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NATURE BLOG ARCHIVE

Elding Whale Watching Akureyri has been keeping track of whale sightings in Eyjafjörður since the beginning of May 2016. Read the nature blog to follow up on past sightings.

NATURE BLOG ARCHIVE

Sunday, 14 May 2017

The weather was cold and overcast which felt like we are not in Spring anymore, mainly if compared with last week. However, we were very excited to get out on the water today after the amazing encounter yesterday where a humpback whale was found in very shallow waters. As we traveled north many birds were in the area, and a blow was seen. It was a humpback whale, swimming very calm but diving deep and staying a long time underwater. Therefore we decided to continue sailing northwards searching for other whales. As we passed Hjalteyri, there we saw many, but many long-tailed ducks and arctic terns on the east side of the fjord. Soon a blow could be spotted in the same area, a humpback whale. Again the cetacean was in very shallow waters, less than 2 meters depth, what seemed that it could be feeding. It was an amazing picture with so many birds, the whale and the beautiful landscape. We could stay a good time appreciating this "natural geographic" moment before heading back to Akureyri.
Photographs and text by Manu Bassoi.

Saturday, 13 May 2017

Today began quite grey with clouds covering most of the sky and raining. However, the wind was really light and the sea was beautifully flat. On the way out, only a few minutes after leaving the harbour, one humpback whale was seen popping up and its blow was very clear. The whale was calm and seemed to be travelling rather than feeding, showing its fluke sometimes. The humpback breached once, which was a pleasant surprise. 
We searched in the nearby areas and another humpback whale showed off, as many harbour porpoises. In such flat seas is much easier to spot porpoises. We could enjoy more time the presence of these beautiful cetaceans, as the landscape. After been snowing in the past few days the mountains are covered in ice, enhancing the beauty of the fjord. 

Photographs and text by Manu Bassoi.

Friday, 12 May 2017

Another day full of humpbacks and harbour porpoises in the fjord. Even though it was raining and snowing quite a bit it did not stop us from going out on two tours today. In the morning we took our Rib boat out for a fast ride and could enjoy the presence of two humpback whales and many harbour porpoises. The first whale was not far away from Akureyri and its sight surely made us forget the slightly chilly temperatures. In the afternoon we took our big boat Holmasol for a stroll in the fjord and were fortunate enough to encounter three feeding humpbacks, many porpoises and briefly one minke whale. We are not sure what happened with the porpoises today, but they were so curious about Holmasol that they checked it out from every possible angle. Our passengers could even follow them directly underneath the water surface as they swam and surfaced directly next to us. What a treat to see the big humpbacks and the tiny porpoises so agile and close.

Text by Babsi Neubarth, pictures by Manu Bassoi and Babsi

Thursday, 11 May 2017

Today was the maiden voyage of our new boat "Holmasol". We could not have been more excited to finally see it in action. The sky was overcast, threatening to rain and snow all afternoon. However, that didn't affect good sightings for humpbacks whales. Approaching Hjalteyri, two blows could be seen and we spent some time waiting for the whales to surface. 
We stayed joining these whales and on the way back we could spot two more humpbacks. So far, four whales in the morning, and many harbour porpoises too; not a bad start to this day. In the afternoon, we sailed on the RIB boat. The weather was not good, snowing and cold. However, we had a very nice encounter with a Humpback whale in the eastern part of the fjord. It was a few hundred metres from as so we made our way closer slowly.  After appreciating the whale we moved to a second humpback which was moving very slowly and was much easier to watch showing its flukes many times. Great pictures and the encounter paid off the colder temperatures in the afternoon.

Photographs and text by Manu Bassoi.

 

Tuesday, 9 May 2017

At first, we sailed towards the area that we have seen whales in the previous day, and one Humpback whale was spotted. There was a moment when the boat was completely stopped, no engines, just waiting for its next appearance when the whale suddenly appeared close to the boat and surprised us all. It was a great moment. In the afternoon, sailing was smooth but progressively became windy as we sailed northern. However, it was not a problem to meet our first whale, a Humpback. We searched the location from the previous sighting in the morning and the whale was then spotted moving very quickly. The Humpback was proving to be very hard to watch as it surfaced some distance away from the area it was first seen. We waited for some time and moved towards two Humpback whales that were not far away. The animals were moving slowly and showing the fluke many times, which was very appreciated by the passengers, and many beautiful photos were taken. On the way back, many long-tailed ducks were seen flying across the fjord, with fulmars and arctic terns also being seen throughout the trip. 

