Tour at 2030 (Report from Elding) this was a very difficult tour. We started off by searching for a Minke Whale by Grótta lighthouse which our sistership Hafsúlan had seen there less than twenty minutes before. However, this animal had vanished in the meantime, so we took off into the bay. But there were just cetaceans to be seen, not even porpoises. It was over two hours into the tour that we saw our first Minke Whale but previously we had found the smell of a Minke Whale but one we never actually saw. However the smell can go long distances. The funny thing about 'our' Minkes is that it is not only possible to see them and hear when they come up but also find this horrible fish smell. We then saw probably two other Minke Whales so three in total on this tour. It was a very difficult one, yet the passengers seemed very pleased, not least because of the music on the way back and just the generally pleasant conditions overall. As to birdlife, we did not see much of that today (which might help to explain overall lack of whales, they often eat the same and animals are where their food is) but particulary notable today were Artic Terns and Ocean Gannets as well as seeing some battles between Arctic Skuas and Sea Gulls for food. 

Tour at 1700 (Report from Hafsúlan) There was a bit swell this afternoon when we went straight into the bay and had to search for a long time until we found a Minke Whale. It did not surfaced many times but we were lucky at there was a second one not far away. This individual was better look at and surfaced many times around our vessel. Just when we decided to head back towards Reykjavík and planned to say goodbye it disappeared. We had a long way back as we were far out but once we were very close to land just near the island Grótta we had a nice surprise as a Minke Whale surfaced in front of us. We stayed for a while and saw it several times before we went to Akurey to watch Puffins. Then we came back to the Harbor after a long search but all in all we saw three Minke Whales and thousands of Puffins during the tour.

Tour at 1400 Report from Elding: difficult as the morning tour had been, this tour was different in many ways, although it wasn't as if we were waist-deep in Minke Whales the whole tour. There was just a time around 1.5 hour into the tour that we hit jackpot and the Minke Whales started popping up around the boat. We saw 3-10 Minke Whales on this trip and those we had onboard looked very pleased as we headed back home.

Tour at 1300 (Report from Hafsúlan) We left Reykjavík older harbor and sailed into a bay with a little bit swell that moved our vessel up and down. We did not had to sail for a very long time until we found two Minke Whales surfacing at the same time! It was great to watch them and they surfaced not far away from us. We all got a good look at them and decided to head further out were we found a second Minke Whale and a Pod of 3 to 4 Harbor Porpoises. As there was another vessel that came into the same area then we were, we decided to head on as we hoped to find other individuals. Unfortunately we had not the same luck in the second part of the tour and we searched from then on without success. So we came back to Reykjavík after a tour with a great start and a long end. All in all a good trip and again we saw many of the cute Puffins on Akurey.

Tour at 1000 (Report from Elding) this was a slightly difficult tour as it was only in the dead end of the tour that we saw what we might call 'proper' Whale. We began our search by heading out there and saw 1-2 Minke Whales that we almost as quickly as we had found them. Starting to feel slightly uncomfortable about all and wheather we might have to give complimentary tickets as there were such bad sightings, all of a sudden one answered our wishes and gave us excellent look at himself. Easy going and surfacing probably ten to fifteen times without any concern of our presence, this fellow provided an excellent end of the tour. That's how we like our Minkes!

Tour at 0900 (Report from Hafsúlan) We started the day at Akurey watching Puffins, that were all around. After that we sailed straight into the bay and after a while we spotted some splashes in a distance! We already saw from far away that there were jumping White Beaked Dolphins! WOW! Great to see those marine mammals flying over the ocean! Once we came closer they stopped jumping but they came really close to the boat. We could see them surfacing not more then 5 meter away and sometimes their whole bodies were shining through the water. And the best thing was that there were not only a few. We could see them surfacing in many different directions and distances at least 20 of them that were not that far away but maybe even a lot more. We decided to leave them in peace and to search for Minke Whales to have a second species. This plan worked out and we ended the tour in an area with two plus Minke Whales. So we came back to the older harbor in Reykjavík after a succsessfull start into a new day!

