Whale Diary

09:00 - The weather could not have been better as we went out for our first tour this morning. Clear sunny sky, just a slight wind from the north west and flat calm seas. After visiting hundreds of Atlantic puffins out on the bay we spotted 2 minke whales that was traveling fast. After coming to the surface for a few times they disappeared and so we went on. Mere minutes later we sighted a pair of white-beaked dolphins that found an interest in our boat and got really close to us to check us out. Just a short time after that we spotted a humpback whale and were able to observe it using the bubble net technique to feed on the surface. To seal the deal on this almost perfect tour, we found a large pod of around 15 harbour porpoises. With all four of out main species sighted during the tour, it could not have been much better!

Crew: Captain Gunni & Guide Knut

10:00 - Sunshine, smooth seas, and lots of whales were in the bay today. We first spotted two or three harbour porpoises, but they were elusive so we continued. Our next sighting of the porpoises was much more successful: we were surrounded by 30 of them, and they were super curious about the boat so they kept approaching us and swimming right next to the boat. After some wonderful moments, we headed further north to find two humpback whales. They came really close to the boat too and were very calm. Next, we headed to a pod of 7-8 white-beaked dolphins, who suddenly started jumping high out of the water! We couldn´t believe our luck as they showed us their whole body, spinning and leaping all around us. On our way back, nature still had more in store for us: a minke whale surfaced. Besides all the amazing whale-sightings, we also had the pleasure of seeing lots of Atlantic puffins and pufflings, and some other beautiful seabirds. An unforgettable trip! 

Crew: Captain Pedro & Guide Eline

12:00 - As for our first tour, the sea was still flat as a duck pond. Our first sighting was an elegant minke whale. It disappeared after a few quick breaths on the surface and so we went on and were rewarded with a wonderful pair of humpback whales that was traveling slowly, possibly resting close to the surface. We managed to drift right up to them with our engines turned off and so they surfaced mere meters away from us. Again on our way back tot he harbor, we came across a large pod of around 10 quick harbour porpoises. Another wonderful tour on this great day. 

Crew: Captain Gunni & Guide Knut

13:00 - We had amazing weather today. The sun was shining, the winds were low, and the vibes were high. Even though most of our cute puffins have left, we still passed by Akurey island and could see many dozens of them flying around. In the bay, we even spotted a few young pufflings!  At sea, we came across an area where we could see multiple animals surfacing , one after the other. Our first sighting was of a few minke whales who were feeding by themselves, and we had a few good looks of it. Before we headed out, a group of harbour porpoises showed up and we were delighted to see minkes and porpoises swimming in the same place. Our next stop was with something a bit larger: two humpback whales were swimming side by side and one of them breached for Ricardo. After this amazing, jaw-dropping event, the whales seemed to relax and we observed them as they calmly swimmed nearby. They showed us their flukes as they went for deep dives, and we recognised one of the individuals as a whale named Cheeseburger.  As time runned out, we left cheeseburger and it's friend and headed back home, under a pleasant sunny sky.

Crew: Captain Emily & Guide Ricardo, Captain Pedro & Guide Eline

15:00 - The wind had picked up just a little but the weather was still awesome. Our first sighting was 2 humpback whales that traveled a few hundred meters apart. We got closer to them an were able to see them fluke dive close to our boat. Further out at sea we found a small pod of around 5 white-beaked dolphins that played with us by swimming alongside our boat for a while. On our way back to the harbor we could see northern gannets plunge dive into the water. A great way to finish this amazing tour. 

Crew: Captain Gunni & Guide Knut

16:00 - It was still sunny and calm this afternoon, so we were happy to sail out into Faxaflói. We came across a humpback whale that went for five-minute dives and showed us his fluke frequently. The next sighting was of another humpback whale, who was displaying similar behaviour. In the meantime, a pod of 5 white-beaked dolphins had joined the first humpback whale. The dolphins were having a great time, jumping over the whale while he was clearly annoyed and started slapping his pectoral fin at them and trumpeting. For us, this was fascinating to watch and the whale and dolphins came incredibly close to our boat. We also saw lots of Atlantic puffins during the tour, and even a few pufflings! What a great day! 

Crew: Captain Emily & Guide Ricardo, Captain Pedro & Guide Eline

19:00 - The sea remained flat as a lake when we left for our 7pm tour. We passed by Akurey island and paid a visit to the Atlantic puffins who are still hanging out around it. After seeing these cute birds, we headed out to sea, but were surprised to be covered by a cloud of dense fog. The fog made it a challenge to search for whales, as visibility decreased to less than 200 meters. However, we did not give up and went to search in two areas where whales had previously been seen, earlier in the day. We couldn't find whales in these area and, after doing a few extra searches, we ran out of time and had to return to Reykjavík. We tried to make the best out of the situation and did a quick sightseeing through Reykjavík's sea walk, closely checked the impressively beautiful tall ship A.R.C Gloria, a Colombian tall ship currently docked in Reykjavík and, upon returning to our office, offered complimentary tickets to our guests, for them to return again for a free classic whale-watching tour.

Crew: Captain Emily & Guide Ricardo