We just came home from what has probably been our best tour so far this season. The sea was blank like a mirror and we were welcomed out on Skjálfandi Bay by four feeding minke whales. Also two groups of harbour porpoises passed us, as well as puffins, gannets and fulmars.
Gentle Giants will go through some major developments for this season. It is the tenth year of successful whale watching and the company is ready to take some steps forward - to advance.Today one of our biggest changes for the season arrived on its place – a new Ticket Centre.
The conditions today were the best possible for both whale watching and movie making. A bit cold maybe, but it is still only April after all...Onboard Faldur we had little groups of passengers from Sweden, USA, Turkey and Singapore plus a Finnish film team making a documentary about adventures in Iceland.
At first I thought the Irish man was hallucinating. You know when you want to see something so much that you imagine it, even though it is not there. We had been sailing for not more than 15 minutes and were now staring like hungry eagles in the direction which the overall-dressed passenger was pointing – nine o'clock.
The weather gods were generous to us during our first tour of the year. 9:45 we departed with 14 passengers and entered a calm and sunny Skjálfandi Bay. The bigger whales must have had a long lie this morning but we encountered several groups of cute harbour porpoises.
We just can not wait longer! As everything and everyone is ready for the 2011 season, we will have our first whale watching tour tomorrow - on the First Day of Summer. From now on our trips will depart daily at 9:45 throughout April – if the weather allows.
Now we do not count months or weeks anymore, we count days until the 2011 season starts, slowly but surely.Gentle Giants crew members Bessi and Máni are working hard to get our fleet in top shape for the summer.
During our tours passengers often notice and complement our beautiful surroundings. Joining a trip at many whale watching locations in the world means leaving land out of sight, searching for whales, seeing nothing but open ocean.
The other day the people of Husavik did not even have to go out on the bay to be able to see whales. A humpback found its way into the harbour! Now we know that even some of the big whales are out there in Skjalfandi already.
It is always interesting to explore new areas, to sail new seas. Today Daniel and I got the chance to experience the Outer Hebridean waters, in the north west of Scotland. An adventure to remember..
