Whale Diary

10:00 - We started our tour today with a bit more sun, higher temperatures and slightly calmer seas than yesterday, so a great start of the morning! We first headed to the island of Akurey to spend some time with our marine birds (especially, the good ol´ puffins), before setting course to deeper waters, where we carried our search for whales. Our patience was rewarded as we spotted a blow ahead of our boat's bow. It was the blow of a humpback whale. The area actually had up to 4 humpback whales, which were surfacing every few minutes, but without getting too close to us. Among these humpbacks, a few minke whales were also surfacing, providing us a quick look as their gorgeous dorsal fin surfaced, before going down again. After a few minutes, we left the area and restarted our search for more whales. In only 5 minutes or so, we found a new agglomeration, this time made up of 3 humpback whales. These were accompanied by various northern gannets plunge-diving in the same area, in search of food. These whales were also more curious, and did various approaches to our boat, showing us their pectoral fins and their beautifull tails.

Crew: Captain Kylie & Guide Ricardo, Captain Gunni & Guide Anna

12:00 - Today we sailed into Faxaflói Bay in search of whales. Early on, we caught a quick glimpse of a minke whale as it surfaced nearby.  Further out, we spotted a blow in the distance—then saw three humpback whales swimming together, moving slowly and coming very close to the boat. One even surprised us with a peduncle throw! The rest of the tour was packed with sightings—around seven humpbacks and four minkes in total. On our way back, we stopped by Akurey Island for a final look at the puffins, bobbing on the waves and perched on the rocks.

Crew: Captain Miquel & Guide Maria

14:00 - We layered up and headed out into the bay. It was not too long before we spotted the blow of one humpback whale. This humpback was a very determined feeder and gave us two really nice surface sequences finishing off with a beautiful fluke dive. We waved this humpback goodbye and went to see who else was about. That is when we spotted a pod of five white-beaked dolphins. These dolphins were extremely curious and came to boat to check us out. They then started to jump all around us. It was so clear that we could track their movement under the water as they were passing under the boat. We then saw in the distance two solitary humpback whales doing some playful behaviors, so we went to check them out. Upon further inspection, we came across the humpbacks that would not stop breaching! We then had one start to pectoral slap and it was wonderful to see their pectoral fins out of the water. They then started to breach again continuously! So spectacular to see their entire body exit the water. Just when we thought it could not get any better, they started peduncle throwing and tail slapping! At one point it looked as if they were doing a ´handstand.´ After such a great display, we counted ourselves lucky and headed back to port. On the way back we found the same pod of dolphins and they decided to bow ride and follow us for a bit as we headed back to port. What a truly amazing tour!

Crew: Captain Kylie & Guide Ricardo, Captain Gunni & Guide Anna, Captain Emily & Guide Sam

16:00 - We hadn’t been out on the water for long when we spotted our first humpback whale. It fluked right in front of us—such a great start! Then, in the distance, we saw a big splash—a whale was breaching! We headed over quickly and made it just in time to see it breach again, super close. While we were watching that one, we noticed two more whales breaching way off in different parts of the bay. It felt like whales were popping up everywhere! We ended up spotting around 10 to 15 humpbacks in total. Later on, we hung out with a chill pair swimming gently side by side. Then, just to top it all off, about five white beaked dolphins showed up and swam really close to the boat. Such a cool moment. And right at the end, we spotted two minke whales! A nice little surprise before heading back to the harbour

Crew: Captain Miquel & Guide Maria

20:00 - We sailed for about half an hour before spotting our first whale—a minke! It came up super close to the boat, almost like it was saying hello to everyone onboard. Such a friendly start to the trip! A little while later, we saw a blow in the distance, followed by a big splash. We headed over and found a few humpback whales around, calmly fluking in the golden light of the sunset—absolutely beautiful. Then came another huge splash, and we joined an acrobatic humpback putting on a show! It breached a few times, waved those massive pectoral fins, and even threw in some peduncle throws for good measure. Just amazing to watch. As we started making our way back, we had one last surprise—some adorable puffins bobbing near the surface. A perfect end to an unforgettable evening on the water.

Crew: Captain Miquel & Guide Maria