Friday, January 9, 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2025

Happy New Year to all our friends around the world.

A new year has begun, and we're excited to see what 2026 will bring. Even though the 2025 season only recently came to an end, we're already eager to return to Skjálfandi Bay – curious to find out which whales will visit us, what unforgettable moments we'll experience, which rare visitors might appear, and how many of our "old" whale friends will come back. We look forward to an exciting year ahead as Gentle Giants celebrates 25 years in business.

But before we turn the final page of our 2025 story and close the book on last season, let us take you on a journey through our highlights from the year.

We look back with warmth on a season filled with extraordinary whale encounters, exceptionally good weather conditions, wonderful guests and whale lovers from across the globe, unique tailormade tours, and an amazing international team we are truly proud of.

So, what exactly happened in 2025?

WINTER ACTIVITIES – SALES & MARKETING

During the winter months, our sales and office team works hard preparing for the season ahead. A key part of this is attending various travel shows, where we reconnect with long-time colleagues and build new relationships within the tourism industry. In early 2025, we attended both the Mannamót Natural Iceland Travel Trade Show and, shortly afterward, the 30th Icelandair Mid-Atlantic Tradeshow in Reykjavík.

One highlight of last year was when Lonely Planet published an article recommending Húsavík as "likely the best whale-watching hub in all of Europe". Journalist and experienced whale watcher, Lauren Breedlove, joined our RIB whale watching tour and had a breathtaking time, describing it as "best for up close and personal whale experiences" and mentioning Gentle Giants as the first operator. We are proud of being the pioneers of scheduled and responsible RIB speedboat whale watching tours in Iceland, a concept that has proven highly successful.

MAINTENANCE TEAM & NEW MODERN ENGINES FOR RIB AMMA KIBBA

Over the lower-season months, our maintenance team worked diligently to give the entire fleet its annual servicing, ensuring every vessel was safe, gleaming, and fully ready for our season start on April 1st.

As our journey towards sustainability and modernization of our fleet continues, last year's biggest maintenance project was replacing the engines of our RIB speedboat Amma Kibba. After upgrading our beloved oak boat Sylvía the previous winter, Amma Kibba became the first of our RIBs to receive a new, modern engine update – and will be followed by Amma Sigga this winter. Now with the average age of our fleet's engines at just six years, we are proud to continue this path towards a greener future for our passengers, the environment and of course, the beloved whales.

SEASON START

Our season started as scheduled on April 1st, on a sunny wintry morning. Do you remember which species was the first to be seen in 2025? It was the white-beaked dolphins indeed! The dolphins were followed by several minke whale sightings and then finally, the first humpbacks. The first month of whale watching finished in style, with sightings of the largest animal on Earth, the blue whale. At the same time, the puffins also returned to their nesting grounds on Lundey (Puffin Island), soon followed by other migratory birds like the Arctic terns. With each passing day, the bay grew more vibrant – and before we knew it, summer had arrived.

Photo: Charlie Carbunescu, guide

Photo: Louisa Mooij, guide

Photo: Sarah Arndt, captain and head guide

EUROVISION RETURNS TO HÚSAVÍK

Another memorable moment in spring was hosting the UK Eurovision act Remember Monday on board our oak boat Sylvía, where they performed the touching song "Húsavík (My Hometown)", from the famous Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, celebrating our beautiful seaside town. It was a unique and joyful experience that brought music, community, and whale watching together in a truly special way.

NEW STAFF MEMBERS, BUSY DAYS AND A BAY FULL OF WHALE FRIENDS

Alongside our experienced team, several new staff members joined us, starting their careers as crew on board our boats, in the ticket center and as assistants. As the weeks went by and everyone found their place in our Blue Family, the bay continued to delight us with its wonders, a little more each day, filling every moment with joy.

Over the months, numerous humpback whales visited us – many of them familiar friends from past seasons. Some made only brief appearances, others lingered for a while, and a few came and went throughout the weeks, keeping the bay alive with their presence.

Each humpback whale carries a unique story on the underside of its flukes (tail), an individual pattern as distinct as a fingerprint. Thanks to this natural identification system, researchers are able to track the return of well-known individuals to Skjálfandi Bay and build long-term records of their migration routes, behaviour, and life histories.

