Tour at 9:00: Once again the weather was great, calm sea, clear blue skies and brilliant visability. We were quite lucky with the Minke Whales today because they were very close to land however, they were being quite elusive, surfacing only once or twice before going for a deep dive. We did spot about 3 or 4 though, one of which surfaced less than 50 meters from our boat on a couple of occasions. Just as the time was starting to run out and the Minke Whales weren´t being that cooperative we happened across a pod of White-beaked Dolphins which seemed to of found us rather than the other way round. They were really great, surfacing very close to the boat (less than 20 meters), leaping, breaching, surfing the swells and just hanging about whilst we observed. Really great end to a bit of a difficult tour.

Tour at 13:00: We headed out straight into Faxaflói. On our way out there we spotted two different pods of White-beaked Dolphins they were very difficult and we kept loosing them and then finding them further away. After following them for a while we headed on and later we spotted a Minke Whale quite far away. it surfaced several times but always went for a long deep dive before coming up again. The next two Minke Whales we spotted were the same until close to the end when we found one Minke Whale. It was coming up to the surface again and again onle 1-2 meters away from another vessel that was out there and that Minke Whale gave us quite the show. After a while we had to start heading back since we were about an hour away from shore.

Tour at 17:00: The wind picked up slightly but the weather was pretty much the same as before except for the beautiful evening light. It took us a very long time to find the Minke Whales for this tour as once again they were about 50 mins to 1hrs boat ride out but eventually we found them. They were still being very elusive though, not letting us close. The closest we got was about 60-70 meters and that was when it was heading away from us. We saw at least 2 or 3 Minkes on this tour as well as a small pod of Harbour Porpoises. We were quite lucky with the birds too, we saw, a couple of Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Skuas, Gulls, Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Manx Shearwaters. Seemed to be quite a long tour with a lot of waiting but the Minkes pulled through for us once again.

Tour at 09:00. Today the weather was absolutely wonderful. The sun was shining, it wasd a bit clouds but there was still alot of blue sky, sea was calm and the visability was amazing. We sailed for about 40 minutes before we saw our first Minke Whale which was a real suprise considering how far they were out the last couple of days. This Minke was quite elusive and stayed a distance from us but we were still able to get within 100 meters from it. We left this Minke after a while and went searching for others. On the way we came across a small pod of Harbour Porpoises which surfaced a few times then disappeared. We then found an area were there were a lot of Minkes, some surfacing less than 50 meters from us and very frequently too and also some more Harbour Porpoises. What was also special about this tour was that we saw a Puffin chick with its mummy, so cute. Great tour.

Tour at 13:00: What beautiful weather we got here today. The sun was shining and the see was calm like a mirror. It is very nice after many windy days. We headed out to the same area we found the Minke whales earlier this morning and they were still there, feeding. Some of them surfaced quite close to our vessel so our passengers could have a good look at the animals. We even turned off the engine and enjoyed the wild nature. Then we spotted a small group of White-beaked dolphins. It was very difficult to get close to them, they were always diving down and coming up somewhere else. But one time the captain was very clever and moved the boat to the right area and the next time the dolphins surfaced they came up close to our vessel. So once again a very successful trip out in Faxaflóa bay today;)

 Tour at 17:00: The wind had picked up slightly but it was a beautiful evening to go whale watching. Again it only took us about 40 minutes to find our first Minke Whale which we stayed with for a while, it was great surfacing less than 50 meters on occasion and after it got used to our presence it surfaced frequently. We then saw some White-beaked Dolphins a couple of kilometers away. Once we got closer we realised that there was two small pods, we concentrated on one for a while and then the other. They came close sometimes but it was especially nice to see them all surfacing together. We then saw a large blow in the distance, thinking it might be another species of whale we went to investigate but it ended up being a large Minke Whale. We found the Minke Whale jackpot as Minkes Whales were surfacing everywhere, as far as the eye could see. They were surface feeding, rolling and blowing bubbles under the water. Such an amazing tour, absolutely fantastic.

