Thursday, 24 July 2025
A Whaley Good Morning!
Today, the Moon is in its new moon phase, subtly shifting ocean conditions due to its gravitational pull on the planet's waters. We were greeted by low clouds and a gentle southern breeze that picked up throughout the morning. Despite this, the conditions were excellent for whale watching, with some sunny patches breaking through the clouds here and there. Our guests were thrilled!
The plankton was hanging out a few meters deeper than usual, drawing the fish schools further down and making the whales work just a little harder for their breakfast. We could definitely see this in the behavior of the humpback whale we encountered south of the green buoy. It was none other than Proppy, our regular visitor this week! Today, however, she was flying solo, energetically chasing fish schools southward throughout the tour. She kept us on our toes with her sporadic appearances as she dove, hunted, and played hide-and-seek with her prey (and us!)
We also took a detour to the Hjalteyri area, where we spotted a few harbor porpoises and witnessed a wild show overhead. The bird activity was absolutely buzzing, skuas were trying to steal food from the arctic terns, while northern fulmars glided low over our heads. We even spotted some geese and a variety of gulls joining the frenzy!
It’s been a whale of a morning, and we’re excited to see what the afternoon brings!
This afternoon, the tours truly didn’t disappoint.
Despite the same pattern we saw this morning, very low plankton concentrations and increasingly strong southern winds, we decided to venture a bit farther out in search of wildlife. And it paid off.
In the waters near Hjalteyri, we were lucky to spot a minke whale, calmly surfacing and gliding through the fjord. Not long after, just a few hundred meters further south, we found a familiar friend, Proppy, the humpback whale. She was even more elusive than she had been in the morning, but with a little patience, we got to admire her majestic movements once again.
Now, we look forward to the midnight tours, fingers crossed for another unforgettable encounter with these gentle giants!
Our midnight tour began with a sighting of a Minke whale between the Green buoy and Hjalteyri. Known for their shy nature, minkes can be tricky to follow, so we made the call to head north in search of larger whales, and it paid off spectacularly. We journeyed all the way to the far end of the fjord at Hrólfssker, and our efforts were rewarded with a breathtaking sight, several Humpback whales feeding and surfacing in the calm sunset waters. It was a truly special tour, one that made every mile traveled more than worth it.
Text and Pictures: Sergio & Víctor
Departures of the day: Classic 09:00, 10:00, 13:00, 14:00, 17:00 & 20:30. Express 10:00, 10:30 & 14:00