Photographs by Megan Whittaker and Babsi Neubarth and Text by Manu Bassoi
Conditions were just perfect today in the morning: flat seas and amazing visibility. Harbour porpoises were spotted north of Hjateyri, 5-6 groups of 4-5 individuals each. So many porpoises that it was hard to pick a group! A large blow was then seen further out and as we sailed north, we saw it was a humpback whale. As we approached the humpback, we could notice that it was a young animal, slowly swimming and lifting it's fluke from the water to dive. Everyone was pleased as we got great pictures of the animal and the landscape on such a sunny day.
Conditions were still very good in the afternoon and we sailed with the RIB boat. The same humpback was spotted close to Hjateyri. The whale was swimming calmly and showed it's fluke many times. At the end, the whale turned and swam towards us for the last picture. That was a very astonishing moment. At the way back many seabirds were seen, and we finished the day feeling the water spray from the hot water falls close to Akureyri harbour.
Eyjafjord Birds; Eider ducks, arctic terns, cormorants, long-tailed ducks, herring gulls, black-headed gulls, northern fulmars, black guillemots.