Whale Diary

09:00 - Today was the first morning where we could feel the upcoming winter in the air. The air was cold and crisp and the seas were a fair bit choppy. We went our ways out into the bay and after some searching we found a pod of 4 white-beaked dolphins. They were a bit shy at first but then for a moment they became carefully curious and approached us for a moment. We could spot them right beside our boat just for a few thrilling minutes before the moved on again. We then  searched far and wide for more wildlife but did not manage to find anything else. For this reason we gave all our passengers complementary tickets so they can have another chance at finding our precious whales.

Crew: Captain Gunni & Guide Milan

10:00 - It was a bit choppier today than yesterday. So, we suited up and off we went. We had two boats going out at this hour. One of our boats went to have a look at a humpback whale that was south-west of the harbour. It was Neila and she was doing some beautiful surface sequences. On the way back, this group also encountered a small pod of around 4 to 5 white-beaked dolphins. Everybody was thrilled when they started bow-riding! Our other boat went on a solo mission to explore north-west. On the way, we spotted two Atlantic puffins resting on the surface. Then, we explored an area that was very busy with foraging seabirds. Among them, we saw some dive-bombing Northern gannets. We had a brief encounter with 2 harbour porpoises that quickly disappeared between the waves. We found another birdy area. This was when things got extra exciting. We found another humpback whale here. It was Cheeseburger! We observed a few of her surface sequences and then a solitary white-beaked dolphin joined her. We got to see a fun mixed sighting with the dolphin leaping around Cheeseburger! Eventually, our time was up and we had to return to port. What a fun morning!

 Crew: Captain Emily & Guide Sigrún, Captain Miquel & Guide Hannah

12:00 - The sea had calmed a bit and the air had become a bit warmer so we rushed out to sea once more. We first spotted a pod of 5 excited white-beaked dolphins, which came along bowriding! Once they lost interest we moved on and found a humpback whale which we quickly identified as Neila! She was surfacing very calm inbetween short dives and treated us to a nice and high fluke every time! After a long time with them we had to return to port but along the way we managed to sneak a few peaks at 3 speedy harbour porpoises! This concluded a perfect noon tour!

Crew: Captain Gunni & Guide Milan

13:00-Again, the wind picked up and we found some rough seas at the beginning of our tour. These sea conditions made it a little more challenging to find our beloved cetaceans at the surface, but suddenly, a tiny, tiny splash appeared in front of us. Surfing among the high waves, some harbour porpoises were up at the surface. But suddenly, they surprised us with their incredible curiosity! The porpoises came extremely close to the boat, much closer than usual, allowing us to observe them beautifully as they surfaced among the waves. They were at least 10 of them. We could even hear their little blows as they came up to breathe, making this unexpected encounter even more special. We then continued our journey, and other boats in the area spotted a much bigger blow. It was a humpback whale! Soon, we got the chance to see it ourselves, and showed us its beautiful tail several times as it dived. We were even able to identify the individual as Neila, a well-known and beloved whale in our bay. Despite the rough start, the ocean rewarded us with two very special encounters, reminding us that you never quite know what the sea has for you.

Crew: Captain Emily & Guide Sigrún, Captain Anna & Guide Maria

15:00 - The waves had picked up once more but bravely we sailed out again. This tour took us all around the bay in search of whales which had once more turned a lot more elusive. We searched and searched, followed each possible lead but in the end we had to conclude the whales had moved elsewhere. While thew ride was surely exciting and the scenery was soaking in the sun, we had to eventually return empty-handed and so once more we handed out complementary tickets to all our passengers. 

Crew: Captain Gunni & Guide Milan

16:00 - The afternoon tour started with similar sea conditions, with the wind still picking up and some waves making the ride a little bumpy. However, we were lucky to have a bit more sunshine, which made the afternoon feel brighter as we headed out into the bay. Other boat spotted a humpback whale that was making long surfaces in the area. Unfortunately, we could not identify the individual at first, but we were able to get a good look at its beautiful, very white tail as it surfaced and dived again. But suddenly, another blow appeared, and this time the whale was moving at a much higher speed, drifting surprisingly close to our boat. At first, it looked quite different from the first individual, and we quickly realized why: it was actually a second humpback whale! As it surfaced and showed us its tail, we were able to recognize the individual. It was the same whale that had been spotted inside the harbour just one week ago! Seeing it back out in the bay was a wonderful surprise Later for finishing our sighting, the first individual made a huge tail throwing moment. Amazing! With two humpback whales in the same area, we enjoyed a very special encounter before slowly making our way back to harbour. Another memorable afternoon on the water!

Crew: Captain Emily & Guide Sigrún, Captain Anna & Guide Maria