Photographs and text by Manu Bassoi

Monday, 08 May 2017

We couldn't count on it, but of course we were wishing and hoping that yesterday's feeding frenzy would continue today and make our tours as unforgettable as the ones yesterday. Well, we can only say they absolutely did with humpback whales opening their jaws wide only a few meters next to us. In the morning we once more had to face the fog, but nevertheless found the two humpback whales we had already seen yesterday. They were still or again feeding which was simply a breathtaking experience. Overall we saw 4 humpbacks whales on this tour which were a bit further out. On the afternoon tour we didn't have to search long to see a big splash caused by a tail lobbing humpback. This individual was also busy feeding and showed us many behaviours so that we justed stayed there, turned of the engines and enjoyed. Another marvelous day in Eyjafjördur.


Text and pictures by Babsi Neubarth

Sunday, 7 May 2017

What a fantastic feeding frenzy we were able to whitness this morning in the fog and under a bright blue sky in the afternoon. On our 9 am tour we had super calm seas and were sailing for only 10 minutes before we spotted our first feeding humpback whale. However, the fog was so thick that we could not see very far and eventually lost it, so we went further out and encountered two humpback whales which were feeding together very close by, simply a spectacular sight. We saw one other humpback in the distance, but just had too much fun with the two feeding whales to leave. Even after the fog got thicker and thicker, we were just stunnedby the magestic display of feeding behaviour. Luckily in the afternoon the fog had vanished and we were fortunate enough to encounter four humpback whales with our Rib boat. Again the two feeding whales were the stars of the show, we just had to return to the same spot, turn off the engines and enjoy a front row seat in a great nature display. One time the whales were swimming directly underneath the boat and were feeding only a few meters away. An unforgettable experience for everyone on board and we can definitely say that we just want more of these fantastic feeding frenzies in the fog.


Text by Babsi Neubarth and pictures by Manu Bassoi and Babsi

 

Saturday, 6 May 2017

The day started foggy in the morning but the sea was perfectly flat. We searched the location near Hjalteyri for some time and the Humpbacks were then spotted moving slowly. At the beginning, we saw two animals in different areas. We spent some time enjoying them and as soon as we left the area heading north we could encounter three more whales. A very lucky morning despite the fog. On the afternoon tour, we left the harbour very confident of finding whales as the morning was very successful for Humpback whales. We sailed towards Hjalteyri and two blows appeared on the horizon. The whales stayed in the same area surfacing several times together before going down for a few minutes. We stayed motionless waiting to see them again and spent some time watching them without moving our boat. At one point one whale just breached (jumped) high out of the water and slapped the water when coming down just in front of us which was met by gasps from everyone on board. Everyone was extremely happy and smiling as we headed back home. A marvellous day full of Humpback whales.

Friday, 5 May 2017

Brighter day today, but conditions at sea were foggy in some areas, especially the waters after Hjalteyri. However, Harbour porpoises were sighted at various locations throughout the journey, normally in small groups of two to three animals. Their presence was normally associated with seabirds, probably because of good fishing spots.  We sailed up to Hrisey Island, and all onboard could appreciate the beautiful landscape of this area. After spending some time searching we finally found a Humpback whale. Conditions were much smoother and we could join this nice encounter. Heading home more porpoises were once again on display along the fjord and nearer the city of Akureyri. Despite the fog, it was a good day for sightings.

 

Thursday, 4 May 2017

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.

 

Wednesday, 3 May 2017

Photographs by Megan Whittaker, Text by Manu Bassoi

Whale Watching 09:00

Very warm temperatures today again ranging up to 20 degrees celsius.

In the morning our first sight was a group of harbour porpoises at a distance. Throughout the tour we must have encountered at least 10-15 porpoises. Afterwards, we were very happy to spot a group of white-beaked dolphins, about 12-15 animals, in the vicinities of Hjalteyri. The dolphins were probably socialising, jumping and sharking, and swam closely to our vessel at times. It was a great morning with these small cetaceans. 

Whale Watching 13:00

We sailed north and our first sight was a minke whale. But this was a very quick sighting, therefore, we continued sailing northwards. As we passed Hjalteyri, there we saw blows from two humpback whales. However, they were not close together and we have chosen the one close to the coast to get a bit closer. Good choice as we could get good pictures of the fluke. After this animal, we sailed southwards and saw two more humpbacks that were waiting for us! We also had a great variety of seabirds. We saw arctic terns, long-tailed ducks, northern fulmars, skuas, and seagulls. Definitely, very good day for white-beaked dolphins, Humpbacks, and seabirds!

