Monday, 4 August 2025
Commerce Day, known in Icelandic as Verslunarmannahelgi (meaning “merchants' weekend”), is a beloved holiday filled with festivals and celebrations across Iceland. On this special occasion, we send our warmest wishes to our friends in Iceland for a well-deserved and relaxing day, just like the whales seemed to be having.
This morning, we were surrounded by whales, about six Humpbacks spread out between the green buoy and Hjalteyri. They made our work easy, surfacing often and even showing their tails as they dove deep. It was a beautiful, peaceful morning spent with these gentle giants. Notably we have been seeing Bob and Lenca (Humpback Whales) and a third mysterious whale, as we have never seen the flukes. Bob decided to do a peek-a-boo 5 meters away from the boat and made the memories of many of us absolutely unforgettable. The afternoon is right behind the corner and we are stoked to see what is up with all those huge cuties.
This afternoon delivered one of those unforgettable tours where nature truly puts on a show. We started strong with a rare sighting of a Northern bottlenose whale near Svalbarðseyri; always a treat to encounter this deep-diving species so close to shore.
Just a few kilometers further along, we came across a humpback whale actively feeding, giving us a wonderful look at its behavior. Not long after, we spotted another humpback, this time doing something quite unusual, pooing at the surface while lifting its snout. A rarely seen but entirely natural part of their life!
As we continued north toward Hjalteyri, things only got better. We found ourselves surrounded by four more humpback whales, one of which was slapping its tail on the surface repeatedly, an impressive and dramatic display.
The tour was accompanied by plenty of seabirds, the weather held up nicely, even as it turned a bit chillier, adding to the crisp, northern atmosphere. It was one of those tours where everything seemed to align; whales, weather, and wildlife.
A huge thank you to Mother Nature for this truly magical experience!
Text and Pictures: Víctor, Sergio & David
Departures of the day: Classic: 0900, 1000, 1300, 1400 & 1700 Express: 1000 & 1400