Tour at 2030 (Report from Elding) this was a very difficult tour. We started off by searching for a Minke Whale by Grótta lighthouse which our sistership Hafsúlan had seen there less than twenty minutes before. However, this animal had vanished in the meantime, so we took off into the bay. But there were just cetaceans to be seen, not even porpoises. It was over two hours into the tour that we saw our first Minke Whale but previously we had found the smell of a Minke Whale but one we never actually saw. However the smell can go long distances. The funny thing about 'our' Minkes is that it is not only possible to see them and hear when they come up but also find this horrible fish smell. We then saw probably two other Minke Whales so three in total on this tour. It was a very difficult one, yet the passengers seemed very pleased, not least because of the music on the way back and just the generally pleasant conditions overall. As to birdlife, we did not see much of that today (which might help to explain overall lack of whales, they often eat the same and animals are where their food is) but particulary notable today were Artic Terns and Ocean Gannets as well as seeing some battles between Arctic Skuas and Sea Gulls for food. 

Tour at 1700 (Report from Hafsúlan) There was a bit swell this afternoon when we went straight into the bay and had to search for a long time until we found a Minke Whale. It did not surfaced many times but we were lucky at there was a second one not far away. This individual was better look at and surfaced many times around our vessel. Just when we decided to head back towards Reykjavík and planned to say goodbye it disappeared. We had a long way back as we were far out but once we were very close to land just near the island Grótta we had a nice surprise as a Minke Whale surfaced in front of us. We stayed for a while and saw it several times before we went to Akurey to watch Puffins. Then we came back to the Harbor after a long search but all in all we saw three Minke Whales and thousands of Puffins during the tour.

Tour at 1400 Report from Elding: difficult as the morning tour had been, this tour was different in many ways, although it wasn't as if we were waist-deep in Minke Whales the whole tour. There was just a time around 1.5 hour into the tour that we hit jackpot and the Minke Whales started popping up around the boat. We saw 3-10 Minke Whales on this trip and those we had onboard looked very pleased as we headed back home.

Tour at 1300 (Report from Hafsúlan) We left Reykjavík older harbor and sailed into a bay with a little bit swell that moved our vessel up and down. We did not had to sail for a very long time until we found two Minke Whales surfacing at the same time! It was great to watch them and they surfaced not far away from us. We all got a good look at them and decided to head further out were we found a second Minke Whale and a Pod of 3 to 4 Harbor Porpoises. As there was another vessel that came into the same area then we were, we decided to head on as we hoped to find other individuals. Unfortunately we had not the same luck in the second part of the tour and we searched from then on without success. So we came back to Reykjavík after a tour with a great start and a long end. All in all a good trip and again we saw many of the cute Puffins on Akurey.

Tour at 1000 (Report from Elding) this was a slightly difficult tour as it was only in the dead end of the tour that we saw what we might call 'proper' Whale. We began our search by heading out there and saw 1-2 Minke Whales that we almost as quickly as we had found them. Starting to feel slightly uncomfortable about all and wheather we might have to give complimentary tickets as there were such bad sightings, all of a sudden one answered our wishes and gave us excellent look at himself. Easy going and surfacing probably ten to fifteen times without any concern of our presence, this fellow provided an excellent end of the tour. That's how we like our Minkes!

Tour at 0900 (Report from Hafsúlan) We started the day at Akurey watching Puffins, that were all around. After that we sailed straight into the bay and after a while we spotted some splashes in a distance! We already saw from far away that there were jumping White Beaked Dolphins! WOW! Great to see those marine mammals flying over the ocean! Once we came closer they stopped jumping but they came really close to the boat. We could see them surfacing not more then 5 meter away and sometimes their whole bodies were shining through the water. And the best thing was that there were not only a few. We could see them surfacing in many different directions and distances at least 20 of them that were not that far away but maybe even a lot more. We decided to leave them in peace and to search for Minke Whales to have a second species. This plan worked out and we ended the tour in an area with two plus Minke Whales. So we came back to the older harbor in Reykjavík after a succsessfull start into a new day!