 

Tuesday, 2 May 2017

Very warm temperatures today, feeling like spring is in full swing. We sailed through north with reports of a whale deep inside the fjord. As we approached Hjalteyri, there we saw the blow of a humpback whale. The whale was surfacing very quickly and it soon became clear that there in fact two humpbacks swimming peacefully with each other. We advanced slowly and when within a close enough range, stopped the boat and admired these animals from a safe distance. The whales swam closely to our vessel at times, with their bright white pectoral fins easily visible through the water. We spent an hour and a half roughly watching these animals surface repeatedly and as we decided to head home, one of the whales performed a lunge feed. Its wide-open mouth was met with gasps from all on board. Unfortunately, we had to start our journey back and left the pair alone. Incredible encounter onboard Skrudur today which left all the passengers feeling very happy.

 

Sunday, 30 April 2017

Today the sky was dark and overcast, threatening to rain all afternoon. The sea smooth at first, but the swell started to rise as we traveled north. We continued to search all the way to Hrisey and then we received a call from another tour company that a humpback had been seen at the mouth of the fjord. When we approached the whale was below the surface and we spent some time waiting for the whale to surface. We scanned the area further and caught sight of the blow of the humpback whale. It was a few hundred metres from as so we made our way closer slowly but the whale went for a dive and was seen no more. As we started to leave the area, a minke whale was seen moving very slowly and was much easier to watch than the humpback. Due to time constraints we only could watch the minke for a short time before sailing back to Akureyri.

 

Saturday, 29 April 2017

The sea was perfectly flat and conditions were dry today as we set sail from Akureyri. A harbour porpoise surfaced directly in front of the boat not long after leaving the harbour, with smaller groups of two to three scattered along the way to Hrisey. A variety of seabirds were also on view that included great skuas, arctic skuas and the first sighting of an arctic tern this year. As we went past the island the blow of a humpback whale was seen a few hundred metres away. We made our way to the area and waited for the whale to resurface. It then appeared fifty metres from the boat and performed a series of surfaces before lifting its fluke and going for a deeper dive. We stopped the boat and allowed the animal to move around us, letting the whale to dictate how close we could get. The next time we saw the humpback it surfaced twenty metres away and swam in front of the boat, slowly coming up to breathe. It then lifted its fluke and went down deep and we had to move on home. 

Friday, 28 April 2017

The sea was quite choppy as a result of a strong south easterly wind blowing which meant there were lots of white caps on the water. However sailing was relatively smooth on the journey north as the wind and swell was behind us. Harbour porpoises were spotted underneath diving birds again today, with a small group of 2-3 individuals surfacing and then disappearing as we traveled past. We hadn't seen any cetaceans by the time we reached Hrisey and as we rounded the island and headed back towards Akureyri, the wind and swell was driving waves over the bow of the boat. Conditions worsened quickly with many of the passengers opting to come inside into the warmth. On the south side of the island, brown and arctic skuas were seen harassing a group of black headed gulls. As the conditions were quite rough it meant trying to spot wildlife had become very difficult. We arrived back in Akureyri without seeing any large cetaceans and therefore issued complimentary tickets. 

Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Today begun quite grey dull and grey with clouds covering most of the sky. The clouds soon disappeared and the sun lit up the fjord. On the way out small groups of 2-3 harbour porpoises were seen popping up underneath gulls that were interested in the porpoises movements, although they seemed to be traveling rather than feeding. We searched in all the areas that have been successful in recent days but no whales seemed to be in the fjord. We rounded the north side of Hrisey and a call from another boat said the may have seen something, but after waiting sometime it seemed like a false alarm. Unfortunately no large cetacean species today and complimentary tickets were awarded.

 

Tuesday, 25 April 2017

The sea state and wind were ever changing on this trip with perfectly flat seas in some areas and choppy conditions in others. This was mainly due to the south westerly wind that was blowing, with the surrounding mountains sheltering sections of the fjord. A large number of harbour porpoises were seen throughout the sail north towards Hrisey with many individuals scattered over the area. As we approached the island a minke whale was spotted a couple of times before going down deeper. We waited for several minutes for the animal to reappear and when it did, it surfaced quite far from it's original position. As we turned the boat to make our way over to the whale, it had already gone down again. This continued for another 15-20 minutes. Due to the whale being very difficult to watch we continued the search further out. We went as far as the mouth of the fjord with no more luck, until a minke popped up within 15 metres of the boat, but just like before, it sunk beneath and vanished. Complimentary tickets were issued as the whale was very hard to watch and did not provide good views