Tuesday, 10 August 2021

✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 09:00

Report from Eldey: We motored out this morning into the bay of Faxaflói with 2-4m/s winds that changed direction and 0.5m long swells that were barely felt. It was a beautiful day. We saw our first cetacean, a pod of 3-4 scattered white-beaked dolphins, after about 40mins after leaving the port. They were a little elusive so we only stopped a few mins. Then a minke whale crossed our path, an awesome minke that blew bubbles whilst feeding just 20m from our bow but it wasn’t until later in the tour when we saw a humpback whale flipper slapping and breaching in the distance. The minke whale (a different individual the before) didn’t like loosing the attention so it too started breaching. AMAZING!! We went to check out the humpback too and it had relaxed some and stopped the acrobatic behaviours and instead just slowly travelled under the surface, we could even follow its white pectoral fins from above. We also noticed 2-3 white-beaked dolphins interacting with the humpback as we approached, probably the reason the humpback was being acrobatics. It was playing with the dolphins. We sailed home with such huge smiles on our face.

- Megan Whittaker

✔ PREMIUM WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE |  10:00 

Report from Þruma: Again, the day begun with ideal conditions. We headed in a south westerly direction, avoiding the cluster of boats to the north as we always try our best to have personal encounters with the inhabitants of Faxafloi. We were not disappointed, quickly finding a pod of 5-7 white-beaked dolphins that exhibited two beahviours within the group. Half of the members were interested in our presence, coming very close and darting beneath our boat, displaying their power and speed clearly whilst the others slowly continued about their business. We headed further into the bay in search of whales, and paused in a key area. Soon, many minke whales showed themselves. A pair swimming side by side was the main attraction as a total of 5-6 whales were loosely spread within sight. We stayed with the pair and they immediately came towards our motionless boat. One individual continued its course but one showed immense curiosity. The whale circled the RIB countless times, obviously in an investigative manner. 

- Mike Smith

✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 13:00

✔  PREMIUM PUFFIN TOUR | 13:00

✔ PREMIUM WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 14:00

Report from Þruma: The great conditions continued into the afternoon once again, although the wind speed had increased causing a small, wind driven swell. After heading in a southerly direction once again, we first found a lone minke whale which was not the easiest to watch. The whale appeared to be moving in one direction but at a reasonably fast pace. When the whale took a dive we continued deeper into the bay and found another pod of white-beaked dolphins numbering around 6-8. The dolphins showed an inquisitive nature, bow riding and swimming alongside our boat once again. Finally, we received word of a humpback whale towards the north. After arriving in the area, the whale showed itself, taking many breaths before raising its fluke for a dive. The whale returned with force, breaching high above our boat from no more than 30 metres away. 

- Mike Smith

minke, dolphins, breaching humpback

✔ CLASSIC MIDNIGHT WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 19:00

Report from Eldey: Wow. What an unbelievable evening. Everything was perfect, from the weather, the ocean and the wildlife. No one could have wished for more. There was everything from diversity of cetacean species, to rare behaviours witnessed back-to-back. After one hour of sailing with no cetacean sightings the bay suddenly burst into life as the blow of a humpback whale was seen around 500 metres away. On our journey a second blow was sighted further away on the same course, then a third in a different direction. We just needed to be patient and wait. The closest whale surfaced and exhibiting normal surfacing behaviour from a close distance and once it dove we headed towards the next nearby whale as it appeared to be two side by side. On the way, the whale was intercepted by a pod of very playful white-beaked dolphins that were harassing one of the humpbacks, jumping playfully around the whale as it dove. This continued for some time, watching inter species interactions then all of a sudden, in the distance a fifth humpback breached creating a tremendous splash. Time was running short, we turned towards Reykjavik and the closest whale breached 10 consecutive times, but we had to leave and we could see one more humpback that we would pass on the homeward stretch. This whale, on our approach, decide to breach without warning 20 metres from the boat twice, alerting the dolphins, who then joined in on the action, leaping from the ocean around the humpback while it rolled on its side, slapping its pectoral fins and slammed its fluke on the surface. Finally we had to head home with whales continuing to breach in al directions. Never experienced a tour quite like this one

- Mike Smith

Bird Species ID´d today: Northern Gannet, Atlantic Puffin, Common Guillemot, Arctic tern, Arctic skua, Northern Fulmar, Kittiwake, Eider Duck, Greater-black backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull, Manx Shearwater.