Thursday, 31 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: We set sail, all layered up and with a bit of drizzle here and there. It was not too long until we came across one pod of eight white-beaked dolphins! These dolphins did have a calf with them so they came nice and close for a moment and then off they went. It was nice to see them clearly through the water and even see an adult and calf jump about! As we left the dolphin pod we saw the blow of one humpback whale! This humpback whale gave us multiple views of its fluke, and was a very determined feeder. With a fluke dive, we waved this humpback goodbye and went to see who else was about. We then spotted the blow of another solitary humpback! This humpback gave a few really nice surface sequences, before ending our viewing with a great fluke dive. After waving goodbye to this humpback, we continued on to see who else was about. We had two solitary minke whales that would periodically surface. They were pretty elusive but did manage to surface close to us a few times before off they went. We then spotted the blow of our third humpback whale! This whale was actively feeding and had a flock of seabirds following trying to obtain a free meal. The humpback even came nice and close and took a bit of a rest. This was excellent as we could see their white pectoral fins through the surface of the water and get a good look at how big this individual was. After multiple close surface sequences it was time to head back to port. What a successful tour!

-Samantha Smith

Report from Hafsulan: We are still recovering our breath after this tour! There were so many whales everywhere that was hard to count the number of individuals. The beginning of the tour was a bit bumpy and we had cold winds on our faces. However, we just needed to spot a blow for the sun to come out and the wind become weaker! In fact, it was 2 blows: we had 2 beautiful, big, majestic fin whales!!! There were about 6 white-beaked dolphins swimming side-by-side with them, as both are very sociable species. We stayed a bit with them before we headed to another blow not far away, to discover a humpback whale! There was also about 2 minke whales around. We could track this humpback by the birds above it a the pectoral fins that we could see through the surface. Then, we saw a splash in the distance, seeing another humpback tail slapping repeatedly! When we got this whale, we also noticed many blows together in the distance. We couldn't help ourselves to go and check it out. We were amazed: about 5 humpback whales (and 2 more in the distance) were feeding (and sometimes lunge feeding) at the same area! Also, many seabirds would follow them, and about 6 minkes were also close. We spent a while with them, happy and surrounded by nature. It was hard to say goodbye to them, but our time was running out. On the way back, we had fun watching the puffins and still pointing at about 5 other more minkes towards Reykjavik!

- Milla Brandao

Report from Eldey: We departed under clear skies and calm seas—a perfect day for whale watching. After some searching, we spotted blows on the horizon, and as we approached, we were thrilled to find five humpback whales feeding together. They came quite close to the boat, putting on an impressive show with coordinated movements and surface activity. In the same area, we encountered a small pod of five white-beaked dolphins and spotted around eight minke whales. Both species were elusive, surfacing briefly before disappearing again, offering only fleeting glimpses. Not ready to call it a day, we ventured farther out—and were rewarded with a rare sight: the towering blows of two fin whales. These giants are uncommon in the area, making the encounter all the more special. We were lucky enough to get a few close views before they moved on, capping off an exceptional day on the water.

-Aleksandra Lechwar

Report from Hafsulan: once again, we sailed out ready to spot more whales. We took some time this tour to spot our first blow, but there they were, 2 of them side-by-side: 2 fin whales swimming and feeding together!! The sunlight helped up to see them even before they came up to the surface, showing off its beautiful white rostrum on the right and allowing us many great pictures too. One of them even lunge fed on its side and we could see part of its fluke, something that they don't show much even when they go for a deep dive! after some time with these whales we decided to continue or trip and sailed for about 20 minutes until we started noticing a blow and then another and more and more! So many humpbacks! amazing they were feeding and fluking frequently in an incredible show! Eventually it was time to go back home so we said goodbye to the whales and started our journey back to the harbour.

-Maria Ernesto

Report from Elding: Whale, whale, whale, what a wonderful afternoon it was! We had a total of eight  humpback whales! Most were solitary feeding but we also had one group of two humpbacks feeding together as well as one group of three humpbacks feeding together.  For most of the viewing of these humpbacks you could see blows all around us! We had multiple close encounters which allowed us to see their entire bodies through the surface. We could easily track the humpbacks using their white pectoral fins, as well as by following the foraging seabirds. We really did have flukes galore and were treated to multiple flukes from all of our individuals. The bay was so calm that we could even see 4 solitary  minke whales  surfacing in between the humpbacks. These minkes gave us some really nice surface sequences which was wonderful. We even had a pod of eight  white-beaked dolphins! They were curious and came close to the boat, then gave us a wonderful show with a few breaches! Everyone seemed to be out enjoying the bay buffet at this time and it was non stop action! With endless sightings, we waved our cetaceans goodbye and headed back to port. A truly amazing tour!

-Samantha Smith

Report from Eldey: We sailed out into long slow waves and gentle winds while the sun was setting in front of us. After some searching we ended up in an area with an estimated 11 humpback whales, with most of them feeding. We were absolutely surrounded by blows creating an awe-inspiring scenery, everywhere we looked. Some of the whales also had time for a little bit of fun as one breach and one half breach! Some whales were also feeling very social as they started interacting and for a little while, we could spot up to 4 humpbacks feeding side-by-side! On two occasions, we saw this recently formed group do some lunge feeding as well, once only 10 meters in front of us! Amongst the humpbacks, we also spotted a few minke whales getting their pickings of the food, seemingly unbothered by both our presence and that of the many humpbacks around. We had an incredible time this evening and before we knew it, it was time to head back towards Reykjavik, calling it a night.

Atlantic puffin, eider duck, Northern gannet, Northern fulmar, common guillemot, black guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, Arctic tern, Arctic skua, lesser and greater black back gull, herring gull