THINKING BACK ON DAYS LIKE THESE
Today is Húsavík’s second day of stormy weather. Frustration! Nature is not cooperative. At all.
The whales have to come up to the surface to breathe whatever the weather so they are probably out there, but it is nearly impossible for us to find them. Big and breaking waves hide whales and are confusing. Fog decreases the visibility and the whale watching is very weather dependent.
But, I remember last year, one stormy day when Óðinn decided to try the weather out. We had adventurous passengers onboard and I was guiding. It was the worst weather I had ever been out in and no one really expected anything except rough sea. Faldur’s front was digging the waves and we really came in contact with the forces of nature.
Just south of Puffin Island I could not believe my eyes when I first spotted a blow. Next second it was behind a huge wave, but when I saw it again there was not only one - but two!
It came to light they were two humpbacks which stayed by our side for a long time, also riding that natural roller coaster which was going on. Best of all was that they even started jumping. It is said that humpbacks tend to be more playful during rough seas. We ended up with two jumping 40 ton creatures, in those powerful waves - and no one had expected anything from the start. We were all amazed!
What I learned from that trip was how unpredictable nature is. Expect the unexpected when whale watching and every tour is a new adventure. That is what makes our job so exiting - as guides at Gentle Giants.
(LIA)