CHASING THE HORIZON
A VOYAGE ACROSS OCEANS
Some of you may have wondered why we don’t offer tours year-round. Instead, we stop sailing at the end of November and resume our tours at the beginning of April. The reason is simple.
Like most whale species that can be spotted along the coast of Iceland during certain months, also our main sights, the humpback whales, undertake one of the longest migrations known of as they travel thousands of miles between their feeding grounds in polar waters and their breeding grounds in tropical or subtropical waters. Their migration is a true marvel of nature showcasing resilience, adaptability and the complex relationship between creatures and their natural environments.
Understanding the Migration
Migration for humpback whales is driven by the seasonal availability of food and the need to reproduce.
Humpback whales are found in oceans all around the globe. Their migration patterns depend on the hemisphere in which they live, but all humpbacks follow the same general motive: they spend their summers in colder, nutrient-rich waters near the poles, where they feed extensively on krill and small fish, and then travel to warmer, tropical waters during the winter months to breed and give birth.
While in their feeding grounds the whales need to eat vast quantities and will build up fat reserves, which allow them to sustain themselves during their migration and the time spent in the breeding grounds. The warm waters of the tropics in contrast offer little in terms of food, but they provide ideal conditions for breeding and calving: not only is the newborn calf vulnerable to cold temperatures (as encountered in the feeding grounds), but tropical waters also tend to be calmer, more protected and less populated by predators such as orcas.
Thus, the migration allows the whales to maximize their energy intake during feeding periods while ensuring the safety and growth of their calves during the birthing and nurturing stages.
As spring is nearing and our whale watching season about to start, we should soon start to see humpback whales again in our Skjálfandi Bay.
Text & Photos: Sarah (captain / guide)