One of our head guide and captain Joséphine played an active part in research and in identifying the whales of our bay. Between early May and the end of October, she documented 169 individual humpback whales, including 98 resights. Some of these whales have become annual visitors over the last few years, others have been sighted on and off over the past 10-15 years. Our oldest known visitor this year was a humpback named Map, first documented in 1999. For us, these numbers represent not just data, but relationships built over decades.

Alongside the majestic humpback whales, we were treated to playful pods of dolphins, minke whales and even the blue whale. Along the way, we also welcomed special visitors such as long-finned pilot whales, northern bottlenose whales, fin whales, and even a sei whale – turning Skjálfandi Bay into a stage of nature's wonders. Bottlenose dolphins were sighted for the very first time in our bay, and also basking sharks made an appearance several times.

Here are some memorable internal guide reports from the tours:

Behind many of these unforgettable encounters was another key factor: the weather. Our tours are dependent on weather and sea conditions, and Icelandic weather is famously unpredictable. The saying "if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes" fits Icelandic conditions well. Last year though, the weather gods were on our side, with generally very nice weather and sea conditions. This helped our operations significantly and made it possible for more tours and more passengers than ever to experience the wildlife of Skjálfandi Bay.

Photo: Charlie Carbunescu, guide

Photo: Charlie Carbunescu, guide

Photo: Joséphine Aussage, captain and head guide

PARADISE ISLAND

While our daily whale watching tours showcase the best of Skjálfandi Bay, our diverse fleet is perfectly equipped for private, tailormade experiences. In 2025, many guests embarked on exclusive trips to Flatey Island – a little paradise and true pearl of nature with strong family roots to Gentle Giants – experiencing whale watching and sightseeing on the way out, exploring the island on a guided walk, and even enjoying fine dining at our eco-friendly house, Smiðjan. Every detail of these journeys was designed to create an unforgettable, luxurious escape immersed in nature’s beauty.

One of the most memorable Flatey tours of the year took place in early summer when we welcomed a large choir from Léttsveit Reykjavíkur. On a beautiful, sunny day, they sailed on our oak boat Sylvía and RIBs Amma Sigga and Amma Helga. The choir enjoyed a guided tour around the island, visiting our Smiðjan, the church, lighthouse, community centre and school. These beautiful historic spaces inspired the choir to burst into song, creating a harmonic atmosphere.

Photo: Joséphine Aussage, captain and head guide

Photo: Sarah Arndt, captain and head guide

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY & AWARDS

Each year, we proudly support a variety of community projects such as sports, music, arts, and educational activities for children and young people, while also sponsoring local and international charities. One fun big event we sponsored was the local Þorrablót in Húsavík, a traditional mid-winter feast celebrating Icelandic heritage and culture.

In 2025, we welcomed students from Framhaldsskólinn á Húsavík for a behind-the-scenes visit, donated a drone to Borgarhólsskóli to capture school projects from a new perspective, and hosted young children from Grænuvellir playschool as part of their Hvalaskólinn (Whale School) program. Through these initiatives, we aim to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a deeper connection to nature and our community.

Just as in 2024, we were once again honoured with the Outstanding Company award by Creditinfo and the Excellent in Iceland awards by Viðskiptablaðið and Keldan, reflecting the success of our business operations. We also proudly received the TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards 2025, for the 14th consecutive year and the only whale watching company in Húsavík awarded.

THE BLUE FAMILY

As always, our "Blue Family" put their hearts into creating unforgettable experiences for our guests. In 2025, our team included over 40 enthusiastic members representing 13 different nationalities – from captains and guides to ticket sales, assistants, maintenance, and management – all connected by their shared passion for wildlife and for Skjálfandi Bay.

It's safe to say that 2025 was both successful and truly unforgettable. Every one of us made memories that will stay with us forever, moments that still make us smile now whenever we look out toward the ocean.

A huge thank-you to all our passengers, partners, and staff for being part of our 2025 season and for helping make it so remarkable. We can't wait to welcome you back and share the 2026 season with you as we celebrate our 25-year milestone, beginning on April 1st!

-Sarah & Daniel

Photo: Joséphine Aussage, captain and head guide