- Image
Wednesday, June 30 2021
Weather forecast at 09:00, South westerly wind, 6 m/s 10°C, cloudy.
✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 09:00
Report from Elding: This morning we had somewhat miserable conditions with fine rain, overcast skies, slight wind from the south and rolling swells from the southwest. It was still very nice to be out on the water with the diversity of seabirds including the very popular and cute Atlantic puffin flapping their little wings super fast as they flew by. It was however a very strange experience with the whales. We saw about 2 minke whales, one of which we saw surface well maybe twice and the rest of the time it was mainly the very faint blow the crew spotted. We were waiting for one of the individuals to surface again when a humpback whale surfaced out of nowhere. Surfaced twice and disappeared again into the blue yonder. It was very difficult for the passengers this morning to see the whales so we offered them complimentary tickets in the hope they will join us once again with better sightings. We of course always know that this is nature and nothing is guaranteed. This was just one of those days the whales were relaxing and not surfacing as regularly.
- Megan Whittaker
✘ PREMIUM WHALE WATCHING TOUR CANCELLED | 10:00
✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 13:00
Report from Elding: The afternoon was very much the same weather conditions but we were a little luckier with the whales. We saw 2 humpback whales on this tour after about 1 hours sailing. It once again popped up right in front of the boat, like it was letting us know of its location, surfaced twice more and then went on a 20min dive and surfaced again about 200-300m away. It was probably sleeping lower down in the water column and just surfacing to take a breath. Nice to know they are happy chilling even with the boats around. Then a second humpback surfaced, we could tell it was a different animal by the colour of the underside of the tail. One was black the other was white. This one surface more frequently but seemed to be moving faster so it was difficult to get close to this individual. We then comfortably surfed home on the rolling swells and enjoyed a nice hot drink that can be purchased at our onboard cafeteria.
- Megan Whittaker
✔ CLASSIC WHALE TOUR ON SCHEDULE | 20:30
Report from Elding: The conditions had improved slightly as the evening drew in, as the wind dropped and the sea state steadied. The overcast skies persisted however. We journeyed into the bay, discovering many groups of seabirds, made up of a variety of species. Slowly passing through these areas, making sure we had a good search we came across two separate minke whales. Both individuals only showed their bodies temporarily, staying at the surface for a couple of surfaces, before disappearing into the dark sea. We tried our best efforts in our main areas but unfortunately issued complimentary tickets due to the fleeting encounter.
- Mike Smith
Bird Species ID´d today: Northern Gannet, Atlantic Puffin, Common Guillemot, Arctic tern, Arctic skua, Northern Fulmar, Kittiwake, Eider Duck, great-black backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull.
Today we will be operating on Þruma RIB for our 10:00 Premium tour and our lovely vessel Elding for the 09:00 and 13:00 Classic tour. Make sure to dress appropriately for the tours as it is always colder on sea than on land. Join us by booking online or contact us directly for more information (elding@elding.is / +354 519 5000).
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.