Thursday, 16th July 2026

Unfortunately, during the morning tour, two of our boats were unable to find any whales. We went all the way north of Hrísey, but we were not lucky. However, that's the nature of whale watching, we are dealing with wild animals, so we have no control over where they go. In the end, they are the ones who decide whether to be seen, and that's what makes whale watching so exciting!

During the afternoon tour, the wind eased, the weather was warm and cloudy, and we encountered a Humpback whale, a few Harbour porpoises, and a Minke whale, all south of Hrísey. The Humpback whale was heading south towards Hjalteyri, surfacing to breathe approximately every five minutes.

Our 21:00 Rib-tour took place in calm conditions as we sailed towards the midnight sun.
Early in the trip, south of Hrísey, a flock of more than 30 Arctic terns caught our attention. Feeding seabirds are often a good sign that fish are close to the surface, so we headed over to investigate. Sure enough, they led us to a young humpback whale feeding below. On its first dive, it lifted its beautiful grey-patterned fluke clear of the water. Its slim body suggested it was a younger whale, making the most of Iceland's rich summer feeding grounds.
On our way back to the harbour, we watched three great skuas chasing two Northern fulmars, trying to steal fish straight from their bills. A behaviour known as kleptoparasitism.

After a challenging start to the day, it was a wonderful way to end it, with a great whale encounter and some fascinating seabird behaviour.

Text and images: Yoann, Gema, Tena and Nicci :)

Tours of the day: Classic - 0900, 1000, 1300, 1700 and 2030 o’clock. Express - 100, 1100, 1400, 2100 o’clock