Whale Diary

10:00 - We had a bit of showers this morning, so we put on our overalls and headed out, excited to sea who was out in the bay. We first stopped by our Atlantic puffin colony, and were surrounded by puffins relaxing on the water and flying around us to and from the island. We then waved our feathered friends goodbye and went out into the bay. Not too far into the bay we spotted a pod of  8  white-beaked dolphins. The pod was spread out a bit and some were a bit more active, jumping out periodically. There was even a juvenile in the group which was exciting to see. After a great viewing, and multiple surface sequences, we continued onward. We noticed a flock of birds diving down feeding and decided to see if any cetaceans were feeding in this area as well. Luckily for us we had 1 minke whale! Conditions were very calm, which allowed for us to easily see the minke when they surfaced, and also hear them as they took a breath! They even surfaced quite close to us and it was wonderful to see a bit of their minke mittens as well! As we were watching the minke whale, we spotted a blow in the distance and went to see who else was around. As we got closer we realized we had found 1 humpback whale! This individual gave us multiple surface sequences, and we even got to see their fluke! Also in the area we had another 2 solitary minke whales that were popping up periodically around us. With all the cetaceans in the area and great visibility, it was almost endless sightings which was amazing. The humpback even came close and swam right next to us! After a wonderful viewing, it was time to head back to port. With three of our four common cetaceans spotted, we had an excellent morning!

Crew: Captain Gunni & Guide Emily, Captain Miquel & Guide Sam, Captain Megan & Guide Ricardo

14:00 - After a fun morning at sea, we set off again! We stopped by Akurey to take a look at one of our local Atlantic puffin breeding colonies. We saw loads, in the water, on the island and flapping around. The trip was off to a great start. We continued on out into the bay, excited about what was to come next. It didn't take long until we encountered 5 white-beaked dolphins. This group was quite calm but also interested in checking out the boat a bit. We had dolphins swimming around us and even bow-riding for a short moment. As the trip progressed, the rain picked up. But that didn't stop the trip from getting better and better. We found a humpback whale! Humpback whales are known to commonly lift their fluke as they initiate deeper dives. This whale refused to show us his fluke. We did not mind one bit, however, because it still put on a show for us. After surfacing a few times, this whale decided to breach! We also saw it lunge feed in a spot we had just seen some Northern gannets dive-bombing. After that the humpback found an interest in our boat and swam right next to us before going for another dive. And then it joined us another time. Truly spectacular! When we returned to the harbour, everyone was soaking wet from the rain but in the best of spirits after such a fantastic trip at sea!

Crew: Captain Gunni & Guide Hannah, Captain Miquel & Guide Sam