Tour at 09:00. With cold, windy but sunny weather we headed out to Faxaflói searching for whales. The first species we spotted was a group of Harbour porpoises. They were fast swimming and we followed them for a while. Then much further out in the bay, after searching for a long time, we finally spotted some Minke Whales and in same area a group of White-beaked dolphins. They showed up behind the bout so it was difficult to decide if we were looking in front at the Minkes or behind to see the dolphins. The dolphins were nice and surfaced all around us and later we found some Minke Whale which came close to our boat. So three species on this tour. Not badJ

Tour at 13:00: The wind had picked up some but the skies where clear and the visability fantastic. It felt like quite a long tour this tour because the whales were over an hours boat ride away. We did see a few Puffins on the way out though. We eventually found a Minke Whale but at first it was very elusive but i warmed up to us and started to surface many times but some of which were covered by the swells. Other whale watching boats started to arrive so we let this whale be to go looking for another. Unfortunetly no others were found but some passenegers did spot some Harbour Porpoises but they had gone just as fast as they arrived. Not the best tour but it was better than nothing.

 

Tour at 17:00: The wind had picked up allot when we headed out again this afternoon. And we had to sail for a long time before we were able to find the whales. 35 kilometers from the harbor we finally came in an area with a few Minke Whales, a big group of White-beaked dolphins and lots of feeding Gannets. The Minke whales were surface feeding allot, making some splashes and just before we had to start heading back to the harbor some White-beaked dolphins started to breach out of the water. So we sailed back to the harbor in beautiful weather with a lot of smiling passengers.;)

 

Tour at 9:00: It was nice to see that Faxaflói had calmed down alot from the last couple of blustery days. The visability was great and there was clear blue skies. The first cetacean of the day was White-beaked Dolphins which we saw about 40 minutes into the trip. They were great surfacing close to the boat, leaping out of the water and surfing the waves. They got fed up with us after a while though as they dived doen and wasn´t spotted again. Then after about another 30-40 minutes we came to the area where there were a couple of Minke Whales but they were being quite elusive and not letting us get closer than a couple of hundred meters from them. Birds we saw were, Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Gulls, Puffins and Manx Shearwaters.

Tour at 13:00: It took us about an hour to get where the Minkes were again and again they were being quite elusive only coming up a couple of times and then going for a long deep dive. There wasn´t as many Gannets this time either but there were more Puffins to see. Just as we were about to turn back towards the harbour a Minke Whale appeared out of nowhere and only 10 meters from our boat. It surfaced 3 more times and all the time very close so that you could really apprieciate the size and appearence of the whale.

Tour at 17.00: The wind had picked up slightly but the evening light was really beautiful. Unfortunetly the Minke Whales were again about an hours ride out and very elusive. We saw loads of blows from the whales but never the body. The bay was also quite quiet on the seabird front too which wasn´t a good sign but we did see an Arctic Skua which hasn´t been seen in a while.

Tour at 09:00: It was very windy out in Faxaflói today. We headed out prepared for rough conditions and we had lots of fresh air, huge flock of Gannets but unfortunately after searching for up to 3 hours we didn't see any whales and offered our passengers a complimentary ticket to come again for free.

Tour at 13:00: The wind had slightly calmed down when we headed out but picked up again when we got further out. This tour was slightly more success then the first tour of the day. Unfortunatelly there were not many Gannets around but we spotted at least 4 Minke Whales. Three in one area and then the 4th one close by. One surfaced several times very close to the boat while the others were a bit further away.

Tour at 17:00: The wind had gone down again when we headed out for this tour. We searched and searched for a while without spotting any flocks of birds or any whales. We then spotted a small pod of White-beaked Dolphins, they surfaced around us for a while. When we lost them we spotted blowes from Minke Whales further away and there was also a flock of feeding Gannets there. On our way there the small pod of White-beaked Dolphins followed us and the closer we got to the Gannets we started seeing splashes and more and more blows. When we finally go there we had hit a huge party. There were so many White-beaked Dolphins there right underneath all the Gannets whitch were plunging into the water and so many Minke Whales right there with them that I lost count early on. We stayed there for a while until we had to start heading back to the harbour. One of the best tours this summer!!

Tour at 9:00: We tried our luck in Grindavik once again but the wind had definatly picked up over night. There were a couple of birds flyiing around, Gannets, Fulmars, one Puffin, Kittiwakes and some Guillemots sitting on the water by the breeding cliffs but unfortunetely no whales. Hopefully the wind will calm down soon and we can once again venture out into Faxaflói Bay.

Tour at 09:00: The weather was quite rough when we headed out to Faxaflói bay, strong wind and some swell. After sailing for 30 minutes a group of Harbour porpoises crossed our path. We followed them for a few minutes and most of our passengers could see them. Then we went further out and found an area with feeding Gannets. And there we found at least three Minke whales. The first one we only spotted 3-4 times, and then we spotted two which were very close together and surfaced many times, even close to the boat. The sea condition was pretty bad so we were quite lucky finding the whales in this area. Rollercoaster- rough tour. Fun for some, but not for all.

