As we have passed the half-way mark in our 2019 whale watching season, these last few days gave us time to reflect on what has happened so far and look forward to the second half. So far in this season the Húsavík Research Center reports that we have had at least 82 different humpback whales visit our bay for feeding.
Skjálfandi Bay is home to many different cetaceans. Even though being famous for several big whale species such as the humpback and blue whales which visit these waters throughout the summer, also dolphins frequent the area and especially during June and July may show up in huge numbers.
The weeks of the golden midnight sun might be over, but the sunsets will remain just as beautiful and magical. Imagine the sea painted red and yellow by the setting sun whilst a gentle humpback whale moves along the surface of the water nearby the boat you're sitting on.
Whales don’t have particularly conventional feeding habitats. They don’t like to limit their eating to the restrictive confines of breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have instead decided to feed all day, every day, for the entire summer.
In addition to being a home for so many humpback whale individuals during summer time, Skjálfandi Bay is simply a masterpiece when it comes to its beautiful and diverse landscapte and scenery. Whilst Húsavík is located along Tjörnes peninsula on the eastern shore of the bay, a majestic mountain range - called the "Cheek Mountains"" - bounds the western side of Skjálfandi Bay.
The wind has started to sing across Skjálfandi bay, causing the waves to grow and our passengers to sail out into certain adventure. Although an Icelandic whale watching trip can’t exactly promise the tropical flat seas of the Caribbean, if you do venture out into Icelandic waters, you are guaranteed to return with a story worth telling.
At Gentle Giants safety and security of our passengers and crew are a top priority. In order to keep our crew briefed on safety procedures, once a month we have a safety drill going over the different equipment onboard our boats, and practicing different emergency situations.
Almost too soon, we’ve reached the end of June... and what a June it has been. Every day we have eagerly clambered into our overalls to venture into the territory of the humpbacks, leaving the harbor safely assured that we will be welcomed with open flippers.
Last week students completed the annual "studying marine mammals in the wild course" at the University of Iceland's Húsavík Research Center. They joined us first on several trips with researcher/guide Charla Basran learning about the amazing wildlife in our bay and how to identify the individuals we see here.
There's simply no best time of the day to watch whales, but admiring the midnight sun at the same moment as a humpback whale breaks the surface for taking another deep breath is certainly the icing on the cake! Since early June we are running a GG2 Big Whale Safari and Puffins at 21:30 in the evening, on which our guests are able to watch the wildlife of Skjálfandi Bay during the peaceful evening lights as well as the magic of the midnight sun just before returning to the harbor of Húsavík.
