbour porpoise living up to its shy reputation. We continued on, and were soon spotting multiple pods of white-beaked dolphins all presumably busy feeding in an area. A curious pod of 4 came up really close to our boat, showed off some wonderful leaps and even some bow-riding! There was a lot of activity in the area, as minke whales also started popping up all around, there was at least 25 seen around us throughout the tour. We had our eyes set on some blows in the distance, and headed closer to investigate. It was a pair of humpback whales, but not just any pair, a mother-calf pair! This duo gave us quite a treat, by coming quite close to the boat, giving us a great close-up view!

- Maja Andersson

Report from Eldey: We left Reykjavík into the Faxaflói Bay with cloudy skies and a light rain, but flat seas which made the bay look more like a lake. Even with the rain, a large number of our passenger came up to our outside decks, eager to start looking for some cetaceans. It didn´t take us long to come across our first sighting, a group of 3 harbour porpoises, which swiftly passed by us. Soon enough, as we continued our journey we came upon a new group, this time of around 20 white-beaked dolphins, which were spread-out over 2 different areas. However, the main high point of the tour was when we came across a feeding frenzy, where a larg school of fish was being devoured by multiple seabird species, as well as up to 7 minke whales. These minkes, some small juveniles and others big adults, were lunge-feeding near us, providing a spectacular show for everyone to see! After half an hour of these, we started heading back to the harbour, still spotting various white-beaked dolphins and minke whales on the way back.

- Ricardo

Report from Hafsulan: This afternoon we sailed out under cloudy skies into a very calm and peaceful bay. Quite early we came across a pod of about 10 white-beaked dolphins, including a at least 2 mother-calf pairs! We watched as they travelled along, with some occasional jumps and leaps. As we continued on our way, 2 minke whales swam past us and we could see their pointed dorsal fins breaking the surface. More and more minke whales showed up and we could watch them swim by us in all directions. Suddenly, a large wave formed on the surface - it was a lunge feeding minke whale! We marveled, as several individuals of this usually quite shy species decided to go for a fish-feast beneath and around us. The water was glistening from all the fish just beneath the surface. We spotted some larger backs in the distance, and headed out of this incredible feeding frenzy to get a closer look. We found it was a trio of humpback whales, a mother-calf pair joined by another individual! We also saw several other flukes in the distance. We stayed with the trio for a while, admiring the size of the mom whale, as well as the gorgeous fluke dives. On our way back to the harbour, we spotted a few more minke whales travelling past, as well as another pod of white-beaked dolphins. What a beautiful afternoon! 

- Orsi Stipsicz

Report from Eldey: We were met with slight drizzle as we set sail once again into an overcast bay. This time, determined to find some humpbacks. We sailed far out in search of them, and encountered some elusive minke whales along the way. At least 5! As we had reached further West, we were greeted by three small pods of 3-5 white-beaked dolphins spaced out along the way! But our journey did not end there, and after a while of sailing, we finally encountered a pair of humpback whales! This was the mother and calf pair once again, and we caught a glimpse of the calf spyhopping before the mom did two powerful tail throws, and multiple tail slaps, right in front of the boat!! We were stunned with awe. We continued watching them as they surfaced side by side, showing us just how significant their size difference is! Then, we said goodbye to the pair and made our way back to the harbour, beaming with happiness!

-Sigrún Helgu

Report from Elding: This evening we set out under a mostly clouded sky, with a warm sunset casting soft light over calm seas. On our way out, we spotted at least 10 minke whales surfacing around us, though we didn’t stop. Our first pause came for a pod of about 10 white-beaked dolphins, including two calves, swimming and leaping near the boat. Soon after, we reached a feeding area where a humpback whale and her calf were joined by dolphins bow-riding and darting through the water. Then, another pair of humpbacks appeared nearby—an incredible sight to end the day. As the light faded, we turned back toward the harbour, grateful for such a lively and memorable evening on the water.

- Guillermo Monescillo Aragon

North Atlantic puffin, Northern fulmar, Northern gannet, black legged kittiwake, lesser & greater black backed gull, Arctic tern, common guillemot, herring gull