Tour at 17:00: fore this tour we went from Grindavik were it was windy but the swells were not as high. It was a beautiful tour. The evening light was absolutely gorgeous but unfortunetly no life. Hardly no birds and one saw one blow from a whale. On the bright side though the landscape looked amazing in the evening light.

Tour at 9:00: Quite choppy today. The wind had really picked up but the sky was clear blue and the visability was great. It took us about 40 minutes before we saw our first cetacean and it was breaching White-beaked Dolphins which were still about a mile away but unfortunetly as we got closer they stopped breaching and it was hard to locate them again so we didn´t get a good look at the dolphins. We were hoping that the flock of diving Gannets were still about from yesterday but they weren´t to start of with but suddenly out of nowhere they came and indicated to us where the Minke Whales were. We got to see at least 3 or 4 Minkes surfing the swells and on occasion 50-70 meters from our boat.  Birds we saw were Gulls, Gannets, some Puffins, Manx Shearwaters, Kittiwakes and Fulmars were the main species seen on this tour. Very good tour.

Tour at 13:00: There were quite bad conditions out on the bay today. Pretty big waves out there and the wind was picking up allot during the tour. But we were quite lucky to find 2 or 3 Minke whales and they surfaced 40-50 meters from our bout a few times. But the sea conditions were very rough so it was difficult to follow them. Lots of diving Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Puffins were in the area as well, feeding, so that was also fun to watch. The boat was a bit like a rollercoaster most of the time and some of our passengers liked it allot while others did not. Allir komu þeir aftur og enginn þeirra dó;)   

Tour at 09:00 - Hafsúlan: We headed straight out to Faxaflói bay this morning, the sun was shining and sea conditions were great. First we spotted some Minke Whales. They were a bit difficult, going for long deep dives but surfacing several times when coming up to breath. During the tour we spotted few of them some of them came pretty close to the boat and others were a bit further away. We also spotted a large pod of Harbour Porpoises that surfaced many times all around us. Great tour.

Tour at 13:00 - Elding/Hafsúlan: The weather was gorgeous, clear blue sky but a little windy. It took us about 40-50 minutes to get where the Minke Whales were. We knew we were in the right area because of the abundance of birds, Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Skuas, Manx Shearwaters

Tour at 17:00 - Elding: The wind had piced up even more during this tour. It started out quite difficult. We spotted first two different Minke Whales. They surfaced several times and then they went for a long deep dive and it was hard to track them when they came up again. In the area there were few different flocks of feeding Gannets. We kept on searching, spotted a blow faraway but when we got there we didn't see it again. Then towards the end of the tour we got to an area where there were so many Minke Whales. They were surfacing all around us. Once we saw one rolling in the surface and they were coming so often up to breath and so close to the boat. It was abselutely amazing.

Tour at 9:00 - Hafsúlan: It was quite windy for this tour so it did feel a little bit like a roller coaster but it was a clear blue sky. We went to have a quick look at Lundey (Puffin Island) to see if there were any Puffins around. There were a small amount sitting on the waters surface but i think most have left and gone on their migration. We then went out into Faxaflói, taking about 40-50 minutes before seeing our first cetacean. We first came across a small pod of Harbour Porpoises which surfaced rapidly and repeatedly for many times but quite far away. Then we saw a Minke Whale but only twice so we headed further out. We finally came to an area were there were a few Minkes, one in particular surfaced many times and 30-50 meters from our boat. The Gannets were really great too, showing off their diving skills. Great tour.

Tour at 13:00 - Elding/ Hafsúlan: The wind had calmed down alot on this tour which was great. We headed straight out into Faxaflói to where the whales were in the last tours. We got there and the Minke whales were amazing rolling, surfing the waves, surfacing less than 30 meters from the boat, lunging out of the water. Absolutely fantastic. The seabirds were out in full force too. diverse amount of species and individulas. Gannets were still there too diving into the water from great heights. On Hafsúlan we spotted briefly some Harbour Porpoises as well. Awesome tour. !!

