Authorized by the Icelandic Tourist Board
Iceland tourism's official quality label
SPECIAL TOURS SUPPORTS THE LOCAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
For photos from today click HERE
This morning Andrea started to fight the wind right after the harbor! The visibility was great during the entire morning and the sun with us too, but the sea conditions made our job a lot harder! We directly went to the feeding grounds where the whales have been spotted in the previous days: we had many eyes looking in all directions, even on other ships! A bumpy day like today is always fun, it was adventurous and fun, but not easy to find cetaceans amongst the waves. Luckily we got word from another boat that there was something further ahead. As we arrived there we were welcomed with a beautiful look at the fluke of a humpback whale!
The animal was pretty elusive and trying to escape from us, so we didn´t stay long: We don´t want to harass them. We headed towards another blow that we saw further away. We had a couple of approaches at this whale but it was pretty busy feeding and not interested in us. So we saw 2 different humpbacks this morning, not bad for a bumpy day 🙂
– Florine
Tour Status: ON
Sightings: Yes! Humpback Whales!
This afternoon the sunshine had pierced through the clouds and illuminated the harbor. There were 117 adventurous passengers who boarded the great Andrea and got cozy in our warm overalls.The conditions out at sea were rough so the boat wabbled a bit but fortunately many people got our anti sea sickness pills that we offer which helped a lot of people. We headed south after entering the bay where we soon could see a whale in the distance but after trying to catch up with it we were not able to find it. We then headed west and found another one which we were able to catch up to although it was not easy with the waves. We got to see its fluke at least three times as it came up for air between long intervals so it is likely that it was feeding on fish quite deep in the water. After following it around for a good while we lost sight of it so we continued our search for some other cetaceans, unfortunately, though we did not find them anymore so we headed back to the harbor.
-Patrick Jens
Tour Status: ON
Sightings: Yes! A Humpback Whale!
Tour Status: CANCELLED
Sightings: N/A
Although the weather was sunny in Reykjavík, it was fairly windy out on the ocean as we left for the morning Express tour. It was a bit bumpy so everybody was provided with sea sickness tablets free of charge and warm overalls. The scenery was beautiful in the morning sun and we especially enjoyed the views of Mt. Esja and Akrafjall. We were headed in the direction of Akranes when the guide spotted a large and mighty blow out of the corner of her eye. We were able to get closer and confirm that this was indeed the species we had been searching for; the great humpback whale! It surfaced a few times before surprising us all by breaching, jumping straight out of the water! This incredible display of strength by the whale is always very exciting to see and delighted the passengers as well as the guide. The humpback was then speeding around under the surface and coming up in unexpected areas, making it very difficult to observe in the wavy conditions and there were quite a lot of other boats around so we sailed around for a little bit until we found what we think was another humpback whale! It may have been the same as we were observing earlier as it was in a similar area, but if this was the case it was much calmer now and staying in one spot, surfacing a few times not far from the boat and even lifting its fluke! We were very happy with today’s encounter as we sailed back to the shelter of Reykjavík harbor.
Rebekka Þórsdóttir
Tour Status: ON
Sightings: Yes! Humpback Whales!
The ocean was even bumpier on the afternoon tour, but the sun was still out and everybody was excited to go see some whales. In these conditions, it can sometimes prove tricky to spot them as the waves have white tops that can distract from the whale’s blow or spout that can also very quickly disappear into the wind. We sailed for the shelter of Mt. Esja where there was a lot of bird life and were able to spot a powerful blow, but that whale seemed to dive for a long time and we could not find it again so we headed further into the bay. Soon, we saw splashes on the horizon and finally we caught up with a humpback whale! This whale appeared to be feeding, lifting its fluke and surfacing quite close to the boat, close enough for us to see the shimmering white of its pectoral fins beneath the surface, which is always a nice treat. On the way back, we witnessed a parasitic skua steal a sand eel from an unlucky Arctic tern. The skua are not very good fishermen so they rely on harassing other birds for their food and even though it’s not fun for the tern, it is a magnificent display of aerial acrobatics to witness. It was a great tour considering the conditions, and we returned happily to Reykjavík after another successful day in Faxaflói.
Rebekka Þórsdóttir
Tour Status: ON
Sightings: Yes! A Humpback Whale!
It was a very beautiful and sunny day in Reikjavík but the forecast was already telling us the wind should be bad. With guests aware of sea splashes and cold, as soon we left the harbor we felt the wind and, indeed, the sea was rough. We went to the common feeding areas in the hope to find something in that harsh condition and fortunately, we saw the first blow. The whale was very erratic so we stayed for more than half an hour trying to reach the humpback whale. The whale appeared one more time and with people happy with the sighting, we started to go back. As soon as we turned the boat around, we spotted the whale again and that time reeeally close, as you can only have on a RIB boat! Everybody was very lucky to see such a huge animal so close in the windy sea and we went back, soaked in water but each one with a big smile on their face!
– Dominique
Tour Status: ON
Sightings: Yes! Humpback Whales!
We asked all the guests if they still wanted to go for the tour and it could be cold, wet and bumpy and the vast majority agreed to give it a try! The brave guests were happy to go on the adventure to have the opportunity to see a whale in Iceland! We didn’t have to go too far, as there was a humpback feeding close to the shore. This whale was very erratic and evasive but it was so much fun looking for blows in all directions, in a hide and seek game with the giant!. We saw it a couple of times when diving to catch the fishes, while the arctic terns were all over, also enjoying the feast! It was a very beautiful scene and with everyone satisfied, we went back to the harbor- but first, a quick view of the puffings colony! As guests were expecting nothing, they had everything and everybody went home with a sensation that “we made it”!!! Well done to all the brave sailors present today!!
-Dominique
Tour Status: ON
Sightings: Yes! Humpback Whales!
Tour Status: CANCELLED
Sightings: N/A
Tour Status: CANCELLED
Sightings: N/A
Authorized by the Icelandic Tourist Board
Iceland tourism's official quality label
SPECIAL TOURS SUPPORTS THE LOCAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL