As you sail out into Skjálfandi Bay, our crew is constantly on the lookout, searching for indicators that let assume there's a whale in an area. The best way to locate a whale is to spot its spout, which appears above the surface as the whale exhales air - and depending on the species, it can be spotted from afar.
Happy 17th of June! Today is Iceland’s national day and one of the most important holidays in Iceland, which commemorates the foundation of the Republic of Iceland in 1944. This date marks the end of Iceland's ties with Denmark, through an agreement between the two nations.
There's no best time of the day to watch whales - these magnificent animals are in the bay from early to late. As we're approaching the summer solstice, Gentle Giants Whale Watching is once again starting to offer a "Midnight Sun Exclusive GG2 Big Whale Safari and Puffins" tour on our RIB speed boats starting tomorrow, 16th of June.
Recently, Skjálfandi Bay and the Northeast of Iceland were considered as a Hope Spot! This is the first time that a region in Iceland is considered as such. A Hope Spot is defined as any special place that is important to the health of the ocean— is recognised as Earth's blue heart! With this attribution, hope spots are about recognizing and empowering people around the world in their efforts to protect the ocean.
As you drive into Húsavík you'll quickly notice everything revolves around whales here. Whilst whale watching boats depart all day long from Húsavík harbor to head out into Skjálfandi Bay in search for the giants of the ocean, the lively port area invites to linger, watch the world go by or to explore the whale themed wall paintings, statues and decorations.
Today we celebrate "World Oceans Day". This day is there to remind on the importance of the oceans to all life on Earth. The oceans cover over 70% of our planet and are home to most of earth's biodiversity - and we have only yet explored a small amount of it.
Did you know: when you join us on our "GG2 Big Whale Safari and Puffins" on our RIB speed boats, you'll be treated with a short stop by Puffin Island to watch these colourful clowns of the sea swimming and diving in the shallow waters just off the island.
Today we celebrate "Sjómannadagurinn" - or the seaman's day - here in Iceland. This day honours the role fisherman as well as other seaman and their families have played in Icelandic history. It was first celebrated in 1938, but in 1987 "Sjómannadagurinn" became a public holiday and therefore a day off for all sailors.
Another month has passed successfully and as June has arrived - and therewith our high season, we're adding more scheduled daily departures to our timetable. May has been a fabulous month with many amazing whale sightings:Humpback whales have been feeding in the bay continously, but also minkes were seen quite frequently.
Watching whales in the wild is a a once-in-a-lifetime experience and so is heading out on a boat into a bay surrounded by wild and pristine nature. Our whale watching tours are not just a great experience for the older, but also a perfect opportunity to show and teach the younger among us about our beloved planet and the secrets of our oceans.
