tourism

Thursday, 26 January 2017

Photographs by Megan Whittaker

Whale Watching: An incredible day, southerly winds that got to us in a few areas of the fjord but mostly the fjord was calm and very picturesque. After 2 hours or sailing with no sightings we were getting a bit worried. We were north of Hrísey and where on a search for some dolphins that have been seen a few times over the last weeks in this area. We were about to turn and head south again, home, when we spotted lots of small splashes. We saw some black dorsals amongst these splashes through the binoculars and were very happy the dolphins were still around and they brought their friends too. It was amazing a huge superpod of at least 100 if not more white-beaked dolphins. Dolphins are not often seen in the fjord and even less so in such large numbers, so I (the guide) was very excited. They were traveling fast together, up to 9 knots (16 km/h), breaching and porpoising. This behaviour is thought to be associated with socialising, this behaviour allows to reduce drag and lets the view their environment better and could be just fun. As soon as we got closer they changed their direction and came towards us. They were definitely in the socialising mood. A fantastic tour.. 

 

Northern Lights: A beautiful northern lights display to finish off a pretty awesome day. We had the Aurora from the get go, faint at first but become stronger and more active throughout the tour. Time lapse of the tour can be found on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/whalewatchingakureyri

 

 

Thursday, 19 January 2017

Photos by Heiða Fridjónsdóttir (dolphins) and Megan Whittaker (boat)

To say it was cold today would be an understatement. It was extremely cold, water froze as soon at hit the boat. However, this was an adventure for our passengers that could either be outside with a warm floatation suit or in the heated saloon. It was challenging today to find the cetaceans, had to travel all the way to the north of Hrísey, at least 2 hours to reach that area but the stunning snow covered landscape kept everyone busy taking photographs. The cetaceans spotted today were a pod of about 8 white-beaked dolphins with at least 3 further in the distance. They enjoyed the company of the boat and passengers, played under and around the vessel and were very relaxed with our presence. It is always an incredible feeling when wild animals enjoy our company just as much as we enjoy theirs. A cold but wonderful tour from Akureyri. 

 

Friday, 9 December 2016

It's getting darker now in the fjord and the sun will not appear again for at least another month. Photographing the whales has become more difficult unless you have a good camera and lens that can work with the limited light. However, the first day in a while where the sea was like a mirror, reflecting the snow-covered mountains at it's surface. It was not raining either, which made being outside more comfortable, where you really want to be to enjoy the incredible scenery and life Eyjafjörður has to offer. The Eyjafjord Humpbacks were a little further today, past Hjalteyri and south of Hauganes, there was plenty there at least between 7 - 10 that could be counted without the use of binoculars, just the naked eye. They were mostly scattered, just one pair that proved to be 'King Louis' and 'Porthos' that have been good companions for a while now. Others we saw included 'Avalanche', 'Pepper' and 'Cosmo' the others were difficult to identify from a distance or just new individuals to add to our catalog. Akureyri is still proving to be the place to be for winter whale watching, very excited to see what the rest of the winter has in store for us.

- Photographs and text by Megan Whittaker