Tuesday, 16 July 2024

Today we will be operating our Classic Whale Watching on our lovely vessel Eldey at 9:00, 13:00, 17:00 and 20:30 and our just as lovely Hafsúlan at 11:00 and 15:00. Our Premium Whale Watching tour will operate on Þruma I-V at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 20:00.

• CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 9:00; 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 on Eldey under perfect conditions, the sea-like glass, and excitement high as we ventured into known whale hot spots. Cruising through the usual areas, we scanned the calm waters. Two hours in, still no whales, with the sea remaining serene and only seabirds in sight, but we pressed on despite a slight dip in spirits. Suddenly, we spotted a small pod of around three white-beaked dolphins feeding and playing near the boat, their agility and grace lifting our spirits. We watched the dolphins for a while, feeling excited by their presence, before resuming our whale search. Though no whales appeared, the dolphin encounter and perfect weather made the trip enjoyable as we returned to shore.

-Aleksandra Lechwar

This morning we sailed out on Hafsulan. The sea was very calm and there was only a bit of wind. After a while we saw splashes. They were caused by a very calm pod of about 6 white beaked dolphins. We could stay with them for a while and could take good pictures. We did not want to disturb them for too long and headed further out in the bay to see if we could find something else. We then again saw splashes. These ones were caused by a very active pod of about 7 white beaked dolphins that seemed to be feeding. Great encounter and at some points very close to our beloved boat Hafsulan. When we were heading back to Reykjavik we saw a minke whale that was lunge feeding, also quite close to our boat. Another amazing encounter.

-Lasse Roggenkamp

Report from Eldey: With perfectly calm seas, we had great conditions for a whale-watching afternoon. We received word of a whale in the North of the bay, and as we were on our way there we encountered a minke whale. She only came up once, and aftrer a few minutes of waiting we continued northwards to find a humpback whale! He came up frequently, only deep-diving three minutes and often showing us his fluke. After some nice moments with this individual, we continued our journey and found a pod of 10 white-beaked dolphins. Initially, the dolphins were curious and came swimming towards our bow. A little later, the curiosity had worn off and the dolphins continued their own way away from us, and since we saw they were not so much in the whale-wathing mood anymore we decided to wave them goodbye. On our way back to Reykjavik,  another humpback whale popped up out of nowhere. He was surfacing very calmly and seemed to be resting. We had to wait almost ten minutes for him to come up again, but our patience definitely paid off because the next time he came up within 5 meters of the boat! It was incredible to see this impressive animal from so close, and I think some passengers even got spraid with some whale-blow - you can't get a more close-up encounter than this! With all these incredible moments in mind, we sailed back to Reykjavik. 

- Eline van Aalderink

Report from Hafsulan: As we set sail this afternoon the clouds had become a bit more dense, but the sea and wind were still very calm. after some searching around, we found ourselves a humpback whale! It turned out to be the same individual that we have been seeing in the bay for quite some days now and it still was as active as always! It went for many short dives, constantly lifting its fluke out of the water! On multiple occasions it even surfaced super close to the boat! After spending much time with this humpback, it was time to give it some rest and head back into port.

- Milan Vansteelandt

Report from Eldey - We set sail under perfect conditions, with the sea calm and ideal for whale watching. After searching for a bit, we spotted splashes in the distance and approached a pod of about ten white-beaked dolphins, some coming close to the boat and putting on an incredible show. Leaving the dolphins behind, we immediately saw the blow of a humpback whale in the distance. The whale was feeding and surfacing every minute, giving us a fantastic and prolonged view. As we continued our journey, we encountered another pod of white-beaked dolphins, this time with many babies, which added an extra touch of delight to the experience. The day was filled with remarkable marine life sightings, making it an unforgettable adventure.

-Aleksandra Lechwar

Dinner time in Faxafloi Bay. We sailed out in a still very calm bay. We had to be a little patient to have our first encounter but it was mindblowing. First we spotted a blow in the distance and decided to approach. The blow was caused by a humpback whale. It did not just show us its fluke many times, it also kept lunge feeding right in front of our boat. After a while we decided to leave this individual alone and continued our search further out in the bay. Not long after our first encounter we spotted an elusive back coming to the surface for short breaths. It was a minke whale. This individual and its friend (another minke whale) were hungry as well so they also decided to lunge-feed. Another breathtaking encounter. When we ran out of time we started our way back to Reykjavik. On the way we also saw a very active pod of about 8 white beaked dolphins that seemed to be feeding as well. Tired but amazed we finally arrived in the Old Harbour in Reykjavik.

-Lasse Roggenkamp

Arctic tern, Northern fulmar, Northern gannet, razorbill, black guillemot, common guillemot, Atlantic puffin, black legged kittiwake, herring gull, black backed gull, Arctic skua