Whale Diary

10:00 - We headed out onto the flat, calm bay under cloud cover, but with visibility conditions so great, we got a great view of Snæfellsjökull! On our way out, we stopped at Akurey, one of the Atlantic puffin colonies we have near the harbour to get a nice close-up look at these feisty little seabirds. As we continued, we spotted our first sign of cetaceans, a large blow ahead. It was a feeding humpback whale, clearly marked for us by the flock of excited seabirds following it around. We got to see some quick surfaces and majestic fluke dives from this lovely individual, as it stopped feeding, we decided to continue on and leave it to digest its meal in peace. We soon spotted some more activity ahead, 3 groups of white-beaked dolphins! We decided to follow a pod of 5, that appeared to be very curious, playful and energetic, also keeping an eye on the pod of 4 and pod of 8 a bit further in the distance. The pod we ere sticking with decided to treat us to some unique playful behaviour such as bow riding, and wake riding as well, giving us nice close looks. As we were quite far out, we had to start making our way back towards the harbour, and we even got to stop by the humpback on our way home. What a wonderful tour!

Crew: Captain Miquel & Guide María, Captain Gunni & Guide Maja, Captain Kylie & Guide Orsi

14:00 - The afternoon was a little cloudy but still offered amazing conditions for sailing. Before heading out into Faxaflói Bay, we stopped at our usual spot in Akurey, one of our favorite colonies for observing Atlantic puffins. Later, we sailed north in search of cetaceans. Not far from the coast, we spotted a very calm pod of five harbor porpoises, which allowed us to observe them from very close range. After this sighting, we continued our journey to another area where other boats had found a humpback whale. It was the same whale we had seen this morning, as we could recognize its very hook shaped dorsal fin. This time, the individual was very calm around us, and we were able to observe its tail several times, giving us the opportunity to take amazing pictures and videos. But the best part of the tour came almost at the very end, when we spotted a very special minke whale. It was a very small juvenile, extremely curious about our boat and constantly swimming around us. We could see every part of its body perfectly because the sea was so calm that we could even see it underwater. It was simply incredible! This is something very uncommon to witness, so even our crew members were filming the encounter. Every day on the ocean is a surprise!

Crew: Captain Miquel & Guide María, Captain Gunni & Guide Maja

20:00 - The evening tour offered beautiful sailing conditions despite a cloudy and raining afternoon sky. Before heading further into Faxaflói Bay, we stopped by Akurey to enjoy one of our favorite puffin colonies, where the Atlantic puffins were busy flying back and forth around the island. Leaving the coast behind, a little far away we encountered an incredible humpback whale, the very same individual we had seen earlier in the day, easily recognized by its distinctive hook shaped dorsal fin. This whale was extremely active and gave our passengers an unforgettable show! We watched as it continuously changed directions while feeding, surfacing again and again all around us. The entire area was alive with activity, with many seabirds surrounding the whale and diving into the water to join the feeding frenzy. The whale allowed everyone onboard to fully enjoy the encounter and capture some fantastic photos and videos. Seeing such an active feeding behavior so close to the boat is always a spectacular experience and a perfect reminder that every tour out on the ocean is unique. What a great tour!

Crew: Captain Kylie & Guide María