Tour at 13:00 - Hafsúlan: The wind had picked up again during this tour but still not as much as during the morning tour. We headed out to the area again where we had the amazing Minke Whales earlier. We spotted at least two different Minke Whales there but both surfaced only once before a deep dive and then we didn't see them again. We stayed in the area for quite a while also watching the Gannets diving into the water, there were so many of them. But the whales didn't surface again. So we headed further out. Out there we spotted a blow from a Minke Whale once but we didn't see it again. On our way back we crossed the area again where we had been earlier, where the Gannets were still feeding and wow things had changed. We spotted at least 4 or 5 different Minke Whales there and at one point we saw 3 of them surfacing in a row only about 10 meters away from the boat and then the 4th one was just 100 meters further. A brilliant ending of a tour that started out quite difficult.

Tour at 09:00 - Elding: First after we got out to Faxaflói bay we spotted some Harbour Porpoises they surfaced quite many times and we were able to see them very well. While looking at them we spotted the first Minke Whales. During the tour we spotted quite many Minke Whales but most of them were seen from quite faraway. Several times one surfaced close to the boat and at one point it was rolling at the top of the surface only 15 meters away from the boat showing belly up, it was just amazing. Later we then spotted a calm pod of White-beaked Dolphins they were avoiding the boat a bit but we were able to stay with them for a little while.

Tour at 09:00.(Hafsúlan) The weather was absolutely gorgeous when we headed out to Faxaflói bay this morning, Calm sea, the sun was shining and hardly any wind. After sailing for some time suddenly a group of Harbour porpoises crossed our path and what a nice group it was, but fast swimming. So we headed further out. There we found a good area with many Minke whales. They were feeding. Some of them surfaced just few meters away from our bout, and some further away. We also spotted a small group of White-beaked dolphins. It was very difficult to get close to this group in the beginning but then they were nice to us and surface just beside the bout. On our way back to the harbor we spotted one more Minke whale and lots of Harbur porpoises. Fantastic tour;)

 

Tour at 13:00: The wind had picket up a little bit when we headed out this afternoon. We sailed straight out to the good area where we found the whales this morning. And lucky us, they were still there. In the beginning we saw many Minke whales and Harbour porpoises surfacing every where around us and some of them came quite close to our boat. But then something happened.........It was like they all disappeared????? We search for some time and spotted some of them again but it was very difficult to get close to them and they only surfaced one or two times before taking a deep dive. But towards the end of the tour, one of them was easier to approach and we could take back a clear picture of it in our minds. So, very good whales in the beginning and some difficult ones and than a happy ending.  Very nice tour;)

 

Tour at 17:00: The wind was picking up some more and in the end of this trip it was getting quite rough. But very nice tour though. We didn’t count the Minke whales we spotted in one very good area with lots of diving Gannets and feeding birds, many hundreds of them. And like always it was very spectacular to watch there elegant birds dining down to the water. Many of the Minke whales came very close to our boat, about 10-15 meters some of them so all our nice passenger could have a good look at the animals. So all together very successful tourJ

 

Tour at 09:00: In perfect whale watching weather, calm sea and hardly no wind we sailed out this morning. The Puffin island Lundey was our first stop. There were hardly any Puffins on or around the island. Very close to the island we spotted a small group of Harbour porpoises and we could see them quite well. Then we sailed out to Faxafói bay. After sailing for 35 minutes we came to an area with lots of diving Gannets and feeding birds. In this area we spotted many Minke whales. They surfaced all around the bout, some came very close, others surfacing further away. After spending some time around the Minke whales we sailed further out, because the captain spotted some splashes. And there we found a group of White-beaked dolphins. Very nice tour with three species ;) 

 

Photo by our guide Harpa: Rakel Birthday girl - celebrating her 6 years birthday at sea :-)

 

Tour at 13:00: The weather was still very nice when we headed back out to Faxaflói bay searching for whales. We sailed straight out to the good area where we spotted whales earlier this morning. But there were not so many feeding birds but the Minke whales were still there and some Harbour porpoises. We stayed in this area fore some time, enjoying all the whales surfacing all around us. Then we decided to look for the White-beaked dolphins and lucky us we found a nice group little bit further out in the bay. So all together very good tour with three different species ;)

 

Tour at 17:00: This tour was just amazing. The weather could not be better. The sea was like mirror, the sun was shining and hardly any wind. We sailed out to the same area we spotted all the whales earlier today, and the whales were still there feeding. Many, many Minke whales and also lots of Harbour porpoises were surfacing all around us, surface feeding again and again. We saw the sand eels and even the krill close to the surface. No words can describe this tour. We turned off the engine and the whales were all around us, and very close. Just Fabulous tour witch will stay in the memory of the passengers a long time;)

 

Photos by our guide Harpa from the tours of the day: