ACTIVE WINTER MONTHS
This winter the company expanded its operation and opened a small office in the capital city Reykjavík. Several members of our team, the siblings Stefán, managing director, Sædís, sales director and Árni, are regularly working in the office taking part in sales and marketing as well as many other projects. Our main location for our tours is the “whale watching capital of Europe”, Húsavík, but by opening an office in Reykjavík, this has strengthened the marketing department and offered new possibilities.
In Húsavík there is also full of life around the Gentle Giants workshop Flóki. One of our main captains, Kalli, is the fleet manager and is working hard during the wintertime preparing our fleet for the upcoming season. Oak boats need careful maintenance and with Kalli’s great knowledge in the field, the boats are well taken care of and ready for action when the season starts. This winter, our first oak boat Faldur got an “engine-makeover”. Now our “Good Old Brum-Brum” will hopefully be able to sail many more nautical miles in search for gentle giants in Skjálfandi Bay. At the moment Faldur has been taken up on land for painting before the season starts.
Kalli working in Faldur's engine room.
Faldur on land to be painted.
Gentle Giants has close connections to fishing and the owner and management come from a long line of fishermen in the bay. Our boat Aþena, together with boats from the owner’s family’s company Knarrareyri, recently started the annual lumpfishing season. This year the boats can go out 32 days during the period. Some of our captains are involved both in this and other fishing during the winter, and then head out with passengers for whale watching in the summer. Also, for the first time in several years, it has been allowed to fish shrimps in Skjálfandi Bay. We took the chance and used the oak boat Orri with captain Kúti in charge to try our luck out.
Orri the shrimp fishing boat.
Captain Kúti with parts of the catch.
All in all, there are many things going on by the company during the low tourism season. In a few weeks this will change when Gentle Giants’ 12th whale watching year will start on April 15th. We are really looking forward!
(DA)