Wednesday, 17 November 2021

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Wednesday, 17 November 2021

Today we will be operating on our lovely vessel Eldey for the 09:00 and 13:00 Classic Whale Watching tours. Make sure to dress appropriately for the tours as it is always colder on sea than on land

  • CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 09:00
  • CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 13:00

COVID-19: Keep in mind that passengers and crew are asked to ensure their own hygiene and safety at all times. Washing hands thoroughly with soap and using a hand sanitiser is advised. Masks are not mandatory but are recommended in areas where keeping distance from others is not possible.

CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 09:00

Report from Eldey: Today the wind finally dropped after many stormy days, but the swell this morning was still pretty high. It was cold and a bit dark when we left the harbour, but we could already see the start of a beautiful sunrise. Once it got lighter, the sky was beautifully pink and orange and we could enjoy the snowcovered landscape. After only a few minutes we had our first encounter: a pod of 4-6 white-beaked dolphins were swimming surprisingly close to the harbour. There were one or two juveniles in the group and they sometimes came at less than 50 meters than the boat on our side, and we even saw a few leaps. As the dolphins looked a bit busy, we decided to keep going to see what we could find further out. We did not have another cetacean sighting, but when our captain turned the boat to reduce the feeling of swell on the boat, we were all able to enjoy the guillemots, razorbills and seagulls flying by in the beautiful sky, and got to take in the impressive landscape from the perspective of the boat.

- Eline van Aalderink

CLASSIC WHALE TOUR | 13:00

Report from Eldey : Conditions were similar than this morning with a calmer swell and the wind picking up a bit in the end. We headed north of the bay and went quite far. We did not find anything and turn in direction of the south for a while. The landscape was particularly beautiful with the sun on the white mountains of Snaefellsnes. It took us a long time but we finally saw a tail not that far. We approached and could have a good encounter with a humpback whale.  The animal was surfacing and quickly going for a new dive, showing its fluke every time. It was challenging to follow but after a while we observed that other blows were appearing in the same area. In total we saw 3 humpback whales, that were surfacing and diving in the same area. Two of the humpbacks joined at some point. We had a few last looks and start heading back to Reykjavik, crossing in the way back a pod of 6-7 white-beaked dolphins.

- Miquel Pons

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This is the original whale watching tour from Reykjavík! Join our highly enthusiastic and experienced team in the search for whales, dolphins and birds of Faxaflói bay! Most common wildlife encountered are humpbacks, minkes, dolphins and porpoises.

Duration
3:00 Hours
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whales and northern lights cruise combo
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This combo unites some of the most popular winter attractions in Iceland - classic whale watching and northern lights from down town Reykjavík!

Duration
5:00 Hours
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Minke whale feeding amongst seabirds

The ocean currents in the area create excellent conditions for feeding grounds and the long period of light during the summer provides the right environment for the plankton and krill, making it a diverse and abundant bay. A successful tour is a team effort, and our crew works closely together with the passengers on spotting the wildlife, making each tour an exciting and unforgettable experience.

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whales of faxaflói bay

Currently, we know of over 90 different species of Whales, dolphins and Porpoises collectively called cetaceans. These range from the largest animal that has ever lived on our planet the Blue Whale to the smallest the Hectors dolphin. They are found in every one of our oceans and even some of our rivers. Anyone that has been whale watching and seen these magnificent mammals up close can tell you that it is an experience never forgotten and a feeling of amazement and happiness not quite understood.

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